Defending Frankfort Lighthouse

Posted on by farlane
View from the top of Frankfort Lighthouse by SueFi Photography

View from the top of Frankfort Lighthouse by SueFi Photography

Longtime Michigan in Pictures contributor SueFi Photography shared a bunch of photos related to the recent restoration & preservation of the Frankfort Lighthouse after repeated vandalism incidents:

Erin Griebe, the chairperson of the Frankfort Lighthouse Restoration Project, says volunteers first noticed bullet holes in the lamp room last fall. “That’s very expensive glass to replace. It’s all custom because this is a very old historic building, and once the integrity of the glass is disrupted with bullet holes, you have to make those repairs,” Griebe told News 8 affiliate UpNorthLive.

“It’s just years and years of build up and paint and, you know, if we’re going to spend all this money, donated money to entirely clean this down to the bare metal and then restore it to pristine condition, is this just going to happen again?” Ketz said.

The restoration project was estimated to cost $1.1 million in 2022. Griebe already knows the costs will surpass that estimate and wants to avoid any other unnecessary work. “We are hopeful that by raising awareness, people will become less likely to tag the lighthouse, and for the individuals taking shots at it will also think twice now that the community at large is more aware,” she told News 8.

Get more information and donate to the Frankfort Lighthouse Restoration Project on their website!

Here’s a bunch more photos from Sue and you can see a whole lot more views of the lighthouse, Frankfort & everywhere at SueFi Photography on Facebook!

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Happy Birthday Joel!

Posted on by farlane
Michigan & Trtumbull by Joel Dinda

Michigan & Trumbull by Joel Dinda

Today is longtime Michigan in Pictures photographer & supporter Joel Dinda’s birthday so be sure to wish him a happy one! When I looked through the many photos from Joel I featured over the years, I found two that I used to wish a happy birthday to St Helena Lighthouse in the Straits of Mackinac & also from my post celebrating 100 years of Tiger Stadium. While the article I link to is gone, you can check it out on the Wayback Machine!

See the latest from Joel on his Flickr and also in our Michigan in Pictures Facebook group!

St Helena Light by Joel Dinda

St Helena Light by Joel Dinda

Detroit River Lighthouse

Posted on by farlane
Detroit River Lighthouse by James Marvin Phelps

Detroit River Lighthouse by James Marvin Phelps

Yesterday on his excellent photography blog James shared some photos & information about the Detroit River Lighthouse:

…also known as the Bar Point Shoal Light, has guided vessels navigating the treacherous waters between Lake Erie and the Detroit River since its completion in 1885. Located about a mile offshore near the mouth of the river, the lighthouse replaced a series of ineffective lightships that had struggled to withstand the region’s harsh conditions. Constructed of steel and concrete, the tower was built to endure strong currents and ice floes, making it one of the most resilient navigational beacons in the Great Lakes. Over the years, the lighthouse transitioned from a manually operated station to an automated one in 1979, eliminating the need for resident keepers. Despite its automation, the Detroit River Light remains an important part of Great Lakes maritime history, symbolizing the rich heritage of shipping and navigation in the region.

Here’s a couple more shots of the light by James. See the latest & view and purchase his work at: https://www.jamesmarvinphelps.com/

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Lighting the way to better driving

Posted on by farlane
Pothole Lighthouse by Tim Webb

Pothole Lighthouse by Tim Webb

Our friends at the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association share: And now for something completely different: A new initiative to highlight the problem of potholes. Lighthouses are being trialled at night to warn unsuspecting motorists.

😆 No lies detected! See more of the great pics they share in our Michigan in Picture group on Facebook & for sure visit their website to learn more about this champion for Great Lakes heritage!

I don’t think the lighthouse above is based on a Michigan one, so here’s a shot of Point Betsie on Lake Michigan GLLKA shared recently by Ross Ellet! More funny business on Michigan in Pictures.

Winter Sunrise At Point Betsie by Ross Ellet

Winter Sunrise At Point Betsie by Ross Ellet

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Frigid Sunrise at Wawatam Light

Posted on by farlane
Frigid Sunrise at Wawatam Light by Robert F Carter

Frigid Sunrise at Wawatam Light by Robert F Carter

Pure Michigan shares that Wawatam Lighthouse started life in 1998 as a Michigan Welcome Center travel icon at Monroe, Michigan. In 2004, the Monroe Welcome Center was being revamped and the lighthouse was put up for relocation. The City of St. Ignace was the lucky recipient and the structure was trucked north in five pieces. It stayed on the Chief Wawatam Dock for a time, awaiting the construction of its new platform … The Wawatam Lighthouse beacon was first lit on August 20, 2006. Visible for more than 13 miles out over Lake Huron, it is now an official aid-to-navigation. The 250 millimeter Fresnel lens casts its light in a 152 degree arc.

Robert writes “Four of us from my camera club decided to visit Michigan’s U.P. in search of the Snowy Owl. We left early and before we got up to the hunting grounds, we stopped by St. Ignace to see the sunrise. This area of Lake Huron was not frozen over yet even though it was about -5 degrees this morning. One did not stay outside the car very long with the blowing breeze.”

See more in Robert’s Lighthouses gallery on Flickr & see lots more lighthouses on Michigan in Pictures.

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The Ghost of Old Presque Isle Lighthouse

Posted on by farlane

The Ghost of Old Presque Isle Lighthouse by Absolute Michigan

The Lightkeeper’s Ghost tells the tale of George and Loraine Parris who became the beloved caretakers of the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse in the 1970s, running the small museum and giving tours. George was something of a trickster and delighted in playing harmless tricks on visitors. He passed away in 1992, but the story doesn’t end there.

As Loraine was driving to the property on Grand Lake Road, which had a clear view of the lighthouse, she saw that it was illuminated.

She knew that the Coast Guard had rendered this impossible, but there it was before her. By the time that she arrived at the keeper’s house, though, everything was dark. The next day she climbed the steps of the lighthouse to make sure that everything was in order, and she saw that there was no way that someone could have turned the light on. Yet, this same pattern repeated itself again and again. Loraine never said anything about it because she thought that people might think her crazy.

Soon other folks began to see the light, however – a yellowish glow was reported from the lighthouse by several people. Some thought that the light had been put back into operation, but others drove out for a closer look, only to find that it was dark once again.

It was even spotted by members of the Air National Guard, who flew a few missions over the area, and by the Coast Guard, who investigated to make sure that no one could fire the light back up. It had been permanently disabled years before, so there was no way that the light could be shining. Yet it was. Many people believe that the spirit of playful old George is occasionally paying a visit to the lighthouse that he loved so much, just to let folks know that he’s doing just fine and to keep alive the stories of the lighthouse that he loved so much.

Read more about the history of the lighthouse from TexasEscapes.com and learn more about the light and visiting from the Presque Isle Township Museum Society.

I made the photo art for this from an old photo of Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. I do stuff like that and also websites through Absolute Michigan & Leelanau.com. so if you ever need that, holler!

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Slow Burn Sunset

Posted on by farlane

Slow Burn Sunset in Muskegon by Walter E. Elliott

mLive meteorologist Mark Torregrossa shares that a large plume of wildfire smoke will be impacting our weather (and sunsets) over the weekend:

While it looks like a dry weekend that should be sunny, there will likely be areas of high-level wildfire smoke. The exact timing of the smoke will be difficult. It does look like some time Saturday will have a thick blanket of smoke high in the sky. It won’t mean much to the big picture of the weather other than keeping our temperatures out of the high-80s.

One thing is sure this weekend. Our humidity will be fairly low. We can see that with the morning low temperatures. Saturday morning we will drop into the 50s.

I think I can live with that forecast!!

Walter took this photo last Saturday. Follow his Facebook for more and view & purchase his work on his website.

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Have a postcard perfect Memorial Day Weekend!

Posted on by farlane

Saturday Sunset in Frankfort by SueFi Photography

Memorial Weekend 2024 is upon us. I’m wishing a great time for everyone, safe travels lucky enough to be traveling for pleasure, and for all of us, I wish patience. If you look around you will see Help Wanted signs everywhere you look, particularly in hot tourist destinations. Give those working an extra dose of kindness & have a blast!

To help folks enjoy the roads, the state has lifted some road closures for the weekend. We’ll need those roads because AAA Michigan is expecting nearly 1.3 million Michigan residents will travel at least 50 miles or more from home, second most since they began tracking in 1999.

Sue shared this photo last weekend – head over to SueFi Photography for lots more great shots from Frankfort & elsewhere in Michigan!

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Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse

Posted on by farlane

Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse by Presque Isle Township Museum Society

The Presque Isle Township Museum Society reminds you that it’s never too early to start planning your summer Michigan Lighthouse Tour! The drive from Tawas to Mackinaw City along Heritage Route 23 will let you explore the lighthouses of the Sunrise Side. Click that link for a map & much more!!

Lighthouse historian Terry Pepper is no longer with us, but his words still illuminate the rich history of Michigan lighthouses at Seeing the Light. His entry on the Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse says (in part):

Thunder Bay Island sits just three miles East-northeast of the north point of Thunder Bay, and thirteen miles from the harbor at Alpena. This 215-acre limestone island is the outermost of a group of islands connected to the shore by a shallow rocky shoal. As such, it represented both a significant marker for Northbound vessels making the turn toward the Straits, and stood ready to chew the wooden hulls of vessels unlucky enough to stray too close to its rocky shores.

…With rapidly increasing maritime traffic through the 1850’s, the Lighthouse Board determined that the combination of inefficient Lewis lamps and the diminutive 40-foot height of the tower provided a less than effective aid to mariners relying on this important station. To rectify the situation, plans were formulated to increase the height of the tower and to install an improved French Fresnel lenses of the type currently being installed throughout the system. Over 1857, the upper 14 feet of the tower was encased in brick and continued above the upper limits of the old structure to a height of 50 feet, effectively increasing the total height of the tower by 10 feet. The entire exterior of the tower was then given a veneer of Cream City brick to provide a smooth, weather-proof surface. At completion of the masonry work, the renewed walls at the base of the tower stood a massive 79 inches thick, and tapered to a thickness of 20 inches at their uppermost.

Atop this renovated tower, a new gallery with a cast iron hand railing was installed, and a ten-sided prefabricated cast iron lantern installed at its center. Within this new lantern, a Fourth Order Fresnel lens manufactured by Sautter of Paris equipped with six bulls-eye flash panels was installed on a cast iron pedestal and equipped with a clockwork rotating mechanism. This new improved illuminating apparatus provided a characteristic fixed white light varied by flashes, and its enhanced focal plane of 59 feet provided an increased range of visibility of 14 miles at sea.

Read on for much more! Also, a very big thank you to the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association who have been sharing some great pics in our Michigan in Pictures group on Facebook! They do so much to preserve Michigan’s lighthouse and maritime legacy!!

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Comet P12 Pons-Brooks Visits Eagle Harbor!

Posted on by farlane
Comet P12 Pons-Brooks Visits Eagle Harbor by Shelby Diamondstar Photography

Comet P12 Pons-Brooks Visits Eagle Harbor by Shelby Diamondstar Photography

Let’s head WAY north for another exciting celestial phenomenon, Comet P12 Pons-Brooks aka the Devil’s Comet. Space.com explains that the comet is named after French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons (1761-1831) who went on to become the greatest visual comet discoverer of all time:

In today’s world, comets are routinely found when they are far out in space, beyond the ability of being picked up by human eyes, but are caught using robotic cameras attached to large telescopes either here on Earth or from satellites out in space.

In contrast, Pons made most of his discoveries using telescopes and lenses of his own design; his “Grand Chercheur” (“Great Seeker”) was an instrument with a large aperture and short focal length, similar to telescopes that our modern-day amateurs would refer to as a “comet seeker.” Pons is noted today for visually discovering 37 comets (still a record) from 1801 to 1827.

…On Sept. 2, 1883, British-born American comet observer William R. Brooks (1844-1921) accidently found it. Like Pons, Brooks was a prolific discoverer of comets. In fact, his total of 27 visual discoveries is second only to Pons. Not until the first orbital calculations of Brooks’ discovery was made, was it realized that this comet and the comet found by Pons of 1812 were one of the same. So, this comet now bears the surnames of both observers.

With an orbital period of roughly 71 years, comet Pons-Brooks is considered to be a “Halley-type” comet, that is, a comet with an orbital period between 20 and 200 years, often appearing only once or twice within one’s lifetime. Other comets with a similar orbital period include 13P/Olbers, 23P/Brosen-Metcalf and the most famous of all, 1P/Halley. Because it was the twelfth comet to have a definitive orbital period calculated, it is cataloged today as 12P/Pons-Brooks.

You can look for the comet just after sunset, but you will probably need binoculars given the afterglow of the sunset.

MaryBeth took this way up on the Keweenaw Peninsula at Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. Click the photo above to share a comment with her on Facebook and for sure view & purchase her work at shelbydiamondstar.com!

PS: In my best Arnold voice, “I’ll be back” (because she has an amazeballs photo for us!)