Goodbye, Sweet Prince.

Posted on by farlane

Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder, photo by Keith Allison

John Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the trade of Detroit Tiger superstar Prince Fielder for second baseman Ian Kinsler is official.

The Rangers and Tigers have agreed on a blockbuster deal to send Prince Fielder to Texas for Ian Kinsler, pending physicals and the approval of at least Fielder, CBSSports.com has learned.

There was no word yet of any other players being involved, so it may just be a one-for-one swap of stars. Fielder’s salary is much larger, and it is believed Texas will get money in the deal but it wasn’t certain how much. (note: $30 million is the reported figure)

…The Tigers would free up some money in the trade plus fill their second-base hole created by Omar Infante’s free agency. Detroit could use big prospect Nick Castellanos at third base, and move two-time defending A.L. MVP Miguel Cabrera to first base.

The Tigers had been floating Max Scherzer as a trade possibility. But a deal of Fielder could possibly free up extra cash to try to sign Scherzer, the 2013 Cy Young winner, long-term. The Tigers also will aim to lock up Cabrera this winter, and that will take a lot of money, as well.

Read on for more, see what the Tigers have to say and also check out the discussion over on Bless You Boys. Also see Roar of the Tigers take on the trade via the talented pen of Sam. Here’s a summary of Price Fielder’s career via Wikipedia.

Fielder, a first baseman, is the son of former Detroit Tiger first baseman Cecil Fielder. He was selected in the first round of the 2002 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002 out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Brewers before signing with the Detroit Tigers in January 2012. Fielder is a five-time All-Star and is the active iron man leader for consecutive games played. 

He holds the Brewers’ team record for home runs in a season,  is the league’s youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a season, and is one of only two players to win more than one derby. Fun fact: Prince and Cecil Fielder are the only father-son combination to each hit 50 MLB home runs in a season!

Keith has contributed some great shots to Michigan in Pictures. View this photo as big as Fielder and see more in his Detroit Tigers slideshow.

There’s more Detroit Tigers and also more portraits on Michigan in Pictures.

PS: My dad Al McFarlane used to always say “Goodnight, sweet Prince” when he would drop the hammer on me in a game. I love Prince’s play, hustle and heart but I think I would have tried to make this deal if I were Dombrowski.

Waterfall Wednesday: Shining Cloud Falls

Posted on by farlane

Shining Cloud Falls

Shining Cloud Falls, photo by Mikeydubz1

GoWaterfalling.com is the premier site for Michigan waterfall information, and they write that Shining Cloud Falls:

…is the largest, and one of the wildest backcountry waterfalls in Porcupine Mountains State Park. You will have to hike at least 5 miles in to see the falls, and another 5 miles to get back. If you are looking for a good long day hike this is a winner. In addition to the main falls there are also a number of smaller cascades, and whatever route you take there is lots of wilderness scenery.

The total drop of the falls is about 20′. The falls consists of two parts, a slide on the left, and a plunge on the right. In higher water the two parts merge, but in lower water the two parts are distinct. Plunge falls are rare around Lake Superior.

They say that the real challenge is reaching this remote fall, but that it’s definitely worth the trip – read on for instructions!

Check Mikey’s photo out bigger and see more in his Porcupine Mountains slideshow.

Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Yesterday to tomorrow with Michigan automobiles

Posted on by farlane

Low-Rider...

Low-Rider…, photo by Kenneth (Off/On)

Two interesting auto-related tidbits came across my desk in the last couple of days.

The first is from Deadline Detroit, and shows an excerpt from a 1917 newsreel with a Detroit Police Department driver-safety campaign trying to persuade drivers to slow down.

Fast forward to today and beyond with Michigan Senate approval of self-driving vehicle testing on Michigan roads. The Detroit News reports that (pending House approval):

Under the Michigan rules, a driver would be required to be in the driver’s seat at all times during testing to take over in the case of emergency. Manufacturers and suppliers would use an “M” license plate for automated vehicle testing. “Upfitters” of automated vehicles, such as Google, would be permitted to test vehicles along with manufacturers.

The action comes as the U.S. Congress is set to hold a hearing Tuesday on autonomous vehicles amid growing interest among automakers. They will hear from General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co. executives along with the Michigan Department of Transportation.

…The University of Michigan says that by 2021, Ann Arbor could become the first U.S. city with a shared fleet of networked, driverless vehicles. That’s the goal of the Mobility Transformation Center, a cross-campus U-M initiative that also involves government and industry representatives. Ann Arbor has been home to a 15-month-long ongoing study of 3,000 vehicles that are linked to one another in a test of technology to see if connected cars can help each other avoid crashes.

I love it when the perfect photo shows up at the perfect time! Kenneth took this HDR shot in Mustang Alley at the Woodward Dream Cruise. See it bigger and check out more in his HDR slideshow.

More automotive features on Michigan in Pictures.

First Light at Lake of the Clouds

Posted on by farlane

First light

First light, photo by adonyvan

About a month ago, Jiqing Fan spent the night at Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountain State Park. I featured one of his photos then but I figured after Sunday’s ripping storm, we all deserved a glorious sunrise to start the week!

Check it out bigger and see more in his Houghton & UP MI slideshow.

More sunrises on Michigan in Pictures.

Bete Gris blaze

Posted on by farlane

Bete Gris

Bete Gris, photo by tinettip

Peter writes: Grey Wolf in French. Bête Gris is part of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Upper Michigan. Check his photo out background bigtacular and jump into his slideshow for more!

More from Bete Gris on Michigan in Pictures.

Opening Day 2013: Deer Trail Inn Edition

Posted on by farlane

UP Marenisco Watersmeet MI RPPC 1930s The Deer Trail Inn Saloon & Restaurant DANCING COCKTAILS BEER LUNCHES RED CROWN STANDARD OIL GAS On US-2 Photographer UNK1

Deer Trail Inn Saloon & Restaurant on US-2, photo from UpNorth Memories – Donald (Don) Harrison

Today is Opening Day of the 2013 deer season, and if you’re a hunter I doubt you’re reading this. Almost all of Michigan is potentially open to hunting, so  take extreme care over the two weeks of the November 15-30 Deer Hunting Season.

Confession: I usually root for the deer.

The Toledo Blade reports:

The 2013 “Michigan Deer Hunting Prospects” summary — which is essentially the scouting report on the season – states that deer hunter success in Michigan is sometimes tied to just “being in the right place at the right time,” and that is often the result of being in the field at the peak of whitetail breeding activity. During that fall period, normally ultra cautious bucks will drop their defenses and be on the move much more often.

The state experts say that the 2012 deer season in Michigan was better than the previous year, with hunter success rates showing increases in the Upper Peninsula (UP) and Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP). “Slowly but steadily growing deer populations” in those areas in recent years are credited with improving the harvest.

More than 700,000 deer hunting licenses were purchased in Michigan in 2012, and close to 600,000 hunters took part in the regular firearm season. Overall, deer hunters spent 9.4 million days in the field in Michigan last year, and harvested 418,000 whitetails.

Read on for more and click for the 2013 Michigan Deer Hunting Prospects report.

Check the photo out background big and and check out Don’s massive collection of hunting photos and memorabilia!

The month of the Pleiades … and legendary aurora borealis

Posted on by farlane

Orion Aurora

Orion Aurora, photo by Kevin’s Stuff

This EarthSky article on the Pleiades gives some great lore and viewing tips and says that:

In our Northern Hemispheres skies, the Pleiades cluster is associated with the winter season. It’s easy to imagine this misty patch of icy-blue suns as hoarfrost clinging to the dome of night. Frosty November is often called the month of the Pleiades, because it’s at this time that the Pleiades shine from dusk until dawn. But you can see the Pleiades cluster in the evening sky well into April.

You can read much more at EarthSky.org and also might want to check out this story of the Pleiades.

November is also the month of the Aurora, delivering some of the best northern lights action. Kevin took this photo during one of the best solar storms in the last several decades on November 10, 2004. He wrote the following (in part) after viewing these lights:

It was a Dark and (Solar) Stormy Night. Stormy with shafts and rays of light streaming from the heavens.

We all knew there was a chance of another auroral display tonight. We were waiting. And then around 10:30pm or so (from Grand Rapids), the wait was over. This time I went out with my brother, taking back roads and such until we finally found a great spot in northeastern Kent County. We ended up off Old Belding Rd on Lessiter Rd, which is on the way to the Grattan Raceway.

The road faced north, so we were shooting right down the middle of it. There were some clouds around to the north, but nothing too bothersome. Most of the action was to the northeast, with not much seen in the way of color except green, and an occasional red and blue. There were curtains, rays, shafts, and some really good pulsing going on.

I of course used my 35mm film camera, and my brother had his Canon Digital SLR. I was a tad pickier this time, and only shot 3 rolls by the time 1:30 rolled around, and it started to wane. Also, we were getting some clouds coming in, so we bailed.

On the way back to civilization, I noticed it was picking up again … I finally found a place a few miles down the road with a good northern horizon, and set up the camera again.

Oh… My… God. The curtains! The pulsing rays!! The pulsing shafts of light as they flickered up the magnetic lines of force to the corona. I was seeing pulsating shafts from the south!! All of them converging near Orion, forming another spectacular corona. I shot, moved the camera, and shot again. Always looking for the best display, and ever mindful to watch for composition (at least I was keeping my photographers’ hat on during this), I shot frame after frame. At one point I was going to leave, as it was dying again. But as I put my camera in the car, it flared up to the point I HAD to get set up again; another roll of film in the camera. I finally stopped around 3:00, as it was dying down, and also because I knew if I didn’t force myself, I’d shoot until I ran out of film. … In all my years of observing the aurora, I’ve never seen such intense pulsating effects. Also, the coronas (all 5 I counted) had more detail in them than I had ever seen.

Check his photo out bigger with Kevin’s helpful note showing the Pleiades cluster in the top right and see more including a few more from November 2004 in his Aurora slideshow.

More of the night sky on Michigan in Pictures.

Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse is your only choice

Posted on by farlane

Seul Choix Lighthouse, MI

Seul Choix Lighthouse, MI, photo by Wrong Main

We’ve covered the Haunting of Seul Choix Lighthouse on Michigan in Pictures. Dave Wobster has an article on Seul Choix Light at Boatnerd.com. He writes that Seul Choix (“only choice” as the only safe harbor in the area) was popular with Native Americans as early as the 1600s due to the abundant  whitefish and lake trout that were waiting to be caught in Lake Michigan. A fishing village was established in the  mid 1800s and a trading post around 1850.

The early navigation aids along the northern Lake Michigan coast were the lighthouses at St. Helena Island (1872) and Peninsula Point (1866). This left a 100-mile gap of dark shoreline with Seul Choix Bay located near the middle. Efforts were soon started to have a lighthouse constructed on Seul Choix Point. The efforts were successful in 1886 when Congress appropriated $15,000 to build a light tower and fog signal on the point. Another $8,000 was added before the project was completed. Various complications and the rebuilding of the original tower delayed completion of the station.The light was first shown in August, 1892, but the complex was not completed until 1895 with the finishing of the fog signal building. The complex consisted of the present conical 78-foot tower and attached 2-story keeper’s dwelling, a steam fog signal building, stable, boathouse, two oil storage buildings, a brick privy, and boat dock and tramway to the fog signal building.

The keeper’s dwelling was expanded in 1925 with a lean-to addition to the west side. The interior living space was divided with a wall to provide equal space for an additional family. The wall has since been removed, but the building still contains two kitchen areas. Particular attention should be paid to the unique rounded gables on the east end of the dwelling. While they are reminiscent of a sailing schooner stern, history does not provide a reason for this detail.

The 78-foot high white conical tower is the typical elaborate “Poe-Style” named after General Orlando M. Poe who provided the original design. The Poe-style light towers are easily recognized by the ornate brackets which support the gallery around the lantern room and the four windows below the gallery which have semi-circular stone arch head pieces.

Read on for more including some photos of Seul Choix details at Boatnerd.com. The Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse is maintained by the Gulliver Historical Society and you can get a lot more info (and a snippet of a cool song that plays when you load) at their site.

Bill took this shot in 1997 with Plustek OpticFilm 7600. He writes that Seul Choix is located on the north shore of Lake Michigan a little east of Manistique. View his photo background big and see more in his great Lighthouses slideshow.

Many (many) more Michigan lighthouses at Michigan in Pictures!

Michigan Wine Photo Contest

Posted on by farlane

vineyard path

vineyard path, photo by aimeeern

The Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council says that Michigan has 2,650 acres devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the fifth state in wine grape production in the nation. Our vineyard area has doubled in the past decade, and Michigan’s 101 commercial wineries produce over 1.3 million gallons of wine annually, good for 13th in wine production. Wine touring & wineries are attracting over 2 million visitors annually, and the chief way our state tells the story of our wines & wineries is through Michigan Wine Country Magazine.

The folks at the Wine Council are seeking your help in telling that story through the Michigan Wine Country Photo Contest. Entry runs through November 26th and you can enter 1-10 photos of Michigan vineyards, wine, wineries or tasting rooms for a shot at the 2014 cover of Michigan Wine Country and one of two grand prize wine touring packages! Click that link for all the details.

Check Amy’s photo out background bigtacular and see more in her great vineyard slideshow.

Much more Michigan wine on Michigan in Pictures!

View of Manitou Islands from Sleeping Bear Dunes

Posted on by farlane

View of Manitou Islands from Sleeping Bear Dunes

View of Manitou Islands from Sleeping Bear Dunes, photo by jess_clifton

Last week’s Leelanau Enterprise is reporting that October 2013 had the lowest number of Sleeping Bear Dunes visitors in a decade – an impressive testimony to the impact of our recent government shutdown. You’ll be able to read the article in a month … when it’s no longer news I guess.

Jess took this from the Pierce Stocking Drive a week ago. Check it out background bigtacular and see more in her Sleeping Bear Dunes slideshow.

More dunes on Michigan in Pictures.