Get all the Fall out of Pure Michigan!

Posted on by farlane
510 Bridge by smiles7

510 Bridge by smiles7

The Pure Michigan Fall Color Update says that parts of the Upper Peninsula including Marquette (60-80%) are nearing peak fall color while others like the Keweenaw Peninsula (40-60%) and Manistique (20-40%) are still a mix of fiery foliage and emerald green.

The Northern Lower Peninsula is flirting with 50% right now while southern Michigan is mostly just getting going, but they have estimates for peak color for Traverse City & Oscoda in the October 12-19th range and further south, Grand Rapids or Frankenmuth kicking off around October 20th with Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor & southern Michigan getting to peak around the 26th of this month.

Wherever you are, the cool weather has color coming on fast. As a bonus, Pure Michigan’s color report adds fun fall activities for every region – get out there & enjoy it!

Julie took this photo a few days ago near Marquette and writes “The old CR-510 bridge crosses the Dead River west of Marquette in the Upper Peninsula . It was erected in 1921 and carried traffic over the river until 2010 when a new bridge was built. The new bridge stands high above the river and has a spectacular view of the old one. One needs to Google this bridge and read its phenomenal history. (she’s right! I did and it looks like this bridge might have started its bridging in Pennsylvania!!)

You can see more from Julie’s travels in her U.P. of Michigan gallery on Flickr.

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Falling for Leelanau with Jeff Lamb

Posted on by farlane

via leelanau.com…

Cornfield near Northport by jeff lamb

On mornings like this when fall is touching the tips of the leaves, I like to remember photographer & friend Jeff Lamb who passed on fourteen years ago. Here is a collection of photos that he shared from the Leelanau Peninsula back in the day.

See more in his Leelanau gallery and view photos from elsewhere in Michigan & the world on his Flickr.

PS: The pup is Sonny Boy, pictured on his fourth birthday, and he loved Leelanau too ;)

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7 Wonders of Michigan: Chapel Rock edition

Posted on by farlane
Chapel Rock by Craig Sterken Photography

Chapel Rock by Craig Sterken Photography

Michigan has some truly incredible sights, but I have to think that Chapel Rock in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore belongs at or near the top of any list of the 7 Wonders of Michigan. Apparently I started to compile a list back in 2015 & added Mackinac Island’s Arch Rock to it. Let’s add Chapel Rock as well. If you have suggestions for the list, share in the comments and then we can vote on them all!

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore says:

The Chapel area was named by early European explorers and is found on early maps as La Chappelle. Chapel Rock is a remnant of Cambrian age sandstone that was carved by Lake Nipissing high water some 3800 years ago. Continual erosion has carved the rock into the beautiful sculpture it is today. There once was an archway connecting the rock to the mainland (see pic below!). The arch collapsed in the 1940s. The lone white pine on Chapel Rock is estimated to be about 250 years old. 

Atlas Obscura adds that a member of the Douglass Houghton expedition exploring Lake Superior’s southern shore described a single pine tree that grew like a “spire” out of the sparse dirt covering the top of the outcropping. Till this day, the same resilient pine stands sentinel over Chapel Rock, connected to the mainland by its extensive root system.

Craig shares that the cool weather has him thinking about autumn colors, and that he was honored to have this photo purchased by National Geographic for a book on national parks! I will for sure share the book when it’s out. You don’t have to wait to see more from Craig though! Follow Craig Serken Photography on Facebook and view or purchase his work on his website!

Chapel Arch by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Chapel Arch by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

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The Chickadee and the Apple Tree

Posted on by farlane
The Chickadee and the Apple Tree by Michigan Nut Photography

The Chickadee and the Apple Tree by Michigan Nut Photography

Some gorgeous springtime pics from John along with a reminder to enjoy it while it’s here! See his latest on Facebook or Instagram and for sure view & purchase his work on his website.

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Cherry Blossoms behind schedule in 2025

Posted on by farlane
Cherry Blossom Time by Mark Smith

Cherry Blossom Time by Mark Smith

While a lot of cherries in the lower half of the Lower Peninsula have already bloomed, cherry blossoms in Michigan’s Cherry Capital of Northwest Lower Michigan are just getting going!

Mark Smith shared the first picture below with me last Thursday from the western side of the Leelanau Peninsula along with a couple recent pics & several more from years past. Cherry blossoms should be great up there for a few weeks at least – follow Leelanau.com for the latest and for sure check out Mark’s Leelanau Landscapes website to view & purchase his work!

More cherries & cherry blossoms on Michigan in Pictures!

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Big questions about Giant sequoia

Posted on by farlane
Sequoia Redwood Tree by Charles Bonham

Sequoia Redwood Tree by Charles Bonham

My post last week about the planting of Giant sequoia trees in Detroit by Archangel Ancient Tree Archive & Arboretum Detroit got a lot of commentary. While it was generally positive, a common theme of criticism was that we shouldn’t plant things in places where they aren’t native because they don’t belong or can’t survive. On the “can’t survive” front, I give you the 116+ foot tall Lake Bluff Arboretum Giant sequoia tree in Manistee that was planted in 1949.

And while I agree that planting non-native trees is generally a bad idea, the second paragraph of the Bridge Detroit article I linked to explains that it is the environmentally responsible thing to do to allow these forest titans to survive into the future: “The project on four lots will not only replace long-standing blight with majestic trees, but could also improve air quality and help preserve the trees that are native to California’s Sierra Nevada, where they are threatened by ever-hotter wildfires.“

And even if clicking a link is two hard, the 2nd of the two paragraphs I chose for the excerpt reads Giant sequoias are resilient against disease and insects, and are usually well-adapted to fire. Thick bark protects their trunks and their canopies tend to be too high for flames to reach. But climate change is making the big trees more vulnerable to wildfires out West, Kemp said. “The fires are getting so hot that its even threatening them,” he said.

You simply gotta read folks. At least if you want to make intelligent critiques.

I had shared a photo of the Giant sequoia in Manistee that Charles took in 2002 2022, but I decided to go back to see what else he had. Lots!! Check them out below and see lots more in his Trees gallery on Flickr.

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Planting the Forests of the Future in Detroit

Posted on by farlane
Giant Sequoia in Detroit's Circle Forest

Giant Sequoia in Detroit’s Circle Forest by Andrew McFarlane

“Here’s a tree that is bigger than your house when it’s mature, taller than your buildings, and lives longer than you can comprehend.”

-Andrew “Birch” Kemp, Executive Director, Arboretum Detroit

The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive & Arboretum Detroit have partnered on a truly incredible effort that is planting giant sequoia in Detroit! Bridge Detroit shares that these colossal conifers can live for more than 3,000 years and reach heights in excess of 300′ tall with a circumference greater than 30′ at the base.

The sequoias will eventually provide a full canopy that protects everything beneath, he said. “It may be sad to call these .5- and 1-acre treescapes forests,” Kemp said. “We are expanding on this and shading our neighborhood in the only way possible, planting lots of trees.”

Giant sequoias are resilient against disease and insects, and are usually well-adapted to fire. Thick bark protects their trunks and their canopies tend to be too high for flames to reach. But climate change is making the big trees more vulnerable to wildfires out West, Kemp said. “The fires are getting so hot that its even threatening them,” he said.

You can read lots more in Bridge and at the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, which I encourage you to support with your donations & by spreading the word about their amazing work!

Here are some pics I took yesterday afternoon along with some pics from the Archangel Facebook page. The big tree is the Stagg giant sequoia tree in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains – fifth largest tree in the world – and the shot of the guys in the tree shows Archangel’s Jake Milarch & Aaron Johns actually inside the 3000+ year old tree! The one of the burned tree shows the 3,000 year old “Waterfall Tree” Giant Sequoia before and after the 2020 Castle Fire.

Continued (apparently) in Big Questions about Giant Sequoia on Michigan in Pictures!

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Happy 55th Earth Day, Michigan!

Posted on by farlane
Happy Earth Day by Paul Bruce

Happy Earth Day by Paul Bruce

Today is the 55th Earth Day, and this holiday that is celebrated across the planet was born right here in Michigan! I hope that you are able to take a little time today or this week to think about how you and your family, friends & neighbors can help create a future where humans live in harmony with the world around us because it really is the only one we’ve got. 🌏✌️💙

Paul took these at the Reid Lake Foot Travel Area near Harrison in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in the northeast Lower Peninsula. The US Forest Service says the 3000-acre area includes 13 miles of gently rolling trail around Reid and Little Trout Lakes, the shoreline of Big Marsh, and views of Fanny’s Marsh and Mossy Bog. There are also 9 designated first-come first-serve campsites available. Check out his photos from last Earth Day & many more in his Reid Lake gallery and for sure follow him on Flickr for more!

Many more Earth Day photos on Michigan in Pictures!

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That old (American) chestnut

Posted on by farlane
Beautiful Chestnuts by Julie Weatherbee

Beautiful Chestnuts by Julie Weatherbee

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Dusting off this feature from 13 years ago (wow!) to help set the table for tomorrow.

Wikipedia’s entry for the American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) explains that this large, deciduous tree of the beech family was once one of the eastern United States dominant hardwoods before it was nearly wiped out by chestnut blight. Curiously enough, one of the few pockets to survive were some 600 to 800 large trees in northern lower Michigan. Chestnut Growers, Inc. is a 37 member cooperative based in Michigan explain the difference between edible sweet chestnuts & non-edible horse chestnuts (the spiky ones with the burrs) & offer preparation tips & cooking instructions:

In Europe, chestnuts are consumed in a wide variety of dishes, from soups, stews, and stuffing to fancy deserts. Matter of fact, chestnut flour is the secret to many of the fancy French pastries. In other parts of the world, such as China, the chestnut is a staple food in the peoples’ diet. Chestnuts have about half the calories of other nuts and have the lowest fat content of all the main edible nuts. Chestnuts have only four to five percent fat as compared to sixty-two percent for the hazelnut and seventy-one percent for the pecan. In composition and food value, the chestnut, with its high carbohydrate content of about seventy-eight percent, is more akin to cereal grains, such as wheat, than to nuts with a low carbohydrate content. Since chestnuts are starchy rather than oily, they are readily digestible when roasted or boiled.

Read on for more and suggestions on cooking. They take orders for fresh chestnuts and ship beginning in October, and are at farm markets through the fall. 

Julie bought these Michigan-grown beauties at Zingerman’s deli in Ann Arbor. Check them out background bigalicious and see more in Julie’s Food gallery on Flickr where she shares some preparation photos & the finished product!

Peeled Chestnut by Julie Weatherbee

Peeled Chestnut by Julie Weatherbee

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Adorned in Yellow

Posted on by farlane

Adorned in Yellow by Timothy Linn

Timothy took this photo in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore last month & shares:

The color yellow holds a special place in my heart. While my son was in Pre-K, he took a test that involved identifying colors. I happened to be there for it. He identified every color correctly…except yellow. He repeatedly got it wrong. I could see his teacher becoming increasingly confused as she graded his test. Before she could say anything, Lewis asked her, “Why didn’t I choose ‘yellow’?”

“Why?,” she responded. I had no idea what he was going to say, but I expected it to be good.

Lewis proceeded to inform her in the most matter-of-factly way possible, “It’s the only color God doesn’t like.”

I was pretty sure his position wasn’t scripturally defensible, but I couldn’t stop laughing. (His teacher was not amused by either of us.) So, Lewis, if you’re reading along, enjoy this forest scene full of blue leaves.

I hope you were as amused as I was by this delightful story! See more in Timothy’s MI: Michigan gallery on Flickr.

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