As most people know, wildfires in Canada, particularly Quebec, are circulating smoke and soot into lots of the U.S. It's not that bad here although not exactly healthy. What is remarkable is that over the last several days Chicago and Detroit have had the worst air quality of any major city on the planet. That's saying something. I've been to Delhi and Beijing.
Appropriately, theme day is tomorrow and the topic is climate.
There is a chain of stores in Michigan and the surrounding region based in Grand Rapids called Meijer. It's like a Walmart with a gigantic grocery store. My son tells me that every single one has a mechanical horse named Sandy near the checkout. For a penny, kids like my granddaughter Audrey can get a little bounce and fantasy.
This is located in another part of the city's Public Museum. The room contains arcade games and other children's amusements.
I didn't know much about Grand Rapids, Michigan, until last weekend. My son decided that we should meet there because it's a lot bigger than the city he lives in, Midland, and isn't Detroit. The city proper has about 200,000 people but the metro area has four times that. One interesting feature is the Public Museum. It has exhibits about history, architecture, technology and culture, all interesting to us visitors. This is the clock from the old city hall, parts of which were preserved when it was demolished.
My son, Andy, with his daughter, Audrey, at the controls of the pontoon boat we (perhaps better to say I) rented. I love the way she is looking at her father. Andy and his wife, Claire, seem to be nearly perfect parents with nearly perfect children. I hope I don't jinx them.
All the grandkids: the redoubtable Ellie, almost 10, with Michigan cousin Audrey, almost 8. Below, grandson Atlas, 4, in my son's hands and about to be thrown in the water, to his obvious delight. All in the pool at our hotel in Grand Rapids.
Muskegon Lake is about 40 minutes northwest of Grand Rapids, just in from Lake Michigan and connected by a channel. It's pretty good size, about 2.5 miles / 4 km wide and 5.5 miles / 8.9 km long. My son, um, suggested that I rent a pontoon boat for the day big enough for the five adults and three grandchildren. My son knows how to run a boat; I do not. We could go no farther than the second red tower, the end of the jetty into Lake Michigan proper. Then we went to a beach with shallow water and the kids had a very good time.
Seen in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, across the Grand River. I had no idea what this is about so I had to look it up. It's the local branch of a large international accounting firm. Never heard of it and I don't get any royalties.
Boating today near and possibly on Lake Michigan.
