A Rough and Icy Great Lake, Velvia Edition

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

A Rough and Icy Great Lake, Velvia Edition

A Rough and Icy Great Lake, Velvia Edition, photo by friday1970.

About this photo from Burtchville near Lakeport in the Thumb, Tim writes:

A very windy night produced large waves for Lake Huron, causing the ice shelves built up along shore to break up and float down the coast. About 50 ft out were these mushroom shaped mounds of ice, which served as a subject in this photo.

Just before I shot this, a wave splashed up and instantly froze to my camera. I had to quickly scrape/wipe the ice from the lens to capture the sun behind the clouds while it lasted. The filters threads were covered in ice, so I hand held the GND in place during the shot.
A photographer’s version of drama?

Check this out background bigtastic and see this and another shot from the day in his slideshow.

More Lake Huron on Michigan in Pictures.

That’s a job creation engine out there…

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Layers of Michigan Winter

Layers of Michigan Winter, photo by nasunto.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

An analysis by Michigan Sea Grant at the University of Michigan says more than 1.5 million U.S. jobs and $62 billion in annual wages are linked directly to the Great Lakes.

The study was released Thursday. It says Michigan has 525,886 jobs connected to the Great Lakes, more than any other state. Illinois ranks second with 380,786, followed by Ohio with 178,621.

Most of the jobs are in manufacturing. Others are in tourism and recreation, shipping, agriculture and other sectors of the economy.

Jim Diana, director of Michigan Sea Grant, says the study illustrates that protecting the lakes is crucial to attracting and retaining businesses and jobs.

That’s a lot of jobs … and at an estimated $62 billion in wages, it’s a very compelling argument for Michigan to take a leadership role in protecting the Great Lakes. Here’s the news release from Sea Grant and the PDF of the Great Lakes Jobs Report.

About the photo Nina writes On the shore of Lake Michigan: Cold sand and a layer of ice. In the distance, snow, ice, whitecaps on the beautiful and temperamental lake, and a cloud-filled sky. Check it out background big and in her Lake Michigan slideshow.

Keweenaw County: Tops in the Nation for Water!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Red Ridge

Red Ridge, photo by We Are CS.

This morning I found out that my native Leelanau County is the 2nd watery-est in America. Wikipedia’s Keweenaw County entry says that Michigan’s northernmost county holds the title though:

Keweenaw County is the northernmost county in Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,966 square miles (15,451.9 km2), of which 541 square miles (1,401.2 km2) is land and 5,425 square miles (14,050.7 km2) (90.932%) is water. Of all counties (or county-equivalents) in the United States, Keweenaw County has the highest proportion of water area to total area.

In essence, 90.932 percent of the county consists of a significant part of Lake Superior, while only 9.068 percent is actually land. Isle Royale is its northernmost section. It is the largest county in the largest state east of the Mississippi River.

Check this out big as … well … Michigan’s biggest county and see many more in Kyle’s massive Keweenaw Peninsula slideshow!

Seussian Scene, Yooper Style

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Untitled, photo by Blondieyooper.

The last Wednesday of every month is a Weird Wednesday on Absolute Michigan. In honor of that, here’s a funny little still life from the UP.

Check it out big as a blueberrishroom and in April’s Dr Seussish File slideshow!

The Trestle Bridge at Hamilton

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Trestle Bridge at Hamilton

The Trestle Bridge at Hamilton, photo by bill.d.

Hope you enjoyed your morning commute…

Check this out big as a bridge and in Bill’s Allegan County slideshow.

Miles more bridges on Michigan in Pictures.

Follow the flowing water to Spring?

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Flowing Water

Flowing Water, photo by corinne.schwarz.

Things have really heated up in Michigan this week, and as Ashley says: Peace out snowpocalypse. It’s been real..

Michigan’s own Weather Underground looks like April: 48° in Battle Creek, 49° in Grand Rapids, 38° in Marquette, 46° in Traverse City, 47° in Detroit!

Check this out bigger and in Corinne’s Lenawee County slideshow.

Melt a Frozen Valentines Heart

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Frozen Valentines Heart

Frozen Valentines Heart, photo by LadyDragonflyCC – Happy Valentines.

A few weeks ago we featured one of LadyDragonflyCC’s photos on our Make it a Michigan Valentine’s Day. Is it OK to go back for seconds, especially as Michigan’s frozen heart melts in a mid February thaw?

Give us what you’re loving this Valentine’s Day in the comments!

Check this out big as love and in her Frozen Possibilities slideshow.

Manistee’s Vogue Theatre gets some help from Michael Moore

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Manistee Bank & Trust and The Vogue Theatre

Manistee Bank & Trust and The Vogue Theatre, photo by Eridony.

The Ludington Daily News reports that Michigan filmmaker Michael Moore was in Manistee yesterday morning announcing that his new State Theatre Project will support a community-driven effort to restore and reopen the 72-year-old theatre located in the heart of the City of Manistee:

“The people of Manistee are about to see what a popular, thriving movie palace can do for their downtown,” said Moore. “They will return the Vogue to being the crown jewel of Manistee. We will turn on the Vogue’s marquee lights, bring in some jobs, pump money into the economy and do it with a nonprofit venture staffed mostly by volunteers. The Vogue will show first-run movies plus documentaries, foreign films, kids movies and classics — something for everyone. The Vogue will be Manistee’s new town square.”

Moore explained that the Vogue perfectly fits the profile for his State Theatre Project, a nonprofit endeavor he’s funding to help replicate throughout the State of Michigan following his success with Traverse City’s State Theatre. Moore said, “It’s a wonderful, iconic theatre in the center of a downtown and the community is behind the revitalization and prosperity of both. This will provide the spark for the continued resurgence of Manistee and will serve as a model for other small, aspiring communities throughout the nation.”

Click through to read more. There’s also an interview with Travis Alden on Interlochen Public Radio about plans for the Vogue.

Water Winter Wonderland’s page on the Vogue Theatre has some great photos and a timeline. Michpics favorite Marjorie O’Brien has a photo in her excellent Michigan Theater Project gallery and writes that the Vogue opened in 1938 and was designed by Pereira & Pereira, architects.

See this bigger and check out more views of the theatre and Manistee’s historic downtown in Brandon’s Manistee slideshow.

Just After Sunrise: Lake Superior Ice, A Cautionary Tale

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Just After Sunrise (2)

Just After Sunrise (2), photo by siskokid.

Jim writes that nothing beats the early morning light as it falls on the ice and snow of frozen Lake Superior. He took three shots (#1 and #3) from the beach at Little Girl’s Point in the far western end of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on a very cold Sunday morning in January. The day before this shot was taken some ice fishermen found out the hard way how capricious Superior’s ice can be. Sam Cook’s story begins:

For an hour and a half, Skip Wick had been trying to stay upright on a chunk of ice in Lake Superior’s 8-foot swells.

The 80-year-old ice angler, stranded on the lake Saturday after big waves undermined the ice in Saxon Harbor east of Ashland, knew his options were limited.

“As I was standing there, the ice kept breaking up,” said Wick, a retired shop teacher from Hurley, Wis. “There was a big roar, like a jet going over, and here would come a wave.”

The roar was the sound of the waves, later estimated by Ashland firefighters at 8 to 12 feet, lifting and grinding chunks of ice as far as Wick could see. The chunk he was on was about as long and wide as a car, he said.

If you read on, you will learn how they were eventually rescued with an air boat, or wind sled, called an Ice Angel. Many who challenge Superior or any of the Great Lakes in wintertime are less luck.

Check this out background big and in Jim’s massive Lake Superior slideshow.

While this might seem like the ice goes on forever, as you can see from the satellite view, it barely dents the lake! More winter wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.

An old couple at the Thoreson Farm

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Untitled, photo by jenny murray.

The Thoreson Farm page at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore says that the

John Thoreson and Ingeborg Sakariasdatte emigrated from Norway in 1877. Although they crossed the Atlantic on the same boat, family lore has it that they never really met on the boat. Ingeborg resided with the higher-priced ticket-holders, while John remained below deck with the lower-fare travelers. They first settled in Suttons Bay, and arrived in Port Oneida in 1880. The family initially rented the Kelderhouse/Baker farm until 1883, when they moved to Minnesota for one year. After returning to Port Oneida, they rented the old Burfiend house. Around 1900, along with their sons Ole and Fred, they built their farm on 160 acres of land purchased from the Andersons…

The Thoresons operated a general farm with livestock, small grains, and hay. With 75 trees, they were the first Port Oneida farm to raise cherries for market. They also owned sheep, pigs, chickens, and a few dairy cattle.

You can see some more photos of the farm (including a volunteer working on these buildings) at Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear.

Check this out bigger and in Jenny’s Holga slideshow.