Autumn’s Rainbow: the colors of fall

Posted on by farlane

Fall Color by Bob Gudas

Fall color is really starting to come on in Michigan, and the US Forest service shares that there are three pigments in the palette of autumn color:

Chlorophyll: Gives leaves a basic green color. It is necessary for photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables plants to use sunlight to manufacture sugars for food.

Carotenoids: Produces yellow, orange, and brown colors in such things as corn, carrots, and daffodils, as well as rutabagas, buttercups, and bananas.

Anthocyanin: Gives color to such familiar things as cranberries, red apples, concord grapes, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums. They are water soluble and appear in the watery liquid of leaf cells.

Certain colors are characteristic of particular species, and the color of maples leaves differ species by species:

  • Oaks: red, brown, or russet
  • Hickories: golden bronze
  • Aspen and yellow-poplar: golden yellow
  • Dogwood: purplish red
  • Beech: light tan
  • Sourwood and black tupelo: crimson
  • Red maple: brilliant scarlet
  • Sugar maple: orange-red
  • Black maple: glowing yellow
  • Striped maple: almost colorless

Read on for lots more!

Bob took this shot of fall color at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula back in October of 2011. See more in his Explore gallery and for sure view & purchase his work on his website!

More fall color on Michigan in Pictures!

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The Detroit Tigers are October Ready 😤

Posted on by farlane

October Ready 😤 by Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are the hottest team in baseball, ending the season on a 31-13 run and baseball’s best pitcher in Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal (leader in wins, strikeouts & ERA) throwing in the opener vs the Houston Astros today at 2:32pm.

If you are in Detroit, you can watch the game live at Comerica Park with fellow fans for just $5! And if you want one of these sweet shirts, you know MLB will sell you one.

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Lake Michigan Salmon vs Homestead Dam

Posted on by farlane
Overcoming Obstacles by SueFi Photography

Overcoming Obstacles by SueFi Photography

NOTE: This could very well be a steelhead, but salmon season is ON

American Boating shares that the Lake Michigan salmon run – when adult salmon return to the river of their birth to lay eggs – occurs every fall:

There is no set start date, but you can usually start to see fish in the river in early September, and expect the run to be pretty much done by the end of October. A lot of this depends on the weather. A lack of rain and/or warm weather can make the run start later, and extra rain with cooler temperatures can cause the run to start a little earlier. I guess it all depends on when the fall rains and cooler temperatures hit the area. If you go to the rivers during September and October you are going to eventually find fish, it’s just a matter of timing it to catch the big run.

It’s pretty cool to watch too! The Betsie River salmon fishing group on Facebook confirms that the 2024 salmon run is well underway!

Sue caught this great pic of a salmon following its instincts as it attempts to surmount Homestead Dam in Benzie County, relying on its “inner knowing” and putting all focus and energy to making its way upstream! For sure follow her at SueFi Photography on Facebook for more!!

More fish & fishing on Michigan in Pictures.

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Getting ready for spooky season in Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Boyne City Witches Paddle by Julie A. Christiansen

I’ve been having a lot of fun with Michpics lately, especially seeing all the photos in the Facebook group which I encourage you to join. As we head into October, some upcoming features for spooky season on Michigan in Pictures include weird tales, haunted destinations, and general Halloween fun from across the Great Lakes State. I’d really like for all of you to be a part of it, so please share your favorite mysteries of Michigan in the comments or on the Michigan in Pictures Facebook!

Julie took these photos earlier this week at the Petoskey Ladies Stand-up Paddleboard Group’s Witches Paddle on Lake Charlevoix in Boyne City. You can (and should) click the pics for lots more & for sure follow Julie on Facebook for great shots from Boyne Country!

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Feelin’ ducky … and historically dry

Posted on by farlane

Feelin ducky by Linda Schaub

Linda is one of Michigan in Pictures’ biggest fans and yesterday she dropped the fact that much of Michigan was facing what could be the driest September since we started keeping records in 1877 until recently! mLive shared that although September 2024 remains historically dry, the rain of the last few days is helping to combat the drought.

Linda shared this photo along with several others on her latest Wordless Wednesday post. Follow her blog Walkin’, Writin’, Wit & Whimsey for more!

Also I am of course very happy to add the latest photo the Michigan in Pictures Duckie Project, a decade-spanning chronicle of our feathered, floating friends!

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The Boys of Summer: Waterfall Edition

Posted on by farlane
Bond Falls by Gowtham

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!

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Earth to get an extra moon on Sunday!

Posted on by farlane

He leads me beside the still waters… by Kathy

CNN shares that the Earth will (briefly) be getting a “mini-moon” on Sunday:

The newly discovered asteroid, named 2024 PT5, will temporarily be captured by Earth’s gravity and orbit our world from September 29 to November 25, according to astronomers. Then, the space rock will return to a heliocentric orbit, which is an orbit around the sun.

…The space rock could be anywhere between 16 and 138 feet (5 and 42 meters) in diameter, potentially larger than the asteroid that entered Earth’s atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013 … But as a mini-moon, Asteroid 2024 PT5 isn’t in any danger of colliding with Earth now or over the next few decades, de la Fuente Marcos said. The space rock will orbit about 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers) away, or about 10 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

Kathie shares that Thumb Lake in Charlevoix County was foggy and lovely when she took this back in October of 2009. See more in her Top 40 gallery on Flickr. Also I get that we’re all worked up about AI, but please look at the 2009 date of the photo ;)

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Stevie Wonder coming to Detroit & Grand Rapids

Posted on by farlane

Stevie Wonder Mural Detroit by Andrew McFarlane

mLive shares that Motown great and 25-time Grammy winner Stevie Wonder will be doing a pair of October concerts in Grand Rapids and Detroit, one at Little Caesars Arena in the Motor City on Tuesday, October 22, and the other at Van Andel Arena in GR on Wednesday, October 30. Tickets went on sale Friday – click those links before they’re gone!

The Detroit Free Press shares that the Stevie Wonder mural in downtown Detroit was finished in 2019 by London-based artist Richard Wilson who paid for the mural out of his own pocket!

Visible from Brush Street on the south-facing wall of the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Wilson’s portrait spans roughly 8,000 square feet and is large enough to be seen by an airplane passing overhead. “For me, he’s the greatest living singer, songwriter and musician,” said the 45-year-old Wilson. “In 300 years, I’m sure he’ll be looked (at) as a Beethoven, Mozart, Bach — that kind of epic influence on humanity.

This is another one of my pics. A couple ways you can support me are to subscribe to the Michigan in Pictures Facebook (and join the group) and for sure to toss me a couple bucks on Patreon!

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Flipping into the future

Posted on by farlane

Wheel in the Sky by Andrew McFarlane

Seven years ago I stepped away from Michigan in Pictures to give myself more time to focus on paying the bills and also getting out & enjoying Michigan. The pandemic lockdown drew me back, and now that I live in Detroit I find that my daily Michigan in Pictures keeps my mind happily roaming this state that I love even when I can’t get there in real life! I’m working on some fun ideas for the fall including a lot of Michigan spooky stuff so stay tuned!

I took this photo of my daughter doing a cartwheel in Sleeping Bear Dunes 20 years ago, but it’s still one of my favorites! While I don’t have a photography site I can send you to, I for sure appreciate those of you who are chipping in a few bucks a month on my Patreon and also those of you who follow Michigan in Pictures on Facebook where I get a little money for being more interesting than AI 😉

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2024 Michigan Whale Migration underway!

Posted on by farlane

Mackinac Bridge Whalewatching Station September 18, 2024

Researchers at the Mackinac Bridge Whalewatching Station (MBWS) have announced that the 2024 Great Lakes Whale Migration is officially underway!

“Warmer temperatures have once again pushed the migration several weeks earlier, but we are seeing great numbers from all species except of course Orcas who just don’t seem to be that into the Great Lakes,” explained MBWS Chief Cetologist Bonnie Beluga. Lots more on the Lake Michigan Whale Migration Station website.

More about Great Lakes whales on Michigan in Pictures.

Hilarious update: Michigan in Pictures is teaching Meta AI about nature!

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