Emptiness, photo by Mike Lanzetta.
See this bigger in Mike’s “fog” slideshow and check out “fog” on Michigan in Pictures and even more foggy goodness from the Absolute Michigan pool!
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Great Egret ( No. 2 ) Sepia, photo by Paul Degi Photography.
The All About Birds entry for the Great Egret says:
A large white heron, the Great Egret is found across much of the world, from southern Canada southward to Argentina, and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It’s the largest egret in the Old World, and thus has garnered the name Great White Egret. In the New World, however, the white form of the Great Blue Heron is larger. In the United States, the Great Egret used to be called the American Egret but that was hardly appropriate, since its range extends beyond the Americas and indeed farther than other herons.
The Great Egret (Ardea alba) entry on the UM Zoology Animal Diversity Web adds that the ideal location for great egrets is near any form of water. Streams, lakes, ponds, marshes and wooded swamps and wetlands are the preferred location for great egrets and other heron species. There is (of course) more on Wikipedia and here’s a sweet video of a great egret nesting site along Lake Huron.
Be sure and check this out bigger or in Paul’s B&W set (slideshow).
Check out many more Michigan Birds on Michigan in Pictures!
Exposure.Detroit November Show
take it to the bridge, photo by b.plus
The Exposure.Detroit November Photography Exhibit Opening Party takes place this Saturday (November 7) from 7-10 PM at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak. The show features the work of Robert Monaghan, Jim Barclay, Allan Machielse, Bethany Helzer and Brian Day.
Check Brian’s photo of the Douglas MacArthur Bridge (aka the Belle Isle Bridge) out bigger in his Interesting slideshow (set) or dive into his Flickriver.
8 Mile & Woodward, Detroit
Untitled, photo by justbeamensch.
Be sure to check this out bigger or in Donald’s awesome Detroit Greeting Cards set (slideshow).
This photo was also featured in the Huffington Post’s Capture The Recession: This Week’s Best Recession Photos.
Where the Wild Things Are … in Michigan
Pinhole: Acme Creek, photo by Matt Callow.
The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another. His mother called him “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.
That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew- and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are.
One of my favorite stories of any kind is Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and I have to say that I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s movie adaptation.
Thinking about the story and about being a kid in Michigan seeking out those places where the wild things are – and about being a person who never managed to grow all the way up who still seeks them out – made me wonder where YOU most feel the wild things are.
Post thoughts and links in the comments and let the wild rumpus start!
Be sure to check out the other photos in Matt’s Pinhole set (or the slideshow to see it bigger!) … and if you haven’t checked out Matt’s work, here’s Matt on Michigan in Pictures (our Photographer profile of Matt is a great place to start) and mattcallow.com!
Detroit Tigers, Champions of the American League (in 1907)
Detroit Tigers, Champions of the American League in 1907, photo by Boston Public Library.
We’re not going to be able to say the same thing 102 years later, but the 2009 Detroit Tigers certainly played well above preseason expectations.
The photo above shows the 1907 Detroit Tigers, who won the AL pennant but lost to the Chicago Cubs:
Top row, left to right: John Eubanks, Claude Rossman, Sam Crawford, Bill Donovan, George Mullin, Ed Willett, Fred Payne and Ed Killian. Center: Davy Jones, Red Downs, Ty Cobb, Bill Coughlin, Germany Schaefer, and Elijah Jones. Front: Ed Siever, Jimmy Archer, Hughie Jennings, Boss Schmidt and Charley O’Leary.
See this bigger in the ridiculously awesome McGreevey Collection slideshow (view collection) from the Boston Public Library.
The collection consists of early Boston baseball photographs dating from 1875 to 1916. Represented are many of the most important ballplayers of the 19th and early 20th century including Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Mike “King” Kelly, Kid Nichols and many others. Also included are panoramic photos of the ballparks of the era including the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston and the Polo Grounds in New York. The centerpiece of the collection is a series of photographs related to the first World Series in 1903 between Boston and Pittsburgh.
Storm waves over the Grand Haven Pier Light
DSC_0048-1 wr copy, photo by Heightened Senses [Dennis].
Lighthouse Friends says that the entrance to the Grand River in Grand Haven was originally marked by a tower near the south side , but that lighthouse was destroyed in a storm during the night of December 17, 1852. A second lighthouse was built in 1855 on a bluff overlooking the river and this light served until the pier lights were completed in 1905.
Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light has some historical information about the Grand Haven Pier Lights but unfortunately none of the great historical photos that make his site the bomb for Great Lakes Lighthouses. Terry does have some appropriate information about the distinctive catwalks:
Over the years, there were numerous renovations to both the lights and pier. In 1921, the pole that supports the flasher on the north pier was installed, and in 1922, the cast iron catwalk was installed to allow safe access to the tower and fog signal during storms. The original wooden pier facing on the pier was replaced with 900 tons of steel sheet pilings in 1954. A less welcome change in 1969 was the replacement of the old diaphone fog signal with a higher-pitched, and less romantic whistle.
In 1986, the Coast Guard became concerned that someone would become injured on the deteriorating catwalks, and scheduled for their demolition in June of 1987. Edward J. Zenko and his daughter Terry headed a group of volunteers calling themselves the “Save the Catwalk Committee,” and raised $133,000 to remove the wooden planks which formed the walkway, reinforce the iron supports, and install lights along the full length of the pier. Thus the catwalk was saved, and the lights illuminated for the first time on November 25, 1988. In all, $91,000 was spent on the improvements, with the remainder invested to provide sufficient income to meet ongoing maintenance costs. Sadly, Zenko died on December 31 1987, and never saw the fruits of his labor of love.
You can look in on the lighthouse and weather conditions via the Grand Haven Steelheaders Live Webcam. Some good links for the light can be found at Grand Haven Light on Wikipedia. The pier light has been deemed in excess by the Coast Guard and is being offered to eligible entities under the the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Be sure to check this out bigger and also check out the rest of the photos in Dennis’s 9.28.09 Grand Haven Storm set (slideshow). You might also enjoy the Grand Haven Light slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool!
Assignment Detroit
This morning on Absolute Michigan we posted a feature on Assignment Detroit from Time Inc. Check it out or go straight to Assignment Detroit.
Check the photo above out bigger in Christian’s Around Detroit slideshow (or start it from the beginning)
Riding out for Labor Day
Double J Ranch Riding, photo by Jeff Milton.
Absolute Michigan’s 2009 Labor Day Roundup says that AAA Michigan estimates 1.4 million Michiganians will travel during the 2009 Labor Day holiday. Click that link for a bunch of Labor Day events from all over the state and also see the 52nd Annual Labor Day Bridge Walk on Michigan in Pictures.
Be sure and check this out bigger or in Jeff’s My Favorites slideshow.
Asbestos and Mercury
Asbestos and Mercury, photo by gatsbyj.
Christian was chasing the light … check this out bigger in his urban decay slideshow.
Michigan in Pictures 