Once we had been greeted at the airport by Cody's Mum we picked up our baggage (which we weren't that confident about seeing again when it didn't appear for some time) and went for a meal at Bob Evans's, where I met Cody's Grandma Coyne and Aunt Georgia (and, as expected, both kind and welcoming people).
Flushing and Flint
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Flushing is roughly 75 minutes north of Detroit, on the lower Peninsula of Michigan State. The landscape is relatively flat but very beautiful. I was struck by the sheer amount of space, between houses, in peoples' gardens (in many cases one garden merging into another) and in public areas. The air feels fresh and the lack of street lights results in darker, clearer nights and a better night's sleep. __________________________________________________
When we arrived in Flushing we were greeted by flower pots decorated with both stars and stripes and the Union Jack (or is it the Union Flag?!), which Shannie had placed on her porch. What is really noticeable here is an open pride in the national flag - there are flag's everywhere, on buildings, porches, trains...EVERYWHERE!
Friday, Cody took me for a drive (it was nice to be driven around for a change and I'm sure it was a relief for Cody to drive on the "correct" side of the road again). I was fascinated by the multi-coloured wooden houses (this seems to be the most common style of housing in non-city areas) and the mail boxes planted along one side of the road... And did you know that the postal vans have their steering wheel on the right (as of British) side of the vehicle so that mail can be placed in the boxes quickly and without having to dismount!?! This seems very efficient in my opinion. We stopped off at Cody's High School for a few moments but I'll get more of a chance to experience the school in a week or so, when I teach at the band camps. There are some really beautiful wooded areas around Flushing too and the difference in tree species is quite noticeable. Friday evening, Cody's Mum took us to see a film, Hairspray, at the local cinema - definitely worth the trip out of an evening and, guess what, cinemas are just like they are in England ;-) .
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