Pot O Gold, photo by southarmstudio.
Rain, rain, bring us a rainbow and a pot of gold now please.
A Michigan Osprey Pair at Wildwing Lake
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
The Triumphal March: Detroit Red Wings 2008 Victory Celebration
The Triumphal March, photo by Airplane Lane.
Airplane Lane took this photo of the throngs cheering Detroit Red Wings Captain Nicklas Lidstrom holding the Stanley Cup aloft in celebration as he rode down Woodward Ave during the Red Wings victory parade.
You can check out a ton more photos in this Flickr slideshow of Detroit Red Wings victory parade (just the photos).
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.
Memorial Day 2008
Memorial Day 2008, photo by mikeh5856.
Michael says that this was taken at Greenfield Village yesterday during their Civil War Remembrance. More are in his Greenfield Village set (slideshow).
In cities and town all across Michigan, people are remembering men and women who served our state and nation over the years.
I hope you can take the time to remember them today, and also to think about those who are serving now.
Taking the Long Shot
Matthew says that this dock sits on Point Lookout in AuGres, Michigan (on Lake Huron). It’s part of his My Photographic Love Affair set (slideshow).
I’m not old enough to remember a summer starting on a more down note in Michigan (and the rest of the country). A war with no end in sight, sour economy, mortgage crisis, assorted disasters and $4 a gallon gas have created a mood that suggests the best thing to do right now is huddle at home and wait for things to get better.
As I drove through Farwell the other day, I heard an unknown AM talk show host ask:
“Are you going to trade the memories of your children, husband, wife or yourself for an extra $50 in your pocket?
Gas is $4. It will be $5 or more by the end of the summer, but the memories will still be worth a hundred times more.
That made me think of how many times we as a nation have faced times when things weren’t easy, when everything wasn’t neatly laid out, when we had to work a little harder to make it all work out. I don’t think that any one of those challenges was overcome by choosing to seek less out of life for ourselves and those we love.
Here’s hoping we can take the long shot, beat the odds and win this game. All of us.
Have a magnificent weekend!
Lighthouse Wanna Be
Lighthouse Wanna Be, photo by Rudy Malmquist.
Because really, who DOESN’T want their own lighthouse?
Orchard Lake and the St Mary’s Polish Festival
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.
Tour de Leelanau bike race – Memorial Day Weekend
Here They Come (1), photo by corremadrid.
The annual Tour de Leelanau bicycle race takes place next Sunday (May 25) and features international and US pro cycling teams on a USA Pro Tour sanctioned race. The course winds through the hills of Leelanau County in northern Michigan and features a variety of climbs and sprints that create an atmosphere reminiscent of a European road race.
If you happen to be attending it this year, bring your camera because the race organizers are sponsoring a $500 Tour de Leelanau photo contest where your photo can also be the cover of their 2009 publication!
Joel has some cool Tour de Leelanau photos and you can see many more in the Tour de Leelanau group on Flickr and in this cool Tour de Leelanau slideshow.
I also wrote a Tour de Leelanau post on Leelanau.com that you might like. Have a great weekend!
A most wonderful disorder at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Mosquito Beach, photo by Terrapin Dawg.
“We had been told of the variety in the colour and form of these rocks, but were wholly unprepared to encounter the suprising groups of overhanging precipices, towering walls, caverns, waterfalls … mingled in the most wonderful disorder”
– Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
Matt deemed that all that was required to preface his cool set of photos from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (slideshow), all of them background big & bold.
I can’t disagree at all, but I will add that you might enjoy more Pictured Rocks features from Michigan in Pictures, this slideshow of the pictured rocks from the Absolute Michigan pool and also Dig Michigan: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Absolute Michigan!
Michigan in Pictures 