Wilfred Sykes

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Wilfred Sykes

Wilfred Sykes, photo by jowo.

I think that Joel can pretty much handle today’s post:

Pretty boat. Leaving the harbor at Muskegon, Michigan.

While I’ve seen, and photographed, most currently active lakes boats, this one had somehow escaped me until yesterday afternoon. We’d gone to Muskegon to walk the beach, and suddenly there she was, leaving the harbor.

Sykes was the first American lakes boat completed after World War II, and was launched shortly after I was born. In many ways she’s the prototype for a generation of lakers. And just plain gorgeous! Glad I finally found her.

You may enjoy Joel’s Lakers slideshow and you’ll probably also like the Wilfred Sykes photo gallery from boatnerd.com Joel links to above.

a temple in detroit

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

a temple in detroit

a temple in detroit, photo by artsy_T.

The other day when I blogged the exposure.detroit Selective Focus photography show (this Friday, July 20), I was pretty shocked to see that I had never blogged a photo from Tina (aka artsy T) to Michigan in Pictures.

She’s been a regular contributor to Absolute Michigan and (in addition to being one heck of an art teacher) she has a great eye for the yellows and reds and azures that surround us.

She has some cool socks too.

Reflections :: Saugatuck, Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Reflections

Reflections, photo by chatursunil.

We get about 100 people a day who are searching for backgrounds for their computer. To them I say: this photo makes a great background!

Saugatuck (pop. 1065 in 2000) is the sister city to Douglas. This Saugatuck/Douglas history page says that unlike most Midwest frontier towns, neither town suffered the devastating fires nor the modernizing railroad. As a result, the villages provide a rare chance to see pre- and post-Civil Ware Greek Revival and Italianate architecture alongside later structures in the Arts & Crafts and Colonial Revival manner.

Like Douglas and many communities along Michigan’s western shore, Saugatuck was timbered out after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Still…

…Saugatuck and Douglas thrived, turning to shipping and fruit growing as a source of income in the latter part of the 1800s. Peaches from the area were called “Michigan Gold” and were shipped by large steamships to the Chicago market. Hundreds of ships of various types were built in Saugatuck shipyards and the town was a haven for ship captains.

A resort, tourist, and “cottage” culture emerged in the 1880s and took a propitious turn in 1910 when a group of Chicago artists established the Summer School of Paintings on Ox-Bow Lagoon, and when a huge dance hall, called the Big Pavilion, was built on the waterfront. The resulting influx of well-known artists and big name Chicago architects resulted in a wave of building in the Arts & Crafts and Colonial Revival manner. The seed planted at Ox-Bow has continued to flourish over the years, with the area is now known as the Art Coast of Michigan. Today, Ox-Bow continues to be affiliated with the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Saugatuck/Douglas Visitors Bureau has a huge pile of information and photos and links, including a link to a pretty informative video tour of Saugatuck/Douglas. There’s also the Saugatuck/Douglas Area Business Association with more events, news & listings. Wikipedia’s entry on Saugatuck says that attractions today include art galleries, the harbor, marinas, scenery, unusual stores, the view from atop Mount Baldhead, tourist attractions, the famous Oval Beach on Lake Michigan, Saugatuck Dunes State Park and Allegan State Game Area.

Cool new feature alert!

Here’s the Google Map for Saugatuck in our newly created Absolute Michigan map of Michigan. I’ll try and loop back and add maps for the other entries in our Michigan shoreline tour.

Buzzy Morning … for how long?

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Buzzy Morning

Buzzy Morning, photo by CaptPiper.

This beautiful photo of a bee and poppy reminded me about honey bees and Colony Collapse Disorder.

Despite the fact that the story has faded from the news, MSU prof Zachary Huang’s cyberbee.net says that Colony Collapse Disorder is still a mystery. Be sure to check out Zach’s Bee Photos and this amazing resource for information about Michigan bees (and bees in general).

For more about Michigan bees, check out the Michigan Beekeepers Association and Michigan bee plants. You might also have a look at Wikipedia’s bee entry and their entry on Colony Collapse Disorder.

Surfing, Michigan Style

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Surfing01.jpg

Surfing01.jpg, photo by Evography.

Evography writes: Dropping in from the pier, the tricky part is not getting worked right back into the pier.

Check out his Great Lakes Surfing set (slideshow!!) for a bunch more photos, most of which are large enough for your computer background needs!

When you’re finished with that, head over to Absolute Michigan for a Michigan surfing extravaganza featuring tons of Great Lakes surfing videos (including some 1970s footage of folks surfing off this same pier!)

Which I should add is the Grand Haven Pier!

farms & shadows

Posted on by farlane

farms & shadows by dunrie

farms & shadows by dunrie

This shot of farms around Pittsfield (in southeast Michigan near Ann Arbor) is part of a great set of aerial photos of Michigan (and into the Georgian Bay of Canada) that includes views of Ann Arbor and the Big House and ranges over to the Lake Huron shore and up to my neck of the woods. The photos are all helpfully placed on a map – a great bonus!
I was struck by the contrast of this evolved landscape with its patchwork and rumples to this golf course development.

Sunset from Douglas beach

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

IMGP1498h

IMGP1498h, photo by norjam8.

The Wikipedia entry for Douglas, Michigan says Douglas (in Allegan County, pop. 1214 in 2000) and adjacent to Saugatuck, was originally known as Dudleyville and settled in 1851 as a lumber town. In 1861, residents changed the name to Douglas, maybe to honor Stephen A. Douglas or maybe because an early settler came name because he came from the Isle of Man (with a capital named Douglas). After the lumber went to rebuild Chicago, Douglas turned to fruit (especially peaches) and tourism.

Check out the Douglas Michigan history page for some cool old photos (and for Douglas business, events and city information. Here’s a Google map for Douglas to you can go there for the day or weekend. Douglas is also home to the Douglas Dutchers vintage baseball club who play a remarkably full schedule.

Norm has a ton more photos of West Michigan dunes and beaches and sunsets and sunrises.

exposure.detroit Selective Focus photography show

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

MexicanTown Safari (59)

MexicanTown Safari (59), photo by Auberon.

The above photo is part of Auberon/Merlin Elsner’s Show Pictures set (slideshow). Merlin is one of five excellent exposure.Detroit photographers who will make up the SELECTIVE FOCUS Photographic Exhibition on Friday, July 20th, 2007 from 7 PM – 10 PM at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea in Royal Oak, Michigan

exposure.detroit is a photography group (based on Flickr) with the stated mission to EXPOSE the unknown Michigan photographer to a network of artists and friends who share in the same passions for art, photography and fun. When I checked Michigan in Pictures, I realized that of the photographers in the show, Merlin was the only one who I hadn’t blogged something of.

If you can make it to the D on the 20th, do go – they’re all wonderful folks who will make you feel welcome and provide a rare treat for your eyes and soul.

Um … I thought for SURE I had blogged a photo from Tina … apparently not. I’ll have to remedy that soon!

Michigan Fireworks Extravaganza … now with added Northern Lights

Posted on by farlane

Copper Harbor Fireworks, with Northern Lights

July 4th, 2006 by aragirn

This morning I looked at fireworks photos from this year’s Independence Day fireworks displays at Sylvan Lake, Muskegon, Schoolcraft, Detroit, Traverse City, Lansing, Bay City, Jackson, Wyandotte, Lost Lake Woods, Rockford, Ann Arbor, Flint, West Branch, Kensington Park, Detroit and even my hometown of Leland. They came in classic red, white and blue,  understated yellow, even black & white. There were photos of the crowd, the fireworks barge, photos from who knows where and even one in my inbox from Saginaw. Had I had the link for the Michigan Fireworks page, I could have driven around to some of them!

In the end, I thought it best  to wait until next year to allow folks to upload their photos from July 4, 2007 (and the 3rd, or whenever your town celebrates) and look to last year.

When I did, I realized that there’s nothing that can compare to watching the July 4th fireworks celebration at Copper Harbor, Michigan and having the Northern Lights come out.

Happy 4th of July, Michigan!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Lan July 4th parade 127e

Lan July 4th parade 127e, photo by indefinitejourney.

Fourth of July, July 4th, the Fourth or Independence Day – call it what you will, this is our day. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

I doubt Adams envisioned the star-shaped sunglasses, but bring on the pomp, the parades (the picnics!), the sports and games (best leave the guns at home), the bells, bonfires and brilliant, booming illuminations. Somewhere amidst all of that if you can, think about the acts of devotion that could be made towards making this nation and state ever more worthy of celebration and love.

I should point out that this photo is part of an awesome set of Lansing 4th of July Parade photos (slideshow!!)