More floods at For-Mar

While the Western US has been sweltering, we've been getting nonstop storms and rain. I think I like ours better.

New drumkit!

Thomas's percussion teacher informed us that he really needs a better drum kit if he's going to get better, and it so happened that he found just the one at a really bargain price (or so it seemed to him) in Grand Rapids. So today's road trip was there and back to score said kit. Not quite the Marimba trek of last year, but still an adventure of sorts. (It was in a Guitar Center in a run down mall on the edge of town, so I can't say we saw much of the delights that Michigan's second largest city has to offer): Unfortunately, being second hand, it turns out a couple of bits are missing, so the above is as close as we can currently get to seeing Thomas sitting at it...

Frederick the Thrill Seeker

Saturday evening, just after dinner, Frederick announced that he wanted to go to Flushing Park. It was really hot yesterday but the evening was starting to cool, so I agreed to take him there, since I hadn't been there with him in a really, really long time. When we arrived, we were both amazed to find a carnival set up in the park. Frederick had read about these things in Maisy Goes to the Fair but had never seen a real one before. He announced that he was VERY keen to ride on the Ferris Wheel. (I get really, really sick on Ferris Wheels but sucked up and braved the ride--thanking the gods that he didn't crave the Tilt-a-Whirl or Rocket Blaster, which has people sit in a small (VERY small) enclosed casing, and then the machine twirls them around and around, while their case spins round and round, side to side.) Before getting on the thing we had to find a ticket seller who took our $6 and gave us 6 tickets (the Ferris Wheel cost 3 tickets per person). When we got back to the Ferris Wheel, we were the only people there except for the guy who ran it. (In fact, the whole carnival was kind of empty--I can't imagine they actually made enough to cover their costs.) After we got locked into our lift chair, we just sat there for a bit. I asked if we would have to wait for other people to show up before we got to leave and he drawled, "You'd be waitin' all night if we had to do that. Do you want 'er to stop at the top or spin round and round?" Frederick opted for "constant spin" and so we were off. While I concentrated on keeping my stomach from rebelling Frederick sat, rigid, in his seat opposite me. He claimed he was enjoying himself, but I think it was just so much amazingness that he couldn't quite take it all in at once. After the ride ended we headed home. Last evening he mentioned a certain carnival ride again so, again, after dinner we headed out. Unfortunately when we arrived they were just closing the carnival and, worse, starting to tear down the whole set up! We went over to the nearby swing set/climbing set to amuse ourselves while the rides were taken apart. Here Frederick watches the dismantling of the Ferris Wheel, the new love of his life:

And here it is. As far as Frederick is concerned, if there was any justice at all in the world, we would own one of these and have it set up and running round the clock.

Now we just have to find out when this carnival is traveling to other nearby towns so we can log in more Ferris Wheel time.

Truth in advertising

Honesty: not always the best policy

Tree elf

Empty church

I've driven by this a lot of times while driving to Milford to kill time while Thomas is in school, but on Tuesday (Thomas's LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - he actually seemed a little sad!) I finally decided to stop and take pictures. There's no "For Sale" sign, but it's obviously long disused.

Weather extremes

Morning:

Afternoon:

Down to the lake

Boring wet day today, so I suggested to Frederick that we go to the pool. But, of course, it was closed for "maintenance". So I suggested Bluebell Beach with the idea that we would just trudge along the edge. Frederick, of course, had bolder plans.

We also visited weird, semi-empty Dort Mall, owned by a rich man who keeps old junk he's collected there. Dunno why a Tyrannosaurus and a Bull, both made of cogs and such, are facing off, but they are.

Beasts of the Northern Wild

Various pictures from various parks with various kids.

A hot day at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing

Thomas has a school project (of dubious merit, if you ask me) of going to a zoo, taking pictures, and writing about it. So, today, off we went. It was steamy and overcast and the zoo was incredibly crowded (especially for this little zoo, at which we have been literally the only visitors on a previous occasion (in Winter) but Thomas dutifully snapped various animals while Frederick and I sauntered around trying to avoid being trampled by the crowds. And afterwards, while Frederick unwound on the swings, Thomas unwound with a giant icecream.