summer

National Park Summer Internships in Sleeping Bear

Posted on February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 by farlane

The post about summer jobs available through the Michigan DNR was really popular so here’s a related opportunity via Leelanau.com …

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is currently seeking summer interns interested in gaining hands-on experience in areas including wildlife and plant communities, history and cultural resources & outdoor recreation and stewardship while exploring one of the most beautiful places in the country.

Benefits include:

Cross-training opportunities in multiple fields
Contribute to meaningful projects that make a real impact
Opportunity to work alongside NPS professionals
Housing (in Empire) for some mainland staff

Head over to the Lakeshore’s website for available internship opportunities and all the details.

Lee took this while backpacking with his Boy Scout Troop on North Manitou Island way back in 2008. You can see more from the island & Leelanau County in his Manitou Island Backpacking gallery on Flickr.

Believe in Summer

Posted on February 1, 2026 by farlane

Tiki Resort-Oscoda MI by Charles Bonham

Since tomorrow’s post is already reserved for everyone’s favorite long range winter weather forecaster, I figured it was about time to remind everyone that summer will come. Eventually.

Here are two pics from Charles of the joyfully painted Mai Tiki Resort on Lake Huron in Oscoda demonstrating that you can find a little spot of summer in Michigan even on the coldest day. See his latest on Flickr & stay warm!

Mai Tiki Resort by Charles Bonham

Sunset on a steamy summer

Posted on September 4, 2025September 4, 2025 by farlane

Steaming into Sunset by Diann

Summer is pretty much in the books, and Fox 2 Detroit shares that Summer 2025 was a hot one for a unique reason that bodes poorly for our future:

Because the summer of 2025 is not over, it’s not included in the rankings. But as of Aug. 14, the average daily temperature is 74.3 degrees – making it one of the hottest.

Here’s the difference: this year’s overnight lows have been some of the highest ever. The region has dealt with multi-day periods of sustained heat unlike any other year.

“When people talk about how hot it was back in 88, they’re right to do so,” FOX 2’s meteorologist Derek Kevra said. “But what they got was some relief days. We have had very few relief days this year.”

In the summer of 1988, there were seven days when overnight lows fell into the 40s and 26 days with overnight lows in the 50s. The summer this year has had barely any nights when temperatures fell that low. That included a 150-hour stretch where temperatures didn’t even fall below 70 degrees. Over the entire month of July, only three days have fallen into the 50s.

This isn’t the first time I’ve shared Diann’s photo of the coal powered SS Badger steaming out of its home port of Ludington back on Labor Day 2008 & it won’t be the last! Here are a few others that I’ve featured over the years – see more in her Third Coast gallery on Flickr.

More Michigan-focused climate change posts on Michigan in Pictures.

Start looking for Perseid Meteors NOW!

Posted on August 1, 2025August 1, 2025 by farlane

The Milky Way and Perseid meteor shower in the same night by Joshua DuPois

The American Meteor Society’s Meteor Shower Calendar for 2025-2026 has this to say about the Perseid Meteor Shower:

The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 14 to September 1. They reach a strong maximum on August 12 or 13, depending on the year. Normal rates seen from rural locations range from 50-75 shower members per hour at maximum. The Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system. They are called Perseids since the radiant (the area of the sky where the meteors seem to originate) is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero when at maximum activity. In 2025, the waning gibbous moon will severely compromise this shower at the time of maximum activity. Such conditions will reduce activity by at least 75 percent as only the brighter meteors will be visible.

So while the sheer number will peak in a couple weeks, you’re advised to start looking now! Head over to the AMS for more on the Perseids & other meteor showers including the currently active alpha Capricornids.

Joshua took this back in August of 2018. See the latest on his Flickr!

(keep) Staying Cool

Posted on July 28, 2025 by farlane

Stay Cool by Steve Swarz

Michigan is in the grip of another heatwave or perhaps the same heatwave because honestly at this point who can tell? Temperatures today are expected to be in the 90s with heat indexes flirting with 100 degrees.

Since it’s not expected to break until a cold front comes through on Wednesday afternoon, I thought it would be an excellent time to bring back one of my favorite photos from 10 years ago! Check out Scott’s latest on Flickr and please STAY COOL!!

That big moon is all in your head

Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 by farlane

Moon over Detroit by kare hav

The Farmer’s Almanac says that the July Full moon is known as the Buck Moon because that’s when the antlers of male deer are in full-growth mode. It’s officially full today (July 10) at 4:37pm EST, and if you watch it rise you’ll see it appear bigger due to the “Moon Illusion,” a phenomenon that occurs when the moon is close to the horizon.

Go out on the night of the full moon and find a good spot to watch it rise. It can be breathtaking, eliciting an awestruck “Wow!” from any skywatcher. When we observe the Moon near the horizon, it often looks HUGE – whether it’s peeking over the shoulder of a distant mountain, rising out of the sea, hovering behind a cityscape, or looming over a thicket of trees.

But here’s the thing: it’s all in your head. Really. The Moon’s seeming bigness is an actual illusion, rather than an effect of our atmosphere or some other physics.

…Photographers can simulate the Moon illusion by taking pictures of the Moon low on the horizon using a long lens, with buildings, mountains, or trees in the frame. So, remember when you see dazzling photos that feature a giant Moon above the landscape: those images are created by zooming in on distant objects near the ground. In other words, the Moon looks bigger in those photos because it’s a zoomed-in view.

kare hav took this photo of the July full moon rising over the Renaissance Center in Detroit back in 2018. The low blue lights on the right are Comerica Park, and the new Hudson Building would be right about where the moon is! See more in their Detroit gallery on Flickr.

Sizzlin’ Summer Solstice!

Posted on June 20, 2025 by farlane

Summer Sizzler by Sue Zajac

Summer officially begins with the summer solstice at 10:42pm tonight, and to make sure we get the memo, Mother Nature is including a weeklong heatwave that starts today!

Sue took this way back in 2007. See more in her Superb Skies gallery on Flickr!

More summer fun on Michigan in Pictures!

The Boys of Summer: Waterfall Edition

Posted on September 25, 2024January 11, 2025 by farlane

Bond Falls by Gowtham

Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone
I’m driving by your house, though I know you’re not home
-Don Henley

There’s still some summer left to squeeze, but these cool nights tell me it won’t be long before the summer out of reach!

Twelve falls ago, I featured this passage along with a different photo from Gowtham. He took this one at Bond Falls in the UP way back in 2009. While he doesn’t seem to be doing a whole lot these days on Flickr, you can for sure follow along in the journal on his website!

There’s more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Blue Skies & Butterflies

Posted on August 20, 2024 by farlane

Blue Skies and Butterflies by Jacqueline Verdun

The Ann Arbor Observer has a classic feature titled The Biggest Butterfly: Seeking Giant Swallowtails that says in part:

The aptly named giant swallowtail is the biggest butterfly in Michigan. Form your two index fingers into pointers and touch them to each other: if you take a large glove size, the butterfly’s maximum wingspan is approximately the length of both fingers put together. The field guides say around six inches.

The giant swallowtail’s coloration is as spectacular as its size. From the top, its wings look dark brown to black, with yellow dot ribboning and a yellow eye-shaped spot on the end of each wing. When the wings are raised, the bottom is revealed to be a subtle cream interrupted by wavy blue and rust bands.

This species spends its Michigan winter in the pupa stage and emerges in two broods each summer, the first in May through June, the second in July through early September.

Jacqueline took this gorgeous photo a decade ago on August 20, 2014. You can check out another shot she took of this butterfly right here & see more in her Macro Insects etc gallery.

Chasing the Perseid meteor shower

Posted on August 8, 2024January 11, 2025 by farlane

Milky Way over Milky Bond Falls with a dash of Perseids by Sathya

The Perseid meteor shower is a summer staple & fast approaching the peak!! Our friends at EarthSky say that the early mornings of August 11-13, 2024 are your best bet for meteor action, but you can usually see them between midnight – 6am. That’s perfect because there’s an excellent chance of Northern Lights for the next couple of days & they are usually strongest between midnight – 3am.

EarthSky writes that the August Perseid meteor shower is rich and steady, from early August through the peak. The meteors are colorful. And they frequently leave persistent trains. All of these factors make the Perseid shower perhaps the most beloved meteor shower for the Northern Hemisphere.

Head over to EarthSky for everything you need to know about the Perseids, our most reliable meteor shower!

This photo of a Perseid meteor over Bond Falls that I shared back in 2013 remains one of my favorite michpics ever! Sathya wrote on their blog:

The deafening sound of 500 gallons of water / second from 50 feet
The tranquil silence of the dark night
Milky way adorning the skies
A (Perseids) meteor fireball streaking across the horizon
Definitely a moment of serenity and one I would cherish!

For sure check out Like the Ocean to view & purchase prints and a whole lot of amazing photos & amazing thoughts about some of the most beautiful places on this planet.

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