Icy Sunset, photo by Chris S
This is the time of year when I should be sharing pics of bold crocuses, baby birds & other springish things. This being Michigan, we are back to full-on winter!
Chris took this Sunday at the Mackinac Bridge. Head over to his Flickr for more photos of the Mighty Mac and stay warm!!
Yesterday my photos and videos of an odd phenomenon on the Lake Michigan shore in Leelanau County got featured by Tanda Gimter on mLive who writes in part:
…some of the ice-crystal creations that suddenly appeared on a Leelanau County beach last weekend had photographers excited about their find – and a little baffled. The large, column-like crystals spread out on the ground like blooming flowers.
When you touched the hand-high columns, they broke apart easily.
“It was just kind of a weird day,” said Andrew McFarlane of Leland, who works in web development and marketing. He took pictures and a couple videos of the phenomenon while he was at Van’s Beach in Leland on Sunday. “I’ve never seen it before that I can remember.”
As regular readers know, I’m not one to let a Michigan mystery alone, and after some research I’m pretty confident that this is called “candle ice”. The American Meteorological Society defines it as: A form of rotten ice; disintegrating sea ice (or lake ice) consisting of ice prisms or cylinders oriented perpendicular to the original ice surface; these “ice fingers” may be equal in length to the thickness of the original ice before its disintegration.
Here’s a video of it!
Icicles in cave – Grand Island Ice Curtains on Lake Superior, photo by Craig
Craig writes:
A little emerald green for St. Patrick’s Day!
Viewing this ice curtain from the inside at Grand Island near Munising Michigan, highlights the blue and teal hues that nature provides.
View the photo bigger and see more in Craig’s Grand Island Ice Curtains set.
All Hail the Golden Boy!, photo by Andrew McFarlane
I’ve featured the annual Marche du Nain Rouge for years on Michigan in Pictures, but last year was the first time I ever attended. Even on a cold & rainy day, thousands of people turned out for what is unquestionably one of the coolest parades I’ve ever been a part of. My favorite parade group was certainly these folks, who would loudly intone “All hail the Golden Boy” as the walked.
The Marche du Nain Rouge takes place in two weeks – Sunday, March 25, 2018 along the Cass Corridor in Detroit. You can get all the details about the Marche du Nain Rouge on Facebook and read more about this incredible event & the chilling tales of the Red Dwarf of Detroit on Absolute Michigan.
I was more wandering with the parade than photographing, but you can see a lot more including videos in my 2017 Marche du Nain Rouge set on Flickr!
History of the Nain Rouge (courtesy the Marche du Nain Rouge)
In 1701, legendary founder of Detroit Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac met a fortune-teller, who warned him to beware of the Nain Rouge, the “Red Dwarf” who appeared to Cadillac in a dream. She warned Cadillac that the the little red imp is the embodiment of his ambition, anger, pride, envy — everything that held him back. The Nain Rouge, she told him, is the harbinger of doom. However, when Cadillac first saw the fiend in person, the Nain taunted him mercilessly and Cadillac chased the Nain away with a stick.
Unfortunately, the fortune turned out to be true and Cadillac died penniless after he left Detroit for France. The city he founded, however, fared better, endured and prospered (mostly), against the fiendish efforts of the Nain Rouge.
For 300 years, Detroiters memorialized Cadillac’s actions and willingness to persevere and hope for better things, combined with the determination to rise from the ashes. At Detroit’s worst moments, the Nain has been there, cackling or taunting the city’s residents. And so every year, Detroiters celebrate liberation from the Nain, a new beginning, and whatever is good and working in the city in a spring festival for the good and betterment of the city of Detroit.
The UFO Show by Jamie MacDonald
The UFO Show, by Jamie MacDonald
WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit shared a feature on the Michigan UFO Craze of 1966:
In 1966, a string of seemingly odd occurrences in Washtenaw County drew the attention of the entire country. The events centered on a sudden wave of UFO sightings, with reports by police and citizens in March 1966. The same lights were spotted by officers in Ohio, just across the Michigan border, and by observers at Selfridge Air Force Base. The sightings triggered investigations by the Civil Defense and U.S. Air Force.
A few days following the first reports, the lights were spotted again at various locations around Washtenaw County, with one deputy reporting something floating in the sky – described as looking like a “child’s top.”
On Sunday, March 20, 1966, the sheriff’s office received reports of a UFO landing in a wooded, swamp area of Dexter Township. Police spoke to Frank Mannor, a truck driver who had gone into the swamp with his son. Here’s what Mannor told police:
“We got to about 500 yards of the thing,” Mannor told interviewers. “It was sort of shaped like a pyramid, with a blue-green light on the right-hand side and on the left, a white light. I didn’t see no antenna or porthole. The body was like a yellowish coral rock and looked like it had holes in it—sort of like if you took a piece of cardboard box and split it open. You couldn’t see it too good because it was surrounded with heat waves, like you see on the desert. The white light turned to a blood red as we got close to it and Ron said, ‘Look at that horrible thing.’”
More from Click on Detroit.
More cool clouds from Jamie right here on Flickr and definitely follow MacDonald Photo on Facebook!
Here’s a part of one hour UFO special with Walter Cronkite from 1966:
Ice at the Mackinac Bridge, photo by Kent Babb
Winter’s grip on Michigan is slipping early all over including at the Straits of Mackinac.
View Kent’s photo background bigilicious and see more in his photostream on Flickr.
Lots more from the Mackinac Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!
Walking on Water, Michigan Style by Andrew McFarlane
Here’s a shot I took while standing on the amazingly clear ice on Lake Michigan’s Suttons Bay on last Saturday with my sweetheart! mLive liked it enough to share in their article about Grand Traverse Bay freezing over (Suttons Bay is a “sub-bay” of GT Bay – here’s a map):
“Back in the early to mid-1900s the bay froze 80-90% of the time,” said Heather Smith, Grand Traverse baykeeper for the center. “Around 1990, ice cover dropped to 20-30%.”
This winter is the eighth time Grand Traverse Bay has frozen over since 1990.
The frozen conditions likely extend far beyond Power Island, at least close to shore. Last weekend, ice boaters, ice fishermen and people walking their dogs flocked to the frozen surface of Suttons Bay for some winter fun.
Grand Traverse Bay is divided neatly by Old Mission Peninsula into its East Arm and its West Arm. Its East Arm runs north of Elk Rapids, while its West Arm includes the popular Power Island and extends to Suttons Bay. From there, the bay curves around the Leelanau Peninsula where it merges with Lake Michigan.
Happy Valentines Day everyone!!
Pictured Rocks by Tudor ap Mac
I wanted to make sure everyone was aware that I’m making periodic updates on the Michigan in Pictures Facebook.
View Tudor’s photo of the Petit Portal in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and a lot more including this stunning panorama in his Upper Peninsula album!
Interstate Falls, photo by Tom Mortenson
GoWaterfalling’s entry for Interstate Falls/Peterson Falls says (in part):
This waterfall is located on the Montreal River just a few miles upstream of Saxon Falls. The Montreal River forms part of the border between Michigan and Wisconsin so the falls is technically in both states, and can be visited from either state, but it is most easily visited from the Wisconsin side.
There seems to be some confusion about what this waterfall is named, or at least I am confused. Some sources refer to this as Peterson Falls, and the sign on the highway says “Peterson Falls”. However others say that this falls is Interstate Falls and that Peterson Falls is a smaller waterfall upstream of Interstate Falls. I have decided to go with Peterson Falls until I learn otherwise.
Read on for directions & more info.
View the photo background big and see more in Tom’s Upper Michigan slideshow.
More waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures and more Fall Wallpaper!
gimme more summer by Yolanda Gonzalez
For the next week, Michigan in Pictures will be on a vacation of sorts as I work on the Earthwork Harvest Gathering, a truly wonderful gathering featuring 120+ bands, panels, workshops, day passes or weekend camping. Head over to the Earthwork Harvest Gathering website for all the info and I’ll see you in a week.
I’ll leave you with this feeling I feel every time of year that Yolanda captured so well in this photo. Hope you get a little more summer! View the photo bigger and see more in Yolanda’s Beaver Island slideshow.
Maybe watch the Michigan in Pictures Facebook page for some quick hits!
Michigan in Pictures 