lakemichigan

Relighting the South Manitou Island Lighthouse

Posted on June 21, 2008June 21, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Most nights I can see the red pulse of the North Manitou Shoal Light far out on the Manitou Passage (that stretch of Lake Michigan off the western shore of the Leelanau Peninsula).

Right now, a group of nonprofit & government organizations, businesses, historic engineers and private individuals are working to add another light to the passage. The effort is called “Relight the Light” and is funded in part by the National Park Centennial Initiative:

Lighting the South Manitou Island Lighthouse is a joint effort with three partners: Manitou Islands Memorial Society, Manitou Island Transit, and Electro-Optics Technology, Incorporated. The project will include purchasing and installing a replica third-order Fresnel lens, illuminating the lens with a low-wattage bulb using solar power as the energy source, and restoring the lantern room and stairwell.

As with many public projects these days, there’s a match component and organizers are seeking to raise funds to complete work currently underway on the lens by Artworks Florida.

For more information about the project and to view photos of the construction of the lens, visit South Manitou Island Lighthouse: Re-light the Light.

The South Manitou Island Lighthouse page from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has more about the light and its history and (as always) Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light has a lot more. You can also see photos of the light and floorplans from the Library of Congress and here’s a South Manitou Island Light slideshow!

(lighthouse buffs might note a similarity between this tower and the tower of the Au Sable Point light)

Dredging Michigan’s Harbors

Posted on June 17, 2008June 17, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

great lake – dredging, photo by j image.

Jim captured folks working at one of the many under-appreciated tasks in the world: dredging our harbors. As a lifelong resident of a coastal village, I anticipated the arrival of the dredging crew as a sign that summer was on the way. The US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District explains why dredging is necessary on the Great Lakes:

Nearly all Federal harbors on the Great Lakes are located at the mouth of a river or along a coastline, utilizing natural or dredged navigation channels. Lake and river currents transport sand and silt eroded from the coastline and watershed. Some of this material may become deposited in navigation channels. Dredging is necessary to allow for safe commercial navigation and recreational boating. These natural processes would eventually lead to the filling of our harbors and waterways with rock, sand, mud, or clay. Harbors and major rivers, so vital to commercial, recreational and defense activities, would eventually fill in, leading to vessel delays and grounding. Today’s ore carriers, container ships, oil tankers and Coast Guard vessels need deep channels and docking facilities to move freely. Dredging is necessary to maintain Americas waterborne commerce and defense capability.

In addition, many recreational harbors need to be dredged regularly to remain open for small craft.

The page also explains something called “Beach Nourishment”, which I thought was a pretty unique term. Here’s a few dredging photos from the Absolute Michigan pool (slideshow)

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Must. Reach. Water., photo by J.E.T.

This photo is part of Jesse’s Northern Expedition II set (slideshow) and – for me at least – does the best job of all the 400+ Sleeping Bear photos that I’ve looked through today in capturing the wonder and wide-open fun of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

I’ve been doing that because today on Absolute Michigan I just finished Dig Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s a map, link and photo filled exploration of the national park in my backyard … I hope you like it.

Why Stop To Think Of Weather

Posted on April 30, 2008September 7, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Why Stop To Think Of Weather, photo by jbnuthatch.

jbnuthatch offers an excerpt from I’m In The Mood For Love that I everyone in Michigan probably needs to hum one day or another.

Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade
We’ve put our hearts together
Now we are one, I’m not afraid

If there’s a cloud above
If it should rain, we’ll let it
But, for tonight, forget it
I’m in the mood for love

I think it’s also pretty obvious that I have some sort of thing for ducks

Spring at Pere Marquette

Posted on April 25, 2008April 25, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Spring at Pere Marquette, photo by cabriden.

It’s dredging season in Michigan’s harbors … fishing season too!

NOAA’s nautical chart of the Muskegon Harbor says that the Muskegon South Breakwater light is 70′ tall while the North light is half that and that they’re probably dredging to a depth of 26 feet.

Be sure to check it out bigger.

Grand Rapids Camera Club seminar by Darrell Gulin

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Painting the Big Red Lighthouse, photo by Darrell Gulin

The Grand Rapids Camera Club and Canon is presenting a day of education and fun with Canon Explorer of Light Darrell Gulin on May 10, 2008. You can get all the details and registration information in the Grand Rapids Flickr group.

Darrell is a full time nature and travel photographer and is past President of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA). He makes his home in Sammamish, Washington and you can see much more of his work at his web site, gulinphoto.com. He took this photo when he was in Holland last August giving a program. They did an early morning shoot at the Big Red Lighthouse, painting it with a powerful flashlight.

From the Grand Rapids Camera Club (GRCC) web site, I learned that the GRCC is the oldest camera club in the United States (in continuous and uninterrupted existence) and was organized in 1898 as an outgrowth of the Valley City Photographic Society.

verve

Posted on April 7, 2008April 7, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

verve, photo by yodraws.

Wallpapery wonderfulness from Saugatuck Dunes State Park, part of Yolanda’s the Lakeshore set (slideshow).

More about the park (including a map) at Bracing Against The Wind at Saugatuck Dunes State Park from Michigan in Pictures.

Going to the Night Boat

Posted on April 5, 2008April 4, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Going to the night boat, Petoskey, Mich., Detroit Publishing Co.

This photo from the Detroit Publishing Co. Touring Turn of the Century America collection at the Library of Congress is the winner of this month’s “Book or Movie Title Waiting to Happen.” Put Petoskey in the search and check the photos out!

As you read this, I’m in the Petoskey area, unplugging and (hopefully) taking some pictures.