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The other side of O Kun de Kun Falls

Posted on June 11, 2020 by farlane

O-Kun-de-Kun Falls by Michigan Nut Photography

GoWaterfalling is simply the best website for Upper Peninsula waterfalls. In addition to detailed directions, they share that O Kun de Kun Falls:

…is one of the largest of the waterfalls in Ontanagon county. It is not as large as Bond Falls or Agate Falls, but it is just as scenic and far wilder. It is a mile plus hike to O Kun de Kun Falls and there are no fences or signs. The waterfall is also unusual in that it is an actual plunge falls. Only a handful of the many waterfalls around Lake Superior are plunge falls. You can go behind the falls if you want, but you need to be careful and sure footed.

…The width of the falls varies wildly depending on water levels. The Baltimore River can get pretty thin in summer months.

The waterfall is named after an Ojibway chief.

John took this from behind the falls last week and notes that the Baltimore River is a warm, slow moving river. Click to view it on Facebook and definitely follow him on Facebook & Instagram and order prints & more at michigannutphotography.com!

See many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

I’m Still Standin’

Posted on June 10, 2020 by farlane

I’m Still Standin’ by Third Son

Third Son took this earlier in the week. See more in his Nikon 70-200 F/4 AF-S album on Flickr & check out more great Michigan barns on Michigan in Pictures!

Frog in the duckweed

Posted on June 9, 2020June 8, 2020 by farlane

Frog hiding in the duckweed by William Dolak

Hot weather is on tap for today – here’s hoping you find a cool spot! Bill shared this photo from Spirit Springs Sanctuary in Cass County in our Michigan in Pictures Group on Facebook. See more photos from his visit right here and consider sharing your own!

Heading down to the beach on Warren Dunes

Posted on June 6, 2020 by farlane

Heading down to the beach – Explore by Mark Swanson

Pure Michigan says that Warren Dunes State Park:

…provides 1,952 acres of recreational opportunities along the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan in southwestern Michigan. The rugged dune formation rises 260 feet above the lake and offers spectacular views and excellent for hang gliding. The park has three miles of shoreline, six miles of hiking trails and is open year-round. Pet-friendly shoreline.

Wikipedia adds that:

The dunes and beach area was preserved by a local businessman, Edward K. Warren, who originally purchased the site as a favor to a friend who had encountered significant financial difficulties. By 1930, the Warren Dunes area had been taken over as a state park

Head over to the Warren Dunes State Park website for trail maps, camping reservations & more.

Mark took this photo last weekend. See more in his June 2020 gallery.

DNR Reopening Michigan Campgrounds & Harbors

Posted on June 5, 2020 by farlane

When Hobbits Ran Detroit by Andrew McFarlane

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced opening dates for campgrounds, harbors and other outdoor spaces as Michigan moves to Stage 4 of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Safe Start plan:

“We are excited to open up these resources to visitors again,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “We can identify with the passion and enthusiasm people have for these beautiful outdoor spaces, especially during the warmer months, and we’re working hard to make sure everything is ready.”

Official opening dates include:

Dispersed camping on state-managed lands – which allows for greater social distancing and does not involve shared restroom or shower facilities – resumed May 29.

Camping at the state’s more than 140 rustic state forest campgrounds and overnight stays in DNR-managed harbors resume Wednesday, June 10.

Camping, overnight lodging facilities, day-use shelters and sanitation stations (common place to dispose recreation vehicle wastewater) in state parks and recreation areas reopen Monday, June 22. Please note that a handful of campgrounds have extended closures due to construction that was delayed due to the COVID-19 stay-home order and associated spending restrictions.

Many park amenities, such as bathroom buildings, hand-washing stations, trash services, concessions, playgrounds and play equipment, viewing platforms, fishing piers, GaGa ball pits, designated dog areas, disc golf courses, radio-controlled flying fields, pump tracks, and picnic tables and shelters, are beginning to open in phases. As anticipated opening dates are finalized, they will be posted to the DNR COVID-19 response page.

You can see campgrounds & make reservations at MiDNRReservations.com or call 800-44PARKS.

I took this picture way back in 2008. More in my Leelanau gallery on Flickr.

Celebrate Michigan Photo Contest underway

Posted on June 4, 2020 by farlane

a Belle Isle deer by Race Bannon

The Detroit News Celebrate Michigan Photo Contest rewards outstanding photos of Michigan, its people and animals, with nine prizes of as much as $300 doled out at the end of the summer:

Each week, judges from the Detroit News photo staff will select 4 photo finalists, 16 total in each category over the entire contest period. At the end of the contest, The Detroit News photo staff judges will select one winner in each category. One People’s Choice winner in each category will be chosen by an online public vote, Aug. 20-24. Each of the six winners will receive $300.

At the end of the contest, three Awards of Excellence will be chosen by the Detroit News photo staff from the remaining finalists of all three themes, and will receive $100 each.

The Celebrate Michigan Photo Contest is open to non-professional photographers age 18 and older. All photos must have been shot in Michigan, with no significant alteration by a software program. More specifics can be found in the official contest rules.

Race gave me a heads up about the contest, so I went back to a favorite photo of mine that he took 15 years ago. See more in his My Belle Isle gallery.

What the heck is Honolulu Blue?

Posted on June 3, 2020 by farlane

Detroit Lions by A Healthier Michigan

Yesterday as it often does, my curiosity got the better of me and I had to find the answer as to why the Detroit Lions official blue is called “Honolulu Blue”. Fortunately, The Evolution of the Detroit Lions’ Uniform by Bill Dow has the answer:

When WJR owner G.A. Richards purchased the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans in 1934 and moved the team to Detroit, the newly renamed Lions unveiled a striking uniform consisting of a blue jersey, silver pants, blue socks, and a silver helmet.

According to a 1950 Lion media guide, “the blue, a distinctive shade was especially developed for G.A. Richards.” According to team lore, their first owner came up with the color after admiring the hue of the Pacific Ocean on a trip to Hawaii and the shade was named “Honolulu blue.”

In 1999, Glenn Presnell, the then lone surviving member of the first Lion’s team and the league’ oldest alumnus, described his role in selecting the first uniform in an interview with me.

“When we met with Mr. Richards, my wife and I also helped select the Lions’ colors, “ Presnell said. “He had asked us to look at the different jerseys in the next room. There were all different colors, orange and black, red and white, you name it. We saw that Honolulu blue and silver and said we liked it best. So Richards chose that.”

You can read on for more including the Lions brief & doomed flirtation with Hoosier colors.

See more in A Healthier Michigan’s Lions Thanksgiving Day 2014 album!

Love your community & sing your hearts out with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival

Posted on June 2, 2020May 30, 2024 by farlane

Kalamazoo Bach Festival by Kalamazoo Bach Festival

In these uncertain & chaotic times, it can really lift your spirit to share the joy of music and art This week the Kalamazoo Bach Festival has you covered with live, online events tonight & Thursday night:

The Bach Festival Society was founded in 1946 by Henry Overley, Professor of Music at Kalamazoo College, who wanted to bring “town and gown” together to experience the joy of making music and to create something sublime — in particular, to recreate the choral and instrumental music of J. S. Bach and his contemporaries.

Since 1947, the Festival has grown and expanded, due to the active involvement of the community: now year-long, it includes “Bach-to-School” educational programs, Bach Legacy Lectures, a “Bach-Around-the-Block” organ crawl, a Young Artist Competition and Concert, a High School Choral Festival, master classes for young singers, and performances with the Kalamazoo Symphony,

June 2 will feature Dede Alder and her magical marimba and beautiful voice with song and stories in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Public Library. On June 4, live-streaming from our Facebook page, Jordan Hamilton will spread his love and message with his cello and thought provoking vocals. Join us at 7 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for these amazing programs brought to you buy some very talented local artists!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Both Dede & Jordan are friends and they are INCREDIBLE! More about the Bach Festival on their website & check out the details on their Facebook event!

At Home with the Fox Twins

Posted on June 1, 2020 by farlane

Taking in the Surroundings by TP Mann

I know I’m running the risk of becoming an adorable animals photo blog, but darn are these little foxes cute! Here’s a little about baby foxes and what to do if you encounter one from Friends of Wildlife in Ann Arbor:

There are two species of fox in Michigan, the Red and the Gray. The Red prefer meadow areas and the Gray favor woods.

As with most wildlife, the kits are born in early spring. The vixen (female fox) chooses a hollow log, an empty woodchuck hole or a roadside culvert for the nursery. This nest site provides her young protection from predators, especially coyotes. The male fox helps with the rearing by bringing the vixen food while she nurses their young and keeps the kits warm. Then later in the kits development both parents teach them how to forage for food.

The foxes diet consists mainly of small rodents, moles and bugs. The benefits that foxes afford farmland, orchards and the general public is their consumption of these invasive pests. It is an absolute miss conception that fox eat cats, dogs or small children.They are very curious creatures but avoid contact with domestic animals and humans.

When fox kits are first born, their eyes and ears are closed, they remain secluded in their den with their mother. As they develop, at about one month, they start venturing out to play, attacking twigs, leaves and their siblings, but never far from the protection of the den.

If you do find an infant fox, please contact them for further instructions and see their website for information about other species!

See more in TP’s Sites Along the Breezeway photo album.