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Trees such as these … Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Posted on March 2, 2012March 2, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Explosions in the sky, photo by MightyBoyBrian.

He was shortish. And oldish. And brownish. And mossy.
And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy.
“Mister!” he said with a sawdusty sneeze,
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
~The Once-ler

Today is the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss. Geisel was the author of 46 children’s books and had such an impact on the genre that his birthday has been adopted as National Read Across America Day. Here’s hoping you can read something wonderful to the special young people in your life today!

While the new movie The Lorax based his book is drawing fire from both the right and the left, there’s little doubt that few people have had the kind of impact on children’s literature that he did.

You can see the Lorax trailer at the link above, and you might also want to check out the TV special from 1974 which featured voices of Eddie Albert and Bob Holt and originally included a hummingfish bashing Lake Erie with the line “I hear things are just as dreary down in Lake Erie”. In a nearly Michigan connection, twenty years later two research associates from the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss about the clean-up of Lake Erie and got the line removed from the book. Also see the full text of the Lorax and check out a whole world of Seussian fun at Seussville.com.

About the photo, Brian asks “What does it look like to you?” To me, it was Truffula trees. Check them out background bigtacular and in Brian’s Top 30 slideshow.

In like a lion … a very confused lion at least

Posted on March 1, 2012March 1, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Plow Extra Grant, photo by amtrak_russ.

March roared into Michigan a (leap) day early, dumping up to 16 inches of snow in parts of the UP. The Lansing State Journal reports that while the UP was buried, southern Michigan was boiling:

The National Weather Service says 10 to 16 inches fell in the Iron Mountain area, while the Ironwood area got up to 14 inches and the Menominee area up to 13 inches.

Icy road conditions were reported in parts of the southern Lower Peninsula early Wednesday, but warm winds pushed highs to spring-like levels. The weather service says Three Rivers hit 64 degrees, Kalamazoo 63, and Coldwater and South Haven 62.

The rules of folk wisdom dictate that with such a ferocious beginning, the month will end lamb gentle … but is that only for folks in the UP?

About this photo from last year Russell writes Marquette Rail ran a plow extra after the 2011 blizzard that dropped over 2 feet of snow and 50+ MPH winds. Here it is seen busting through the crossing in downtown Grant. Check it out bigger and in his Trains 2011 slideshow.

There’s a yard-full of trains on Michigan in Pictures!

Leap Day!

Posted on February 29, 2012February 29, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

hello, museum., photo by singlecupofcoffee.

By my calculations, Leap Day only comes once every 1461 days.

How are you going to make it special?

Megan Elizabeth took this at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where she appears to be a frequent visitor. Check this out bigger and in her impressive [hello, 365]. slideshow featuring a photo a day of her leaping all over the place. Very cool, very creative, very appropriate!

Primary Colors

Posted on February 28, 2012February 28, 2012 by farlane

Blue (Red) Yellow, photo by Ralph Krawczyk Jr

While newspapers and television stations are probably crying today, most of the rest of us will probably be relieved to see the Republican primary in the rearview mirror at the end of the day. Get updates at our Primarypalooza on Absolute Michigan.

Check this out big as the sky and in Ralph’s Digital Goodness slideshow. Does Michigan in Pictures have more shots by Ralph? Yes, I believe we do!!

Wintertime at Aux Barques Lighthouse, Port Hope, Michigan

Posted on February 27, 2012March 8, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Wintertime at Aux Barques Lighthouse, Port Hope, Michigan, photo by Michigan Nut.

The page on the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse at Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light says that about 75 miles north of Fort Gratiot light and two miles from shore in Lake Huron, there’s a shallow reef with only two feet of water above it. It was right where northbound vessels made their swing into Saginaw Bay, and Michigan State Representative Isaac Crary entered a motion in Congress in 1838 to establish a lighthouse on the shore to warn mariners and mark the turning point:

Congress responded with an appropriation of $5,000 for the Light’s construction on July 7, 1838.

While conducting his annual inspection of lighthouses on the lakes and selecting sites for proposed new stations a month later, Lieutenant James T Homans arrived in the area to select the site for the new station. In his report to the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury for the year, Homans reported that he selected “the most westerly of the two points, known as Point-aux-Barques, near the entrance to Saganaw Bay (sic), for the light there, because it is sooner seen by vessels approaching from the northward and westward, by which it will be most used; also, as being near a shoal, dangerous to the navigation of its vicinity.” Homans went on to report that “There is stone in considerable quantity near this location, which can be used in constructing the buildings. The land, I presume, belongs to the Government, or can be had for a moderate price, there being no settlements within several miles, and the soil very barren.”

Government apparently moved no faster then than now, and it wasn’t until 1847 that the structure was completed. There’s much more about the lighthouse and the Port Hope Lifesaving Station including photos if you read on at Seeing the Light.

The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse Society has the text of the contract to construct the light along with a few photos and more information including the keeper logs from 1923.

John took this photo at the end of January. You can see it bigger and see more from the area on his map. Don’t miss the Michigan Nut Photography Facebook page either!

Whiteout!

Posted on February 24, 2012 by farlane

Snowflakes, photo by Stormchaser Mike Photography

Sorry for the late post. Began the day in the midst of “Slushfest 2012” in Grand Rapids.

Check this out on black and in Mike’s Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011 slideshow.

You might also enjoy Of snow and snowflakes… on Michigan in Pictures.

February Daffodils

Posted on February 23, 2012February 23, 2012 by farlane

daffodils3, photo by mozy54

Mozy54 writes: February 21…snow, rain, daffodils. Been a strange winter. Not much to add to that except “and how.”

Click to see it bigger and check out her slideshow.

Good Harbor Bay … aurora borealis panorama

Posted on February 21, 2012February 21, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Good Harbor Bay … aurora borealis panorama, photo by Ken Scott.

The northern lights made an appearance over the weekend, and Ken Scott was one of the Michigan photographers who made the scene!

Click to see it on black and see more in his northern lights slideshow.

A couple others were Shawn Malone of Lake Superior photo and Guy Strong who nabbed a SWEET time-lapse of the northern lights!

Click for many (many) more photos of the Northern Lights in Michigan!

American Marten: A Michigan wildlife success story

Posted on February 20, 2012February 20, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

American Marten 1, photo by 13Miles.

The UM Animal Diversity web page on the American marten (Martes americana) says that American marten, also known as pine marten, are found in the northern reaches of North America and sporadically in Michigan, primarily in mature, northern forests:

These animals are closely associated with lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, spruce, and mixed harwood forests. They tend to be found in structurally complex, mature forests, and can occur at all elevations where such habitat exists. They den in hollow trees, crevices, or vacant ground burrows.

…American martens are somewhat arboreal (tree dwelling) and move with great ease in trees. They mark scent trails from tree to tree with their strong scent glands. In spite of this, they are reported to do most of their hunting on the ground. Most hunting occurs at dusk and dawn, when prey species are most active. In addition, these animals are accomplished swimmers and can even swim under water.
…Home range sizes vary considerably with habitat and prey densities. American martens do not hibernate and is active all winter.

You can read more and see pictures from Animal Diversity Web and on the American marten page at Wikipedia. The Michigan DNR’s page on the American marten says that:

According to records, the American marten was eliminated from Michigan around the 1930s. Removal of the mature evergreen forests and unregulated harvest of martens reduced the species to small populations in the Upper Peninsula. These eventually disappeared from the state. The 1927-28 Biennial Report stated, “They (marten and fisher) are so nearly exterminated in Michigan that there appears no chance they will ever come back.” Recovery efforts were initiated as early as 1958 with releases of captured martens into the Upper Peninsula Porcupine Mountains. Additional releases in the UP were conducted in the 1970s.

…Biologists have followed their progress over the years tracking pine martens to learn about their habitat use and home range needs. These studies along with sighting reports from hunters and other recreationists and incidental catches indicated the martens were readapting to their native Michigan.
During the review of the current Endangered Species List, biologists felt the population has recovered enough to upgrade its status. Martens are frequently becoming a part of the outdoor experience in Michigan with more and more encounters reported by hikers, campers, trappers, and hunters.

Once gone, the martens have returned home due to the efforts of many private organizations and agencies, but especially due to the support given by the donations of Michigan’s taxpayers to the nongame income tax checkoff.

Dixie took this photo last February around Grand Marais. Check it out bigger and see a few more shots of this beautiful animal in her marten slideshow.

More Michigan animals from Michigan in Pictures.