Michigan grapes, ready for the harvest

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Fenn Valley Winery-5

Fenn Valley Winery-5, photo by Mi Bob.

Bob took this photo of grapes awaiting harvest at Fenn Valley Winery in Fennville, Michigan. He’s uploaded it “background big” and has more luscious grape photos (slideshow).

Fall is a great time to visit Michigan’s wine country. Check out this slideshow of recent photos from vineyards in the Absolute Michigan group and learn much more about Michigan’s wineries and wine trails from Michigan Wines.

More fall wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures!

Linden Mills on the Shiawassee River

Posted on by farlane

Linden Mill, photo by Patrick T Power

MichMarkers.com has the text from the historical marker at Linden Mills in the village Linden (also a map).

The Linden Mills were a vital source of this village’s economic growth. The first mill, located on land granted to Consider Warner, was used to cut lumber. From 1845-1850 Seth Sadler and Samuel W. Warren, local residents, erected both a saw and grist mill. Operating along with the earlier facility, this complex was called the Linden Mills. The grist mill continued to function for over a century until the machinery was dismantled and sold at auction in 1956. The village then purchased the building for municipal offices and a public Library.

Today the mill is the site of the Linden Mills Historical Museum.

Dream No. 2 and Holga Goodness

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Dream No. 2

Dream No. 2, photo by rckrawczykjr.

Not sure what Dream No. 1 was, but I think it was this one.

This photo is part of Ralph’s Holga Goodness set (slideshow).

Mmmm, Holga Goodness.

Saginaw River Rear Range Light

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Saginaw River Lighthouse

Saginaw River Lighthouse, photo by SNiedzwiecki.

Stacy says that she took this photo on a boat tour of the Saginaw River and that access is very limited. It’s one of a number of photos in her Michigan Lighthouses set. She has also placed it on a map.

Terry Pepper’s page on the Saginaw River Rear Range Light brings the usual 110% of awesome with historical photos and a complete history of the lighthouse that explains (in part):

Eleventh District Engineer Major Godfrey Weitzel’s design for the combined rear range tower and dwelling was unique. Consisting of a large elevated concrete base supporting a combined brick dwelling and tower, the swampy ground in the chosen site first required the driving of timber piles deep into the ground to provide a solid foundation on which timber forms for the concrete base could be erected and filled. Atop this concrete foundation, a square two-story Cream City brick keeper’s dwelling 26′ 6″ in plan was constructed. Integrated into the northwest corner of the dwelling, a tapered 53′ tall square tower with double walls housed a set of prefabricated cast iron spiral stairs. Winding from the cellar to the lantern, these stairs also serving as the only means of access to the first and second floors by way of landings on each floor, each outfitted with tightly fitting arch-topped iron doors designed to stem the spread of fire between floors. A timber deck supported by timber columns encircled the dwelling at the first floor level, providing easy and dry access to all sides of the structure. The living quarters consisted of a kitchen, parlor and oil storage room on the first floor, and three bedrooms above. The tower was capped with a square iron gallery, supported by five cast iron corbels on each of its four sides. An octagonal cast iron lantern was installed at its center, with a fixed white Fourth Order Fresnel lens placed at a focal plane of 61 feet.

You can also check out some photos of the light and information from the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society and read a bit about the possible haunting of the Saginaw River Lighthouse.

A Michigan Osprey Pair at Wildwing Lake

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Osprey Pair at Wildwing Lake 1

Osprey Pair at Wildwing Lake 1, photo by C.A. Mullhaupt.

C.A. Mullhaupt took this incredible photo (view it bigger) of a pair of osprey at Wildwing Lake in Kensington Metropark near Milford, Michigan.

The Michigan DNR’s Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) page says:

The “fish hawk” (length of 22-25 inches, wingspan of 4.5-6 feet) is brown above and white below, and flies with a distinct bend in its wing at the “wrist.” Their feet are equipped with spiny scales and long talons that give them a firm grip on slippery fish, their only prey. Ospreys usually select tall trees in marshes along streams, lakes or man made floodings. They will adapt to artificial nesting platforms. This help from humans, along with the restriction of certain harmful pesticides, has helped ospreys recover from the drastic population reductions seen in the 1950s and ’60s…

The Department of Natural Resources requests help from wildlife observers to report any sightings of osprey in southern Michigan, particularly in the Maple River area (north of St. Johns,) and in southeast Michigan (Oakland, Wayne, Macomb and Livingston counties.)

Osprey Watch of Southeast Michigan (OWSEM) is a non-profit volunteer organization based at Kensington Metropark. Their goal are to help the Michigan DNR in their efforts to restore the osprey to Southern Michigan and to educate the public about this very special raptor. On their very extensive web site they have a cool osprey sighting map, lots of reports and photos and there’s even information about osprey hacking.

You can learn more about the osprey from Wikipedia’s osprey entry and the get photos, calls and other info from
Pandion haliaetus (osprey) at the University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web

to the center of floral delight

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

to the center of floral delight

to the center of floral delight, photo by mfophotos.

Mark says that the irises in his yard are looking great this year.

If you’re in the Royal Oak area today, the Iris Club of Southeast Michigan is holding an AIS sanctioned iris show. Viewing is from noon to 4 PM, and I assume all the good looking irises will be there.

If you’re not in the area, well, zoom into this photo, explore the 200+ varieties of irises on Wikipedia and sit back and watch this Michigan Iris show from Flickr.

Orchard Lake and the St Mary’s Polish Festival

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Campus panorama 1940s

Campus panorama 1940s, photo by Orchard Lake.

I noticed that Memorial Day Weekend is the time of the annual St. Mary’s Polish Country Fair & Festival on Orchard Lake. The event billed as “America’s Largest High School Fair” and is a fundraiser for Orchard Lake Schools and you can get an idea of what has changed (and what hasn’t) in this aerial view of Orchard Lakes Schools.

You can see a lot more cool old photos of the seminary in the Orchard Lake photo set from the Adam Cardinal Maida Alumni Library at the Orchard Lake Schools.

The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power Plant

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Nuclear Wetlands

Nuclear Wetlands, photo by mandj98.

James writes that the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant is located on Lake Erie about six miles from Point Mouillee.

The Department of Energy’s page on the Enrico Fermi plant says that it was named for the first physicist to split the atom. The prototype Fermi 1 unit operated at the site from 1963 to 1972 and is now mothballed. The current 1,111 MW Fermi 2 unit is operated by Detroit Edison Company. It’s a boiling water reactor that ranks as Michigan’s 9th largest nuclear reactor.

Wikipedia’s entry for Fermi notes that plant suffered a partial meltdown on October 5, 1966, an event that inspired the Gil Scott-Heron song We Almost Lost Detroit. There was no reported release of radiation or injury.

Here’s an aerial view of Fermi Nuclear Power plant and you can also check out this satellite view of the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant on the Absolute Michigan map of Michigan.

quincy karma on US 12

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

quincy karma

quincy karma, photo by buckshot.jones.

This colorful capture is part of Scott’s A trip down historic US 12 set (slideshow). He writes:

I turned off the Interstate and took US 12 on my way back to Dearborn. Lots of small towns and rural scenes.

You can follow US 12 all the way to the Pacific ocean. In Detroit and Chicago, US 12 is known as Michigan Avenue. From the Water Tower to old Tiger Stadium, this route has lots of history.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_12 (and also see the US 12 in Michigan entry!)

Here’s Quincy, Michigan and US-12 on the Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan.

Nothing more I can say except “Thanks Scott for posting these in big, beautiful, background-sized glory!”

…and have a great weekend everyone!

Optimism on Earth Day

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Chelsea Tracks - Optimism

Chelsea Tracks – Optimism, photo by aTanguay.

I thought that Andy’s photo is a perfect expression of how I feel about Earth Day this year. While in year’s past, it has seemed to be a day that highlights an impossible task, it now seems a day that we can begin to celebrate our journey towards a sustainable society.

Happy Earth Day, Michigan – hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy it!

Also see Absolute Michigan’s Earth Day post