NOAA’s Michigan 2024-2025 Winter Outlook

Posted on by farlane
Chill Out by PeeblesPair

Chill Out by PeeblesPair

I’ve been hanging onto this post so long I was worried we’d have snow before I shared it!! The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released their seasonal outlook for Winter 2024-2025 which says (in part):

This winter, NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions for the entire northern tier of the continental U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, along with northern and western Alaska.

“This winter, an emerging La Nina is anticipated to influence the upcoming winter patterns, especially our precipitation predictions,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center. La Nina conditions are expected to develop later this fall and typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier.

Rae took this photo at Point Betsie Lighthouse on January 1st of this year. Follow her on Flickr & on Instagram for more!

The 2024-2025 U.S. Winter Outlook map for temperature shows the greatest chances for cooler-than-average conditions in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. (Image credit: NOAA)

The 2024-2025 U.S. Winter Outlook map for precipitation shows wetter-than-average conditions are most likely across the Great Lakes region of the U.S.. Drier-than-average conditions are forecast for parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast. (Image credit: NOAA)

The 2024-2025 U.S. Winter Outlook map for precipitation shows wetter-than-average conditions are most likely across the Great Lakes region of the U.S.. Drier-than-average conditions are forecast for parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast. (Image credit: NOAA)

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Look out, it’s Deer Season in Michigan!

Posted on by farlane
Wheat Bucks by Andrew I

Wheat Bucks by Andrew I

Michigan Firearm Deer Season started today and runs through November 30th. It’s definitely a time for bright orange outdoors & to know whether or not the place you’re walking is open to hunting.

Back in 2008, Andrew caught this relatable picture of two young bucks in summer velvet watching a doe & this one of a velvetless buck in fall. See more in Andrew’s Whitetailed Deer gallery on Flickr.

The “velvet” on antlers is a fine layer of hairs that help the buck sense branches & other things that might bruise the antler while it is growing. Here’s another pic from Andrew of a velvetless stag in the fall!

No Velvet by Andrew I

No Velvet by Andrew I

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Under the Sign of the Lion

Posted on by farlane

Aurora Fireball by Ross Ellet

I featured this photo 8 years again, but with the incredible run of northern lights we’ve been having and the massive spike in interest in getting out under the night sky coupled with the rise of the Detroit Lions as an NFL superpower, it’s a great time to bring back this feature from Space.com on How to Watch the Leonids Meteor Shower:

The Leonid meteor shower will be active from Nov. 3 to Dec. 2 this year and will peak overnight from Nov. 17 to 18. The Leonids are produced when Earth passes through the debris left behind by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle during its highly elliptical orbit around the sun every 33 years. The Leonids are considered some of the fastest meteors, zipping through the sky at 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second, according to NASA. They can also result in impressive fireballs producing long, bright and colorful meteor streaks.

The Leonids’ radiant is located in the sickle-shaped head of the constellation Leo, the lion. Leonid meteor hunting can be incredible, or a total bust. It all depends on where its parent body, Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, will be in its orbit and the kind of debris clumps that will be around when our planet passes through this comet’s orbit. The Leonids put on big shows in 1966, 1999 and 2001, according to AMS, when the comet was making its closest approach to the sun. It will be several years until observers get a big show from the Leonids.

Ross took this photo ten years ago in late September of 2014 and shared:

The sky was cloudy most of the night, but at 3:30am there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We made our way to the lakeshore and sure enough the northern lights were dim on the northern horizon. At one point you could hear the howl of a distant wolf pack while the northern lights were out. Then moments later a slow move fireball flashed across the sky. It lasted a couple seconds and the brightness pulsed as it moved through the atmosphere. After that the aurora faded, but several more meteors (some very bright) streaked above us.

Ssee more in his Porcupine Mtns gallery on Flickr, and definitely check out Ross Ellet’s Picturesque Adventures for much more!!

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Crowdsourcing the UFO Enigma

Posted on by farlane

UFO Leaving Henderson Castle by William Dolak

Axios Detroit takes a nice look at an app for UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) & UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon) reporting developed by Enigma Labs. The artificial intelligence app generates a score as to the likelihood that user-submitted photos are something truly unidentifiable or just a plane, satellite or other known object (hint: most of these are the deeply freaky Starlink satellite clusters).

UFO researcher Alejandro Rojas says the app aims to crowdsource as much information as possible because the government typically lacks enough data to study these anomalies. Michiganders have submitted 526 sightings since the app launched last year which is good for 9th most UFO friendly state in the nation. Check the map out below, and if you have an iPhone & want to check it out (or get on the Android waitlist) head over to the Enigma website.

Bill took this photo ten winters ago at Kalamazoo’s Henderson Castle. See more in his absolutely massive Kalamazoo, Michigan gallery on Flickr.

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For Liberty and the Union

Posted on by farlane
Soliders and Sailors Monument at Campus Martius Park by Andrew McFarlane

Soliders and Sailors Monument at Campus Martius Park by Andrew McFarlane

For this year’s Veterans Day photo, let me thank all the men & women who gave their service to this nation, especially those who gave their lives, with a couple of my photos of a powerful memorial in Detroit’s Campus Martius Park. There used to be a cool website called Panorama of Old Detroit by Jim Moran:

At the top of this 1871 monument to Civil War veterans is “a colossal personification of Michigan as a semi-civilized Indian queen menacingly brandishing a sword with her right hand and clutching a shield with the left.” (From an 1870’s Michigan History.) …

At the bottom of the granite monument roost four bronze eagles. On the next tier are four figures representing the miltary services: Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, and Marine. Bronzed medallions of Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, and Farragut are spaced between. And, just below the figure of Michigan are four allegorical figures representing Victory, Union, Emancipation, and History.

The plaque on the monument reads Erected by the people of Michigan in honor of the martyrs who fell and the heroes who fought in defence of Liberty and Union. The monument was moved several hundred feet from its original location to Campus Martius Park in 2005.

Other side of the Soliders and Sailors Monument by Andrew McFarlane

Other side of the Soliders and Sailors Monument by Andrew McFarlane

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Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

Posted on by farlane

“Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”

It’s November 10th again, which means that for the 48th year straight year I have Gordon Lightfoot’s legendary ballad to the Witch of November on repeat. My absolute favorite version of the song (as many of you know probably all too wdell) is this version that Joseph Fulton created way back in 2009. Given YouTube’s ruthlessness on music copyright, I have to assume that Lightfoot blessed this because from the moment Harry Reasoner begins speaking, who wouldn’t?

You can join the 49th annual Great Lakes Memorial Service, a remembrance of the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald in person at Mariners’ Church in downtown Detroit or on their YouTube livestream at 11am today. On November 11, 1975 they rang their church bell 29 times in honor of all the sailors that lost their lives due to the wreck of the S.S. Edmund FItzgerald. They do it every year, and the beloved service also commemorates all sailors who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes.

Here are a couple of photos I took recently of the beautiful stained glass and the historical marker at Mariners’ Church which is between Hart Plaza and the Renaissance Center on the riverfront in downtown Detroit. Lots more about the Edmund Fitzgerald on Michigan in Pictures!

Stained Glass Windows at Mariners Church in Detroit
Mariners Church Detroit Historical Marker
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Waugashaunce Point Trail in Wilderness State Park

Posted on by farlane
Waugoshance Point by Jim Sorbie

Waugoshance Point by Jim Sorbie

I’m going to try to share more posts about great Michigan trails & hikes that are a little off the beaten path. If you have a favorite, share it in the comments! DWHIKES has the 411 on Waugashaunce Point Trail in Wilderness State Park north of Petoskey on Lake Michigan is a great trail that is DEFINITELY off the beaten path:

Waugoshance Point is easy to spot on a map, just look for the large peninsula jutting out from the northwestern corner of the lower peninsula: that’s it. If only for that reason it was an attractive place to want to take a hike. An added bonus was the fact that it marks the western end of the Mackinac Straits amidst three remote lighthouses and is completely devoid of trails. I simply couldn’t come up with a reason NOT to go.

Waugoshance Point is truly spectacular in the summer when the rock beaches are home to a myriad of waterfowl and a dizzying array of lake shore wildflowers. I just couldn’t wait though. The snow was gone and I needed to get out. The trail head, if there was a trail, is located at the end of Waugoshance Point Road which gives access to the back-country cabins of Wilderness State Park. From there I’d trust my topo-map to guide me along the shore out to the point. Though there are no hills or cliffs to speak of the area turned out to be quite diverse and beautiful, as you’ll see…

Here’s a great aerial photo by Jim – see more in his From the Air gallery on Flickr which also includes another view of the Point from August of 2022.

Shades of Blue .. Waugoshance Pt by Jim Sorbie

Shades of Blue .. Waugoshance Pt by Jim Sorbie

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Mist over the Straits of Mackinac

Posted on by farlane
Mackinac Bridge in Fog by Joe Lieghio

Mackinac Bridge in Fog by Joe Lieghio

Joe got these great shots on October 31st of the Mackinac Bridge and a freighter & shared them saying “Mackinaw City has a ghost ship for Halloween!” You can see more of his pics & those of others in the Mackinaw City, Michigan group that he manages on Facebook.

Freighter in the Straits of Mackinac in Fog by Joe Lieghio

Freighter in the Straits of Mackinac in Fog by Joe Lieghio

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Waterfall Wednesday: Over Tahquamenon Falls Edition

Posted on by farlane
Over Tahquamenon Falls by Gary Ennis

Over Tahquamenon Falls by Gary Ennis

9 years ago I shared some photos of kayaking legend Marcelo Galizio plunging over Tahquamenon Falls. I was surprised to learn he had done it previously & even more surprised that he’d done it 19 times since 2012! The Newberry News shares in part:

Believe it or not, it’s legal. Water is in the public domain, and Galizio has a right to be there. What he does is highly unrecommended, however, even by Galizio.

Galizio is a professional kayaker, and he takes on these adventures for a living. He only performs a drop if the conditions prove themselves to be right, and only after his team is in place to assist. That includes a safety person waiting in a kayak downstream from the falls, a drone operator, and a camera person.

“I usually come back to the surface upside down,” he said. When that happens, he rights himself quickly, and no water gets inside his kayak.

…Eric Johnson, lead ranger for the park, has been with the park for 18 years and has concerns about activities like these. “I have the fear that it might get a copy cat attempt by somebody that’s not a professional waterfalls kayaker,” Johnson said.

Gary witnessed the team in action & wrote “Trust and team work! The work between these 2 is unreal… It was awesome to see how well – just amazing!” Click for more pics from the drop (use the right arrow to advance), and see more photos from Gary on his Facebook.

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Time to Vote, Michigan!

Posted on by farlane
Did you? by Meghan

did you? (vote) by Meghan

“Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.”
-Sydney J. Harris

We’ve finally reached the end of the wildest campaign since at least 1972. Polls are open til 8pm, and I hope that you if you haven’t already voted, that you can take the time to cast your ballot on your way out of the maelstrom of ads, flyers, signs & anger. It’s clear that no matter who wins, we will have some deep issues to work through as a nation. Here’s hoping that we can come together around our love of being healthy & alive to build something that works for more Americans instead of simply creating richer billionaires.

Meghan shared this photo back in 2016. She has since closed her Flickr account so I don’t have a link for you … except to Michigan.gov/vote where you can preview your local ballot!

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