Memory Lane - We Get Out Much, Part 2 (The Rrrrest of July 1987)

At the end of Part 1 of this double post the family had just completed a little R&R at Avon Rae cottage, recovering from a series of kid-focused, end-of-school-year outings. After a week or so of lounging on the beach, overeating and reveling in extended happy hours, we were ready for more adventure. So we headed east.

To this happy spot.

The overhead sign is a little hard to make out in this pic. It reads Story Book Gardens.

Story Book Gardens is a combination garden, zoo, playground and fairy tale theme park in London, Ontario. It's been around a long time. Nancy and her Canadian cousins went there as kids. From Christine's posture in the above pic she may well have been thinking "Oh no, another Deer Acres" (see previous post). But she soon learned better.

The first order of business was to rent a big shoe. You know, the kind you ride in. It was a crowd pleaser. 

The next step after the shoe rental was this touristy spot, for the required "I was really there" photo.

Put out by the fact that this attraction had cutouts for only two heads, Cathy stayed in the car shoe.

A little restless from the photoshoot, we took the kids to the playground area to burn off some energy. Ted and Christine jumped in with both feet. Literally. 

Eventually, they climbed their way out.

And up.

Cathy chose a less thrilling but safer form of recreation.

After all the excitement, we paused for a cold drink in a shady spot. Ted was behind the camera, having already chugged down his Mountain Dew.

Although the play areas dominated the visit, we did stop by a few animal friends. Here's Christine exchanging pleasantries with a bovine in residence.

And the kids and I once again gazing in awe at these peculiar creatures. 

Canadian flamingos. These pink beauties seem to be everywhere we go.

At the end of the day as we headed toward the exit, there was one more stop to make. And it was the highlight of the visit. 

We saddled-up.

We held on tight.

And eventually, rode into the sunset.

Or rather, out to the parking lot.

There was some disappointment that this didn't happen. Expectations are often a problem.

To move the kids past the crisis, we took a brief detour before returning to the cottage. All the way to Toronto.

We had seen our Canadian cousins recently at Avon Rae. But we were sort of in the neighborhood, so what the heck. It's always fun to see how the other half of the family lives, and to have an opportunity to catch up out of earshot of the senior generation. (Now that I'm a part of the senior generation, I'm fairly confident our kids feel the same way.)

We did stay long enough to take cousin Heather and our girls on a walk to the park.

Spot them on some high-brow exercise equipment.

And treat them and Ted to a combination fine-dining/menu-art outing. Heather and Ted are waiting for fresh crayons.

Having eaten and caught up on family business, and determined to not overstay our welcome, we headed back to the beach for another dose of R&R. 

One thing I'm constantly reminded of as I wade through these old pictures is just how the beach really changed over the years. I have this image of Avon Rae and Ipperwash Beach fixed in my mind from 30-plus years of visits. But I'm realizing it's not a particular memory. Rather, it's an overlay. A seamless blending of hundreds if not thousands of real images. 

I am very much enjoying my reacquaintance with those real images and associating them individually with their proper time in my memory. And appreciating the often subtle changes that occurred from year to year that I had forgotten or not even noticed at the time. 

Back to 1987. The second stop at Avon Rae this trip was every bit as relaxing as the first. And the weather was typically gorgeous. We dug in quickly as we knew we were going home in a few days. 

As noted earlier, we continued to do the same things on these recurring trips to our personal paradise but with slight variations. The kids grew more curious about their surroundings and how far they could push their limits. 

Nancy and I grew more aware of our own limits with her parents, as at that time Rae and Marge were retired and spent all summer at the cottage. They had their preferred ways of doing things. We were welcomed guests, but also intruders of a sort. At times, the distinction was subtle. But through reflection and well-timed beach walks, we managed. A second cocktail at happy hour was another valuable mood-management tool. 

A few pics from this second Avon Rae session of that summer. First, a reminder of what the beach looked like in 1987 with the lower lake level, new seawall and deluxe stairway. 

This picture is always striking to me as the beach did not have this look for long. As you will see a little further along my Memory Lane journey, the shifting sands and varying lake levels would reengineer this waterfront area dramatically.  

The kids, of course, didn't know from lake levels. It was all sand and surf to them. Dimensions didn't matter much. They returned to their usual play routine. First, lake time. 

Then afternoon quiet time for some.

For others, quiet time didn't quite ring the bell as well as trying to beat your best time down the patio block walkway in your bare feet. Who does this remind us of?

There was also some together time.

And some not-so-together time (out?)

There were old chores to perform.

And new chores to learn.

And at the end of each day, there was a classic cottage dinner. Spaghetti was a family favorite. Almost as much fun to watch as it was to eat.

And while the Burk family was living and playing and making themselves at home on foreign soil, our hosts - Rae and Marge - did their best to go about their business of retirement. I think that every once in a while they even got in some rest and relaxation.

Here's a shot of Nancy's mother Marge enjoying one of her favorite pastimes. My guess is there's an Italian tenor (and a couple of Spaniards?) at the pointy end of those earphones. Recognize the chair?

Nancy's dad took his pleasures differently. He liked to fix things and make general contributions to the common welfare. As we used to say, Rae had a loose foot. A classic example.

This picture tells a story. And not just the fact that we had a big dinner. It documents that Avon Rae at one time had a built-in dishwasher. It was installed in 1983 when the kitchen was expanded along with the pouring of the concrete porch.

It had been a tricky installation, something Rae's engineer's brain never shied away from. It involved smuggling Nancy's old portable dishwasher through the border, worrying it down the sloped patio blocks to the kitchen door, creating a space to house this avocado green beauty, and multiple trips to the hardware store for hoses, valves and other thingamabobs to connect it up to the well pump. My part in the adventure was driving the little brown pickup truck. 

The dishwasher was always a center of controversy. It made a horrible noise when it operated and required frequent maintenance. It was eventually retired when parts to keep it running could no longer be had. Still, while it lasted it was quite a coup for Rae after a generation of washing dishes for large crowds by hand. 

I often think about that little dishwasher when I find myself standing over a soiled stack of those very same Strawberry Fair dishes at Wiser Times. The more things change.... 

Our cottage visit having run its course, we headed over the Blue Water Bridge and down I-94 back home. We had one more July event ahead of us. Someone was turning two. A few pics.

Birthday dinner. Note how much neater two-year-olds are.

The cake. There's probably a story about the non-layered status of this (intended) layer cake, but I don't remember it at the moment.

The classic birthday group photo, party hats included.

And finally, Cathy's first independently successful extinguishing of a birthday cake candle. Literally a crowd pleaser.

The hullabaloo of the last few weeks behind us, Nancy and I returned to our respective working lives in the Patrick V. McNamara Building. She in her new-fangled role as an automation analyst. Keyboards and (truly) floppy disks.

And I back in the Special Procedures office. Note the index cards and yellow pad. This was two years before I was rescued by the Franklin system. We're still together.

This'll do it for this post and the July '87 adventures. Until next time.

Grosse Pointe Charles

Memory Lane - We Get Out Much, Part 1 (June and July 1987)

June '87 was a fun month. Coming off a relaxing Memorial Day weekend at the family cottage, and nearing the end of Christy's first full year of school, we were ready to rumble. We started with a visit to a small petting zoo near my parents' home in Linwood. It's called Deer Acres.

Small is probably overstating things. Deer Acres had been a roadside attraction along US 23 just north of Bay City ever since I was a kid. In addition to petting-worthy animals, there were several exhibits and activity centers themed around fairy tales. In its heyday it was quite popular. But like many attractions along US highways, Deer Acres faced hard times with the advent of the interstate freeway system. In this case the villain was I-75.

The attraction was closed and re-opened several times over the years, as I witnessed from my regular trips up north. At last look, it appears to be open again. I wouldn't describe it as looking prosperous yet, at least from the road. But someone is giving it a go. Maybe we'll try it again sometime with my grandchildren.

In 1987, it was on the decline with only a few animals and exhibits remaining. I felt I should share this experience from my childhood with my own family while I could. So I did. They were...thrilled. At least a little. Here are a few pics.

In this first one Ted and Christine are posing in the castle turret that adorns the entrance to Deer Acres. Most kids raised in the tri-county area in the 50s and 60s (Bay, Saginaw, Midland) have a picture just like this in their family album.

Pretty mundane in this era of mega theme parks. But in 1987 it got the kids out of the house. And who can poopoo mingling with friendly animals. There were fluffy lambs.

Barn-climbing goats.

And of course, deer.

The adventure was a bit lowbrow, but a good introduction for the kids who were about to widen their entertainment groove significantly. Here we are taking a breather from all the excitement.

Shortly after our return home, we were introduced to a new element of our parenting lives - class trips. This one with Christine's first-grade class to the Detroit Zoo. Being a dutiful parent, and braver than I, Nancy agreed to help chaperone. 

We had taken the kids to the zoo earlier in the year. That trip was about seeing animals. Taking a gaggle of six-year-olds to the zoo is much more. Yes, there were animals. But mostly it's about keeping track of other people's kids while they learn to navigate a measure of freedom. Fun, but tricky. We have a few pics. This first is of the gaggle, a little amped, with our little darling in the middle. 

 

These next two shots are of the very cool ride the kids take deep into the park. Always a crowd pleaser.

And a shot of Christine enjoying the train ride with her buddy Sara S.

Here the two were caught visiting a couple of old family favorites.

In this final shot the chaperones are celebrating their newly-earned membership in the "class-trip survivors club". Good work, everybody.

A couple of weeks after Christine's school trip we went to Cranbrook to see some dinosaurs. This was six years before Jurassic Park, mind you, before velociraptor was a household word. So these life-like giants were awesome, and pretty spooky. At least spookier than Deer Acres and the zoo.

Here's a shot of the kids staring down a stegosaurus. "Nice pussycat."

And here I am protecting the kids from mayhem, a la Alan Grant (in Jurassic Park). 

After our June festival of animal life - tame, wild and extinct - we were ready for some down time. Actually, down on the beach time. So guess where we headed.

Yes, it was back to Avon Rae and Ipperwash Beach for the joint holiday week, Dominion Day for Canada (July 1st) and our Independence Day (July 4th). We were joined for a portion of that trip by some of our Canadian relatives, who were renting the cottage a couple doors down from Avon Rae.

The summer of 1987 began what I refer to as the glory days of our times at Avon Rae. For roughly the next ten years three generations of both the American and Canadian sides of the family would gather together for a week or two of joint summer vacation. This would occur during the months of July or August when the family elders (Rae, Marge, Uncle Ken and Aunt Evelyn) were living at the beach full time. 

In future posts, you will see how family bonds grew over the years through these cottage experiences, especially among the younger generation. But back to 1987. Here are a few pics.

What little recharging the kids needed they sought in the lake. Nothing like wading into the cool of Lake Huron to heighten one's senses. As usual Christine took the lead. Here she is deep in thought assessing the "duck" rating of the day. That is the number of times one has to duck under the water to get used to it, from 1 (warm as a bath) to 4 (too cold for a sane person to swim). I read her facial expression somewhere between 2 and 2.5.

Following her sister's lead, Cathy sloshed her way in without hesitation. Interested more in her form than the water temperature. A girl needs to know how to make an entrance.

Here's a shot of Ted applying his Little League pitching techniques to a game of lake football. 

Personally, I recharged by sitting quietly in the shade and powering down as many sensory functions as possible. I think of it as an advanced form of dawdling, requiring little more than a well-situated lawn chair as my "tune-out" space (see The Art of the Dawdle for a full explanation of this misunderstood fitness technique). A pair of shades to disguise your glassy-eyed stare into space can also be helpful.

The kids found their own tune-out spaces during the week when they felt the need. For Cathy it was communing with her favorite summer art medium. One must be "one" with the sand.

Christine preferred stretching out on a comfortable recliner, swaddled in a beach towel. 

Ted's choice for a little "me" time was atop the new staircase that had been built to accommodate the new seawall. 

Over time, this lofty perch became a favorite spot for me to sneak out for a second cup of morning coffee while enjoying the 180 degree view of the beach. The pic below provides a full view of this architectural beauty. Gathering at the foot of the stairs are the moms, Nancy in the chair and cousin Lynne, keeping an eye on her son Andrew as he explores his new surroundings. 

Here's a better shot of Andrew in his stylish sun hat, contemplating his next move.

And a pic of Christine and Andrew's big sister Heather enjoying the action from the lower decks of the new staircase. 

A major component of these joint family vacations was the late afternoon, multi-generational happy hour. In the beginning, the adults would mix up Manhattans and/or gin and tonics and send the kids off to entertain themselves. But once the kids realized that snacks were part of the tradition, they wanted a piece of the action. So the party was expanded to include a variety of non-alcoholic libations. The kids were happy with any beverage that had a cherry in it. Go figure.

Here are some happy hour pics from this early 1987 trip. First we have Uncle Ken, who along with Nancy's dad Rae were the formal hosts of these gatherings. 

Ken was a prince of a man, and the uncle everybody needs. Friendly, funny, discreet and a great bartender. I think I may have mentioned in an earlier post that it was he who gave me my nickname of Grosse Pointe Charles. I think of him fondly every time I sign off on a post. 

In this next pic are women of family happy hours past, present and future. From left to right Lynne, Nancy, Cathy, Aunt Evelyn and Nancy's mother Marge. On the far left you can just make out Rae fulfilling his co-host duties by delivering a fresh Manhattan to Lynne.

Next-generationers Christine and Heather were making the most of the snack component of the party. Heather looks a little concerned about the paparazzi (that would be me).

After the crowd cleared out, Cathy hung on a little longer working hard to get that cherry out of her Shirley Temple. 

This last picture from the visit is a family classic. It's an image etched in my memory. We have an enlargement hanging in our downstairs play room. 

I call it The Morning Ritual. If you look closely you can see Marge and Rae on the Avon Rae porch enjoying a favorite pastime - reading the daily paper and sharing items of interest with each other. As usual Marge is sitting in her wicker rocker, Rae in his upright wooden rocker. 

The wicker rocker has been a mainstay at Wiser Times since 2005 and has been celebrated in several previous posts. With the passing of Avon Rae out of the family last fall, Rae's rocker now resides here in my hobby lab. About 20 feet from my keyboard. It's a welcome addition. 

At the end of this visit to Avon Rae, we didn't return home directly. Instead, we "widened our groove" a little further. All the way to Toronto. And that's where'll I'll pick things up in my next post. 

Happy Memorial Day everyone. 

Grosse Pointe Charles