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Rough-legged Hawk (Light Morph)

Posted on December 14, 2010December 14, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

rough-legged hawk light morph, photo by Sherri & Dan.

Bird Web’s entry on Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus) says these birds:

…are variable in plumage, with light and dark color phases and variations in between. Dark phases account for only ten percent of western Rough-legged Hawks. Adults are generally mottled light-and-dark underneath, with dark patches at the wrists. Seen from below, the tails of both phases appear light with a dark terminal band. Seen from above, both phases appear mostly dark, but the light phase shows a light tail with a dark terminal band, and the tail of the dark phase appears dark all over. The adult male can have several dark bands at the tip of its tail as compared to the female, which only has one band. The light phase has a distinctive light-colored head, in contrast to its dark upperside. The Rough-legged Hawk’s bill and feet are relatively small.

Read more about these hawks at Rough-legged Hawk (Dark Morph) on Michigan in Pictures.

Check this out background big and in Sherri & Dan’s Animals slideshow.

Many more Michigan birds on Michigan in Pictures!

Biggest Hockey Game Ever: The Big Chill at the Big House

Posted on December 13, 2010December 13, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

The Big Chill, photo by andykee.

On Saturday, December 11 2010 the University of Michigan Wolverines met the Michigan State University Spartans in The Big Chill at the Big House (Wikipedia entry). AnnArbor.com pegs the crowd at a world-record smashing 113,411 who saw the Wolverines pummel the Spartans 5-0.

It’s not the first time UM/MSU have set the record. In October of 2001, the 2 programs met at Spartan Stadium in The Cold War which drew almost 75,000 who saw the teams skate to a 3-3 tie. Check out this video of the record-setting crowd and here’s the highlight reel from the game.

See the photo bigger in Andy’s slideshow and check out AnnArbor.com’s slideshow from the event.

Adrift

Posted on December 11, 2010December 11, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

Adrift, photo by dthurau.

…as in Don’t worry, even though I forgot to blog a picture this morning, this blog isn’t adrift.

Check it out bigger in Dave’s Misc slideshow, and here’s hoping tomorrow’s storm doesn’t set you adrift!

More boats on Michigan in Pictures.

Cool Morning on the Farm

Posted on December 10, 2010December 10, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

Cool Morning on the Farm., photo by photoshoparama – Dan.

Whenever I see a photo like this, I think of Nature Baroque: Snowflakes & Crystals by my friends Jerry Dennis and Glenn Wolff from their great book It’s Raining Frogs & Fishes.

Daniel shot this in Newaygo County yesterday morning. Check it out bigger in his Colors slideshow.

foggy flight

Posted on December 9, 2010December 9, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

foggy flight, photo by suesue2.

metro beach marina, harrison township.

Check it out in Sue’s Awesome Autumn slideshow or get down with more parks in the Michigan Parks slideshow!

Streamline Moderne: Airstream on the Mac

Posted on December 8, 2010December 8, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

Airstream on the Mac, photo by Brian Gudas Photography.

Yesterday I posted about Knapp’s Office Centre in Lansing. With its smooth contours and glass brick, the building is considered an excellent example of an design & architectural style known as Streamline Moderne which is a late variant of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s. It can be referred to by either name alone and emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements.

As the depression decade of the 1930s progressed, Americans saw a new aspect of the Art Deco style emerge in the marketplace: Streamlining. The Streamlining concept was first created by industrial designers who stripped Art Deco design of its fauna and flora in favor of the aerodynamic pure-line concept of motion and speed developed from scientific thinking. As a result an array of designers quickly ultra-modernized and streamlined the designs of everyday objects. Manufacturers of clocks, radios, telephones, cars, furniture and numerous other household appliances embraced the concept with open arms.

The venerable Airstream is of course an iconic example of this style and Brian’s shot of an Airstream on the Mackinac Bridge captures that style perfectly. Check it out bigger and in his his slideshow.

The Knapp Building says “Lansing has next”

Posted on December 7, 2010December 8, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

Knapp’s Office Centre, photo by Eridony.

Last week on Absolute Michigan we had a story about Lansing being named the Next American City. The article by Ivy Hughes in Next American City is titled Lansing: There’s No Place We’d Rather Be and might change your view of Michigan’s changing capital city. I had selected this photo for a quick link over to the article because I have always thought the building is neat. I soon learned that the long vacant Knapp’s Office Centre building is being renovated, another tangible sign of the new energy that is rising in Lansing.

Wikipedia’s J.W. Knapp Company Building entry says:

The J.W. Knapp Company Building is a historic five-story, 190,000-square-foot (18,000 m2) Streamline Moderne building in Lansing, Michigan, United States. Designed by Orlie Munson of the Bowd–Munson Company, which also designed several other Art Deco landmarks in Lansing, including the Ottawa Street Power Station, it was constructed by the Christman Company in 1937 through 1938. The curvilinear look of the streamlined structure comes from huge plates of concrete faced with enamel, called “Maul Macotta”, a copyrighted product of the Maul Macotta Company and prismatic glass brick windows. Alternating horizontal bands of yellow macotta and glass block are interrupted by vertical blue macotta pylons, rising from the building’s four principal entrances. The pylons are pierced by windows. The entrance portals, display window aprons, and decorative banding are dark blue macotta. Red, yellow and blue spandrels, incorporating the letter “K” as a design element, decorate the entrance portals

The building housed the main department store of the Lansing-based J.W. Knapp Company. When completed in 1939, it was hailed in the contemporary press as “the most modern building in the Midwest”. Today, it is considered to be one of the finest intact examples of Streamline Art Moderne commercial buildings in the Midwest, notable for its size, clarity of design and brilliant colors.

Don’t miss this great set of Historic photos of J.W. Knapps Building in the Lansing State Journal.

See this photo big as a building and see this and other shots of the building in Brandon’s massive Downtown Lansing slideshow.

Discover December

Posted on December 6, 2010 by farlane

Curves Ahead, photo by ( Jennifer )

“Look Doris, someday you’re going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile.”
~ Fred Gailey, “Miracle on 34th Street”

Our Absolute Michigan December Event Calendar has some great events from all over Michigan for you to enjoy in the last month of the year. Check them out and post comments about your favorites!

Jennifer took this shot in Kalkaska County on Valley Road near the Seven Bridges Trail a couple of Decembers ago, but this morning folks all around Michigan are waking up to a similar scene. Check it out bigger in her Kalkaska County slideshow.