Detroit’s Belle Isle Ice Blob

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Ice Blob

The Ice Blob, photo by Cherie S..

Cherie says this has been shot to death but how can anyone not want to shoot this thing?

You can get this bigger right here and in her Michigan can be a Winter Wonderland set (slideshow). There’s a whole lot more pictures in this thread discussing the ice formation @ Belle Isle in Exposure.Detroit and also the Belle Isle ice show on Flickr.

I wasn’t able to come up with a definitive answer as to the hows and whys and wherefors of this amazing creation, but Chris Rabior at DetroitCity.com says that he’s done some digging and it it appears that this has been an annual attraction since at least the 60s and that our unusually cold winter has allowed for a much more impressive ice buildup than recent years.

More winter backgrounds on the Michigan Winter Wallpaper page

Blizzard on Lake Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

BLIZZARD ON LAKE MICHIGAN

BLIZZARD ON LAKE MICHIGAN, photo by Lara Salonen.

Yesterday when I was looking for photos from the Great Blizzard of 1978, I came across Lara’s photo. You can see it larger here and in her Michigan’s UP set (slideshow).

It’s a picture of the Menominee North Pier Lighthouse, and – as you can see at that link – it’s the second photo of that light of Lara’s I’ve blogged.

It never ceases to amaze me how changeable the Great Lakes are!

Happy Birthday, Michigan!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Capitol of Michigan

The Capitol of Michigan, photo by Ravi Vora.

Today (January 26, 2009) is Michigan’s 172nd birthday. I have to say she doesn’t look a day over 150 – must be all that fresh water!

The Michigan Historical Museum explains the somewhat lengthy process that Michigan took to becoming the 26th State of the Union:

Following the Compromise of 1820 it was the practice to admit a free state and a slave state at the same time. However, when both Arkansas and Michigan were ready for statehood, Michigan was involved in a dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip. President Jackson signed a bill on June 15, 1836, that admitted Arkansas but required the people of Michigan to settle the dispute before Michigan would be granted statehood. Michigan would need to consent to a compromise measure drawn up by Congress. The compromise gave the Toledo Strip to Ohio and the western two-third (2/3) of the present Upper Peninsula to Michigan.

A convention to consider the compromise took place in Ann Arbor on September 26, 1836, after delegates were elected. They deliberated for four days; then they rejected the compromise. On December 14 a second “Convention of Assent” was assembled, which—two days later—passed a resolution that accepted the compromise. After this news reached Washington, a bill was introduced to admit Michigan to the Union. Congress passed the bill, and President Jackson signed it on January 26, 1837.

Toledo for the Western U.P.? No offense to Toledo, but I think we made out all right in that one. More about Michigan’s path to statehood from Wikipedia.

Ravi says to check this out larger and cooler.

Michigan’s Icy Great Lakes

Posted on by farlane

Icy Great LakeAs Far As The Eye Can See

Icy Great Lake by {D} and As Far As The Eye Can See by siskokid

I’ve been talking a lot about the amazingness of this winter, but it’s even better to show it to you. I think these two photos, taken just half a day apart, can be entered into the record as Exhibit A.

Dominique took a flight from Charlevoix to Beaver Island the other day and brought back some great pictures of the huge amount of ice that our uber-winter has spawned on Lake Michigan. Be sure and check this out bigger and also have a look at her ice slideshow.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away at Little Girl’s Point on the far western end of the Upper Peninsula, Jim saw ice fields as far as the eye can see. Bigger is better.

Mother Nature seems to agree this winter, and I hope you get a chance to get out and have a little Michigan frozen fun this weekend!

Michigan Winter Wallpaper Page

Redecoration

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

and another view of my new favorite wall...

and another view of my new favorite wall…, photo by artsy_T.

Tina says that she has found her new place to take portraits. You can see it bigger in her Ann Arbor slideshow.

Here’s the fence’s story, via the Ann Arbor News:

For years, Erica Fink passed by the ho-hum brown fence near her northeast Ann Arbor home that stretches for 1000 feet along Huron Parkway between Nixon and Plymouth road.

Then she had a bright idea.

“One day, I decided it should become beautiful,” said Fink, who just completed her first year at the University of Michigan, where she is majoring in art. “This area is full of life and children, and I wanted the fence to reflect what’s going on in the neighborhood.”

In this time where we’re seeking huge changes as a state and nation, it’s nice to have a reminder that small changes can make a difference too!

Intergalactic Human Sled Race at Grand Haven Winterfest

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

bDSC_2656

bDSC_2656, photo by cyoas55.

Actually, this is from last year’s Cardboard Sled Race at Mulligan’s Hollow, but I really needed to say “Intergalactic Human Sled Race” for my own fulfillment … and hopefully to SEE a picture of it in the Absolute Michigan pool (hint, hint).

The race takes place Friday night at 8 PM on Washington Ave. in Grand Haven and will feature teams with 4 Pullers, 1 Musher and 1 Rider. It’s all part of Grand Haven Winterfest 2009 that takes place January 22-25 and features all kinds of winter fun: sled & snowboard competitions, ice sculpting, a snow angel contest and (of course) the sport of kings, hamster and gerbil racing. There’s also art, music and event a luau. Sounds like great fun if you’re in the area this weekend (and please remember the part about the photos of the Intergalactic Human Sled Race).

This photo is one of several in Craig’s Winterfest slideshow and there’s even more in the Grand Haven Winterfest slideshow.

Return to the Eben Ice Caves

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

icecave

icecave, photo by johndecember.

A lot of folks have been coming by this month looking for pictures of the Eben Ice Caves in the UP’s Alger County (also known as the Rock River Canyon Ice Caves). Check out John’s Eben Ice Caves slideshow for a whole bunch of cool photos!

You can learn a lot more about this cool wintertime phenomenon at The Eben Ice Caves on Michigan in Pictures.

A bridge for Obama

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Untitled, photo by Jenny Murray.

So when I was looking through Michigan Obama photos I found this one by Jenny Murray.

It was one of two photos that was taken by photographers I know in Time Magazine’s Barack Obama on Flickr.

I thought that was pretty neat.

A Dream Realized

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

A Dream Realized, photo by lorainedicerbo

This photo by Loraine DiCerbo was taken at the Hiedelberg Project in Detroit. It’s part of her Detroit set (slideshow).

I thought it would be a fitting picture to pair with this excerpt from the text of Dr. Martin Luther King’s December 18, 1963 address at Western Michigan University:

The world in which we live is geographically one. Now we are challenged to make it one in terms of brotherhood. Now it is true that the geographical oneness of this age has come into being to a large extent through man’s scientific ingenuity. Man through his scientific genius has been able to dwarf distance and place, time and change. Our jet planes have compressed minutes into distances that once took months and weeks and days. I think Bob Hope has adequately described this new jet age in which we live. He said “It is an age in which it is possible to take a non-stop flight from Los Angeles, California to New York city–a distance of some three thousand miles–and if on taking off in Los Angeles you develop hiccups, you will ‘hic’ in Los Angeles and ‘cup’ in New York City.” You know it is possible because time difference to take a non-stop flight from Tokyo, Japan on Sunday morning and arrive in Seattle, Washington on the preceding Saturday night and when your friends meet you at the airport and ask when you left Tokyo, you will have to say, I left tomorrow.

Now this is a bit humorous but I’m trying to laugh a basic fact into all of us. It is simply this, that through our scientific genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood. Now through our ethical and moral commitment, we must make of it a brotherhood. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools. This is the great challenge of the hour. This is true of individuals. It is true of nations. No individual can live alone. No nation can live alone.

…or state. We have a lot of work before us, and I hope that Michigan can be an active and engaged part of reshaping our naton and world for a changed future.

Michigan Eagles

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Michigan Eagles

Michigan Eagles, photo by Mi Bob.

Bob writes:

On my way home this morning, I came acoss a number of large birds hovering around an opening in the ice on the Grand River. A closer look confirmed my suspicion that they were hungry eagles looking for lunch.

Check this photo out larger, view his Eagles set (slideshow) and try to soar like an eagle this weekend!