Rain is Good … unless you’re a weekend event

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Rain is Good

Rain is Good, photo by photoshoparama.

This morning, for the first time in a long time, I had the chance to sit down for a few hours with coffee and my computer to wander around the Michigan photosphere and think about what to write on Michigan in Pictures today.

One of the first things I read was Sculpture city in ‘misunderestimated’ Michigan that looks at how Michigan is quietly growing as a destination for tourists of all kinds with landmarks like Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

Bouncing around in my head was how rainy this summer has been, making things tough for outdoor events like this weekend’s*…

I’ll keep singing “rain, rain, go away” for all these folks and if it doesn’t I’ll try and take comfort in the fact that it’s boosting lake levels and hope that people will remember that rain is good, hunt down their rain gear and still show up to support folks who are working to build more fun stuff in Michigan!

Check out Dan’s photo bigger in his slideshow and splash around in the Frederik Meijer Gardens slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool.

* Note: these events all came from the Absolute Michigan Event Calendar

Caseville Sunset (in Paradise)

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Caseville Sunset

Caseville Sunset, photo by StormchaserMike Photography.

Be sure to go bigger and to check out Mike’s 11th Annual Cheeseburger in Caseville set (slideshow).

What (you ask) is a Cheeseburger in Caseville?

…and apparently this is atmospheric illusions week on Michigan in Pictures.

Atmospheric Illusion – Fata Morgana

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Atmospheric Illusion - Fata Morgana #1/3

Atmospheric Illusion – Fata Morgana #1/3, photo by jimflix.

I’ll turn Michigan in Pictures over to Jim today to talk about a phenomenon that we see on the Great Lakes.

This strange visual / atmospheric effect was going on that early May evening above the Manitou Islands — like a double reflection at a certain height above the water. That’s the South Manitou Lighthouse.

It turns out this is a Fata Morgana — “an atmospheric mirage, commonly seen in frigid Polar regions, caused by complexly arranged thermal gradients, within a temperature inversion. The word, from Italian, means ‘Fairy Morgan’, and alludes to Morgan LeFay, King Arthur’s sorceress half sister, who legendarily had the power to create crystal palaces in the air.” See here for more details.

This was taken standing on the shore at Sleeping Bear Point. In this photo, noise was reduced and the color enhanced, but otherwise it’s unaltered. Here are two more photos taken the same night: one and two.

Be sure to check out the other photos Jim has linked above, see this bigger and explore his Manitou Islands set (slideshow)

Read more about the South Manitou Island Lighthouse from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and also about the South Manitou Island Lighthouse Project.

Asbestos and Mercury

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Asbestos and Mercury

Asbestos and Mercury, photo by gatsbyj.

Christian was chasing the light … check this out bigger in his urban decay slideshow.

Where is Home?

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Crystal Lake, Michigan

Crystal Lake, Michigan, photo by *ojoyous1*.

On Joy’s blog she has a post (with more photos) titled Where is Home? where she says:

I arrived here in Northern Michigan late yesterday afternoon.

I felt all the stress of the city just slip away, and I felt like I had come home. I think Maggie (her dog) sensed it, too!

And I realized this time, just how much of this place & my Michigan friends I carry with me everyday when I’m back in Ohio.

I thought I would take you with me on my morning walk with Maggie along beautiful Crystal Lake….

What spot makes your heart sing?

Where do you feel most at “home”?

Check this out bigger in her Up North slideshow.

…and yes, this too is part of the ever-expanding Michigan Duckie Photo Collection!

Theft of the Traverse City State Hospital Gate

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Light of Day Falls on the Asylum

Light of Day Falls on the Asylum, photo by sunliner500.

We’ve been working all week on the first ever Traverse City Wine & Art Festival which takes place tonight. In a normal world, I’d be posting today only about how excited I am at how amazing this event will be.

The festival takes place at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons and the Minervini Group who owns and manages the of the former Traverse City State Hospital was gracious enough to let us use an office in their main headquarters. Yesterday morning, I was shocked to learn that someone had stolen the iconic gate from the back of Building 50. It’s likely that this metal gate was packed on a truck for Chicago or elsewhere. Check out some of the photos linked below to see the details, and if you ever come across it on a walk, know that there are a lot of people who would appreciate you letting the Minervinis know by email or calling 231.941.1900!

Have a look at Nick’s photo bigger and also check out Traverse City State Hospital set (slideshow). There’s more photos at traverse city state hospital gate on Flickr.

There’s also great information about the Traverse City State Hospital from Kirkbride Buildings and some cool old photos on this Building 50 page that might contain some shots of the gate.

Evening at Harrisville Harbor

Posted on by farlane

Evening At The Harbor

Purpley delicious!!

Check it out bigger and have a wonderful weekend!

Pier Beam – Cross Village, Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Pier Beam - Cross Village, Michigan

Pier Beam – Cross Village, Michigan, photo by Bill Schwab.

Check it out larger in Bill’s Michigan slideshow and view more of his work at billschwab.com.

Fog Bank at Grand Sable Dunes

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Fog Bank

Fog Bank, photo by siskokid.

Jim writes:

Fog rolls off of Lake Superior and up the Grand Sable Dunes on the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore as seen from the Log Slide Overlook west of Grand Marais in the Upper Peninsula Of Michigan. The Grand Sable Dunes are located on a five mile stretch between the Sable River and Au Sable Point in Alger County. The banks rise up to 275 feet high, created during the last ice age when sand and gravel filled in a deep rift in the glacier. Atop the gravelly banks, sand dunes rise another 80 feet. These are “perched dunes” because they are perched on top of another landform. They were probably formed when wind and waves piled up sand at the edge of Lake Nipissing, the forerunner of Lake Superior.

If you click through to Flickr you can see a few other shots from one of the most amazing vantages in Michigan. Be sure to check this out bigger or in his Lake Superior Slideshow.

For more, check out Grand Sable Dunes on Michigan in Pictures.

Return of the Duckies: Ann Arbor Summertime 2009

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Ann Arbor Summertime 2009

Ann Arbor Summertime 2009, photo by RichardD72.

Check this out bigger in Richard’s Summertime slideshow and remember that Michigan in Pictures is your source for Michigan duckie photos – accept no substitutes!