Tourism Tuesday

"We all get to that point, when the day takes away more than it gives.  When the to-do list gets longer than the "I want to do" list.  When the daily routine starts to become the weekly and monthly routine.  The cure?  Just add water."  (The Pure Michigan ad campaign was well over one year and several commercials into production before I recognized that voice.  Tim-the-Tool-Man Taylor?  Brilliant!)

Okay, so I was so there last week.  Ten thousand things to do in a day, 99 percent of which I most definitely did not want to do.  So when my cute-as-a-bug nephews (who, at 8-years-old, would have issues with the descriptive phrase "cute-as-a-bug", so let's keep that our secret but I digress...)  So when my very handsome and manly 8-year-old nephews needed to enlist some volunteers to go along on a hike to earn their Bear rank for Cub Scouts, I happily left housework behind and pulled on my hiking shoes (aka my shoes) and headed to the trail.  My house may be in Michigan, but fifteen minutes from my house?  Pure Michigan.

We ended up walking a trail along Stony Creek.  It may not be as big a body of freshwater as Tim Allen had in mind, but it is Pure Michigan.

When we came out of the woods, we were greeted by wildflowers in a meadow.  All I can think about when I see this picture is...

The flowers in the very first frame of the Little House on the Prairie theme?  Pure Michigan.

In fact, I could have sworn we had been transported back in time to the prairie, until I saw...

The only sign that modern civilization is close at hand.

Gorgeous Pure Michigan sky.  There's even something beautiful in that electrical tower.

We hiked through the prairie and back to the woods again.

Nephew on the left and 13-year-old son on the right heading down the trail together.

Being able to experience this together on a random Friday?  Pure Michigan.

And just in case you thought that I had forgotten this was about returning to the water....

Sunset over the lake captured while walking with my older daughter on Sunday.

Yep... Pure Michigan.

***********************************************************

UPDATE

Would you believe they are all still here?  Not that I can blame Tommy's family.  They've been travelling for the past two weeks, making stops and sightseeing on two different continents on the way back home to Pure Michigan.  A 28-hour flight home left them too exhausted to deal with the trip back home, so they're taking a couple of days to recuperate with family down here before hitting the road.  We've got Tommy for an extra day.  He'll be on his way home tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed that we can get a sedative in him. 

I spent some time at Petco on Monday night to help facilitate the adoption of a very special brother/sister pair.  Frankie and Johnnie came out of the same hoarding house that my fearsome foursome were from.  Another little lady in residence in the store also came from that house.  I met Tika on Saturday.  Every moment that I've spent with her has reminded me of Henry.  Very similar facial features, brown tabby, about the right size, and those eyes!  And then she did this...

Miss Tika is a climber and an explorer.  She's a rock and roller.  She's been known to end up on the roof of the pet display (and heading to the other side to the store... Can't really blame her.  There's toys and treats over there!)

She met Willow, our adult lady cat in residence.

She chased a feather teaser with Lucy, an amazingly gorgeous tortie who is nothing but a blur on camera.

Tika looks more like Henry than Eloise does.  Tika acts more like Henry than Eloise does.  They came from the same house.  I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure she's a member of the family.  Barring her adoption in the next couple of days, she will be reunited with her brother Henry by the end of the week when he moves in with her.

Oh, how I will miss this grumpy little face.

***********************************************************

Tomorrow: We begin the up-close and personal biographies of our little ones who will be leaving us far too soon.

Metro Monday (kind of...)

Between ringworm drama, weight-loss drama, teenager drama, and the drama called just-plain-life, I never made it very far from home last week.   Instead of a regular Metro Monday, I bring to you my childhood in commercial form....

I amaze myself (and irritate my children) with my ability to still recite this entire commercial for the Detroit Zoo word for word.

Can you get Faygo where you live?  A Detroit company that makes the best red pop ever (Yes, I said POP not soda... this is Michigan after all).  My kids think Faygo's a fabulous treat.

Vernors is a Detroit-made ginger ale that blows all other ginger ales away.  I had it shipped to me in locations throughout the world during our time out of Michigan.  But I include this commercial for the very end... a great display of how we Michiganders give directions in our home state.

Hopefully, my Michigan friends enjoyed the walk down memory lane today.  My oldest child gets her Level 1 driver's license this morning (pray for me).  I will have her drive me someplace interesting to get Metro Monday pictures for next week.

********************************************************

Weekend Update

(Part One)

Penny had a fabulous afternoon at Petco during the adoption hours on Saturday.  While her forever family was not in attendance and she came back home with me at the end of the day, she was relaxed, friendly, and purring throughout the day.  She "showed" well and I have high hopes that we will find her home soon.  

The kittens currently at Petco are battling a bit of an upper respiratory infection, so they're in quarantine for now.  Once they kick the infection and we get one or two more adopted, Penny and couple other adults will move in with them.  We're going to push hard to get our sweet, loving mama cats (**cough** yeah, right ** cough **) into their new homes as soon as possible.

(Part Two)

We are working on fattening up Norman, who has mysteriously lost two pounds in the past six months.  The good news is that he is loving the high-calorie extra snacks that he gets offered twice per day.  If you have any suggestions for a great "fatten him up" diet, I would love to hear about it.

(Part Three)

Progress continues on the ringworm front.  4 kittens, 9 active ringworm spots, none new in over a week.  I'm down to being able to count them on two hands!!!!  

My kittens were feeling a bit droopy this weekend with what appears to be an upper respiratory infection.  Ben is sneezing green snot.  Henry is wheezing again.  Eloise has a goopy eye. They're still sweet, friendly, and playful, but a bit run down.  I'm calling the vet's office as soon as they open this morning to get them in and get even more meds for them.  

I would seriously pay for a week where these guys don't worry me.  Of course, that will mean that it's time to send them off for adoption (and I'm not ready for that either)

**************************************************************

Olympic Swimming

(Oh No!)

The kittens rather emphatically refused to enthusiastically participate in Friday's Olympic event.

"Eloise will eat your chicken baby food but not, not NOT go in the water again!  Bad Lady!!!"

"Ben is pretty disappointed with you, Lady."

"Ben really thought you were better than that.  Now Ben needs to re-evaluate our relationship."

"Henry is NOT amused."

"Open this door before further bloodshed is required."

"Not doing it, Lady.  Porter will wait right here until you re-think your swimming idea."

"Not looking at you either."

I love those super-strong splayed toes on his back foot.  He seriously stayed balanced on the rim of the tub for at least a few minutes while he stared me down.

"I'm out of here."

"This finger held Ben in water.  This finger will pay."

"This is not an official Olympic beverage.  But if you let us have a sip, we may overlook the transgression."

There are no medal winners here... merely survivors.

Metro Monday and Kitten Questions

Today's Metro Monday is a story of childhood nostalgia, of urban decay and loss, a reflection of the roller coaster ride that we as Detroiters have endured.

You remember last week's edition when I told you about Sugar Island, the first island amusement park in the Detroit River (which isn't really a river, but a straight)?  Sugar Island was closed by the end of World War II, left to disintegrate and decay.  In fact, I had even heard of it until this summer.  But I had passed by it many times on my way to the island amusement park that endured... Bob-Lo Island.

I didn't even have to go to YouTube in order to hear this song in my head.  I'll bet many native Michiganders can remember this commercial as clearly as I can.

The name "Bob-Lo" is an English corruption of the original name given by the French.  Bois Blanc Island or "Island of White Woods" was an important source of building materials for the French as they built their forts on either side of the river.   The island lies in what is now Canadian waters, but  just a quick boat ride from southeast Michigan.

The Boblo Island Amusement Park opened at the turn of the twentieth century.  While it could be accessed on the Canadian side by a quick ferry ride from Amherstburg Ontario, part of true Boblo experience for any Michigander was riding on the Boblo ferry boats.  The SS Ste. Claire and the SS Columbia.  These excursion steamboats conjure images of old time Mississippi River luxury steamships.  

SS Columbia

Four decks high, complete with snack bars, gift shops, and a dance floor, these steamships made the 18 mile trek downriver from Detroit to Boblo Island several times per day.  Standing on the deck in a cool summer breeze, drinking Faygo and throwing popcorn to the seagulls who flew alongside during our ride, I made this trip at least once per summer with my friends during every one of my teenage years.

Boblo Island Amusement Park from the air (probably from the Sky Tower at the back of the park)

While not an amusement park on a grand scale, Boblo was still a place that could entertain a family for a full day.  Built alongside the original dance hall (in the photo above under the blue roof) and picnic area, roller coasters, ferris wheel, bumper cars, and a full midway greeted the passengers as they disembarked. 

A postcard of Boblo from the 1980s.  The boat dock (in the lower part of the photo) led into the amusement park.  Check out the roller coaster along the other shore.  This would be the Boblo that I remember.

Competition from Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio (just a couple hours away from Detroit) combined with the deterioration of the steamships and local economy led to Boblo's decline. When the steamships ceased making their island runs in the early 1990s, Detroiters stopped making the trip to the island entirely.  The park closed just two years later.  The rides were dismantled and sold to other parks throughout the country while the boats sat and crumbled.

From this:

To this:

After nearly twenty years of disuse.  Both ships have now been sold to private investors who are working to restore them to their previous glory.  Click here for more photos of the interior of the SS Columbia.  It's a little worse for wear, but with some imagination you can clearly see the ship I loved just a couple decades ago.

Although the park is gone, Boblo Island remains (obviously).  Overgrown with greenery, the only remaining structures from the Boblo that I knew are the Sky Tower and the dance hall.  The boat dock, faded and crumbling, still serves passengers who travel by ferry from Canada.  The island, which uses its original French name of Bois Blanc, is being developed into high-end real estate... large mansions line the shore and a condo community is being developed.  It was almost fitting for my mood, that when I returned to Boblo it was a grey, overcast day.  Today's Boblo is almost unrecognizable to me.

The dock of Bois Blanc Island once greeted amusement park visitors.  It is now a welcome home for those who ride the car ferry from Amherstburg.

A leftover from the amusement park days... "Boblo" spelled out in white rocks on the shore.

The Sky Tower in the distance, the dance hall is behind the trees to the right.  Other than that, the Boblo of my childhood is gone.

As I rode back to shore with a heavy heart, I saw something that reminded me that the beauty I remembered was not completely gone.  That happiness can still be found on the river...

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures, by Barb VerSluis

I didn't really see this, but someone (**cough**Holly Waterfall**cough**) might owe me something after this ;-)

*******************************************************

Questions... She's got questions

My kittens, while noisy when demanding their dinner, do not create the kind of cacophony of chaos that I expected from the tales of other fosterers.  They are, however, constantly hungry. Seriously... how much do you all feed your kittens?? Mine have 24/7 access to kitten kibble but what they really want is stinky canned goodness. How many times a day should I indulge them? They would prefer that I open one every time I open the door to the room.  I'm thinking a bit less. What are your thoughts?

"The Ellie Belly is empty and can only be filled with canned treats.  Hop to it, Lady."

**********************************************************

Penny is a dinner time diva (and a breakfast time brat).  She began her stay with us refusing to touch canned food and now she refuses to eat kibble.  She would starve herself rather than crunch.  Now that she's out in the general population of fat boys, mealtimes happen twice a day and she's proving resistant both to eating kibble and eating when the pack eats.  Any ideas of how to get her to indulge in a more varied diet and/or come around to our schedule?

********************************************************

"Not another bath!"

"Eloise will just wait here while you get another idea, Lady."

Kittens are getting stronger and wiser during bath time.  Bathing them is becoming more of a struggle.  While I used to bathe them in a plastic container in the bathtub, they're becoming fighters so I had to change the game plan.  Sunday's bath took place in the bathroom sink and went a bit quicker and easier, but I'm anticipating needing a back-up plan soon as they learn the new drill.  I'd love to hear your kitten bathing strategies as I anticipate needing to bathe them for another couple weeks.

"Please don't do this, Lady..."

"Henry loves you."

Metro Monday?

Quick.... picture metro Detroit!  Can you see it?  If you have no working knowledge of Detroit, substitute what you know about other major cities and create a picture in your mind.  Got it?   OK, did it look something like this?

My Detroit... I see this nearly every single day.

The metro area surrounding Detroit is built on a grid of mile-marked roads that run east-west and fan upward in number as you drive north.  These start with 5 Mile Road (don't ask me why), pass the famous 8 Mile Road which is the border between the city and the suburbs, and go all the way north to 34 Mile Road in my area.

My house is just south of 26 Mile Road.  When I was a kid growing up south of 5 Mile Road, this area might as well have been Outer Mongolia or Timbuktu.  As the suburbs creep northward, neighborhoods have been built in the countryside.  My particular area is an interesting mix of rural and urban.  Brand new subdivisions and schools popping up between barns.  If I drive 26 Mile Road to my destination, I pass farms of all shape and sizes.  It's quieter here... a little less traffic, a lot less stress while driving.  We get the best of both worlds, city convenience mixed with bucolic charm.

Leaving my neighborhood.  Looks like any random new-ish subdivision... wide streets, brick houses, young trees.  Check out the red building.

The old barn, complete with Mobil advertising, has been surrounded by our neighborhood.  Complete with farmhouse... they have horses too!

This barn, which you saw in the very first picture of the post, is just a few miles away on the way to my younger daughter's elementary school.

I prefer to drive these country roads and get there a bit more slowly than finding the nearest Interstate to race down... probably a good thing since it takes me at least 25 minutes to reach any of roughly half-dozen freeways to travel through and around the city.  Last week, during an epic heat wave, the kids and I decided we needed fresh ice cream from the dairy.  This is where we ended up:

Wonder which flavor she makes?  ;-)

I had fully intended to get "classic" Detroit photos this week, but life has a crazy way of intervening.  Between 100-degree temperatures, frighteningly intense storms, and a new batch of kittens with health issues, I stayed closer to home.  But I'm working on it for next week!

*******************************************************

The Health Report

Penny bounced back quickly after her spay (re-spay? spay attempt?).  She is completely back to normal... snuggling, friendly, playful.  The plan is to introduce her slowly to the permanent residents over the next few days so we can open up our family room and return to life with only one foster room in the house.

The kittens (sigh... the kittens) are hanging in there.  I'm seeing steady improvement in many places:  No fleas!! I haven't heard Henry wheeze in days.  Porter's eyes are clearing up beautifully.

The ringworm has become a bit more challenging.  All three kittens bloomed into ringworm spots Thursday and Friday.  Eloise and Henry healed very quickly with medication.  The sores are gone, their skin is smoothing out.  They act as if nothing happened.  Porter, however, looks like he's going through a war.  It blossomed on his face, around both eyes and his mouth.  He ended up with a spot on each of his front legs too which appears to be the same spot he'd use to wash and dry his face.  Some moments, I swear he's looking better.  Others, I want to cry for him.  He's still playful and a sweet snuggling baby... although he is getting skitterish and shy because of the frequent need for bathing and medication.  All I want to do is kiss him and tell him everything will be okay (and then I worry about the health of my lips if I do).

The good news is that the vet has decided they really only need the baths 2-3 times per week (whew... they weren't all that happy about it).

"Why, Lady? Why??? What did we do to you???"

***************************************************

Porter

Porter, also known as Pork Chop, Porter the Porker, and Porter Prince, is approximately 4 weeks older than Henry and Eloise.  He's three months old (roughly 12-13 weeks old right now).  He is noticeably bigger, outweighing Henry by half a pound and Eloise by a full pound-and-a-half.  Because of that, I sometimes refer to him as "Cousin Porter" but he really does fit into this litter beautifully in terms of personality.  He loves Henry and Eloise and they love him.

When I first met Porter, I was shocked at the resemblance to another one of our fosters in terms of markings.

Look at that sweet white marking on his back.  Almost looks like a little heart!

Another beautiful kitty with a white mark in the center of her back.

Nose splotch on a white face.

Nose splotch on a white face.  If I wasn't already acutely aware that she's been spayed, I might think she had a kitten after all.

Porter is the quietest of the three hellions living in my front room.  When I enter the room, I'm greeted by a stampede of kittens telling me all about their day, demanding attention, affection, and food.  Eloise is the opera singer, capable of holding out a note for much longer than you would think possible.  Henry is the consistent peeper.  Porter throws in an occasional squeak if he feels he's being ignored.  

For the past couple days though, Porter has hung back a bit... afraid to have me touch him in case I might have medicine in my hand or a bath on my mind.  But Sunday evening, he started to come back around and we're still working on bringing him out of his shell again.  He has a purr that you can hear across the room and isn't afraid to use it.  He's the Washington kitty that gives kisses.  He likes to sit on my lap and purr until Henry shows up to start a wrestling match between my legs.  He's meeker than wild child Henry, but that's not necessarily a bad thing ;-)  I found a ping pong ball under one of the kids' beds that has quickly become Porter's favorite toy.

I purposefully didn't include many pictures of Porter's face because I don't want you to worry,  He looks worse than it is and (unless I'm putting medication on it or bathing it) he acts like his face is just fine.  You'll see more and more of his beautiful mug as we pass the time here.