Bald Eagle Cam by Spring Lake Township
Spring Lake Township’s Eagle Camera is officially up and running on YouTube, offering you a chance to watch a pair of local eagles in real time as they nest, soar, and raise their young! One of the eagles was sitting on the branch looking the other way right before I shared this so be sure to tune in!
If you’d like to tune in on the discussion & see some dynamite closeups by Suzi Hackney Mccabe, head over to Visit Grand Haven.
Seven Wonders of the (Michigan) World by Pure Memeigan
If I’m in the mood for humorous posts about Michigan, there’s really only place to set your compass for: Pure Memeigan. While the posts aren’t always “safe for work” they are almost always hilariously on target with topics like “Grand Hotel Caretaker Jack Torrance & Family Missing Since January” & (on Instagram) “Michiganders carrying Team USA on Their Back“.
Their latest post is one I have long wanted to make: The Seven Wonders of the (Michigan) World. I will add links to posts about these when/if I make them, and obviously you are encouraged to add your opinion on the wonders selected & missed in the comments here or on Pure Memeigan’s FB post!
NOTE: I didn’t name the wonders in Sterling Heights & Ypsi – take that up with the locals! Also, I will be doing a Seven Natural Wonders of Michigan post, so save those for later.
Root Beer Falls by David Hedquist
The Waterfall Record shares that Root Beer Falls:
…is not tall, only about 6′ tall. But it’s really cool and also easy to get to. The name of the falls comes from the color of the creek water. In the Upper Peninsula, many waterfalls like Tahquamenon Falls take on this color and it’s because of tannins, the chemical compounds that are also found in wine (especially red wine), tea, and coffee. Tannins give those and other things a bitter/astringent flavor or mouth-feel and different colors. (I’m a chemist, and I just think tannins are cool, so I felt like including it here!) The tannins here give the water a “root beer” color, hence the name.
The author adds that the directions to this waterfall off US-2 near Wakefield can be tricky so click through for more. Like many Michiganders, I grew up thinking that Tahquamenon Falls was “Rootbeer Falls”, so it was definitely a surprise to learn of the existence of an actual Root Beer Falls ten years ago this morning when searching for waterfall photos the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr.
David is the author of Waterfalling in Wisconsin. For sure follow his Facebook page and see more photos & a couple videos in his Root Beer Falls gallery on Flickr.
Let’s close with a gorgeous 4k video of Root Beer Falls by Douglas Felton. He has over 200 waterfall videos on his YouTube channel, so we will certainly check back in with him!
Last Friday, my Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr crossed a major milestone when Mark Smith added the 300,000th photo to the group! I created the group 20 years ago to support my Absolute Michigan supersite which was regrettably demolished by the Pure Michigan campaign. Regrets aside, the group remains an incredible place for seeing images from every corner of the Great Lakes State taken by nearly 4000 members (3,930 to be exact). From Alanson to Midland to Zeeland you can find photos of parks, parties, & people enjoying everything Michigan has to offer.
If you’re a photographer on Flickr & would like to share your photos, check out this group topic for the details! Also consider joining our Michigan in Pictures Group on Facebook!
Here are a few more shots from Mark’s excellent Barn gallery on Flickr . For sure click through to see them all & head over to Leelanau Landscapes view & purchase his work!
Blood Moon over Grand Haven by Randy Riksen Photography
The Detroit Free Press shares that Michigan’s chances of viewing the “Blood Moon” eclipse early tomorrow morning will depend on the weather:
The “blood moon” eclipse takes place during March’s full moon, which will occur in the early morning of Tuesday, March 3. The full moon’s peak and eclipse’s totality to coincide at 6:38 a.m., according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Clear skies permitting, the Worm Moon could be visible for part of the eclipse in Michigan, with the moon to set for local viewers during totality.
Our friends over at EarthSky explain that total eclipses can turn the moon a deep shade of red, and have lots more detail about viewing. They explain why this eclipse called a Blood Moon eclipse and that the shade of red on the moon will depend mostly on what’s happening in Earth’s atmosphere at the moment of the eclipse.
Randy took this photo of the October 2014 total lunar eclipse over the Grand Haven South Pierhead Lighthouse and says that keeping the camera still enough in the howling wind was a chore in itself!! View & purchase his work including some killer fishing photos on his website.
Lots more solar & lunar eclipse photos on Michigan in Pictures!
Ghost Apple on Fruit Ridge by Andrew Sietsema
Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery shared this photo taken several years ago by Andrew Sietsma on West Michigan’s Fruit Ridge, asking Ever seen a Ghost Apple?
This rare winter phenomenon was captured in the Fruit Ridge area of Kent County, Michigan when freezing rain coated apples still hanging on the trees. The fruit eventually fell away, leaving behind these wild, hollow ice apples ❄️ Moments like this are uncommon, these photos were taken several years ago during just the right conditions 🧊🍎
I confess that even though I grew up surrounded by orchards that I have not, and it is extremely cool! Here are a couple more shots from Robinette’s Facebook post!
Bridge Michigan shares that Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall is proposing a 6% sales tax on luxury services to pay for a cumulative $5 billion dollar tax overhaul and utility rate rollback plan:
Among the services Hall, R-Richland Township, is proposing to tax: Limousines, country club memberships, tourist services, skiing, golf, artificial intelligence services, performing arts, private jets, environmental consulting, newspaper publishing, marinas and political ads.
Those proposed service taxes, as first reported by WLNS-TV in Lansing, could generate roughly $4.73 billion in state revenue, nearly offsetting $5 billion tax overhaul he proposed earlier this month, including elimination of the State Education Tax, real estate transfer tax and remaining personal property taxes.
You can click through to see if bowling is one of the included services.
Wes shared this photo of Luxury Lanes in Ferndale way back in 2009. See more in his Canon 30D gallery on Flickr.
Sun Pillars by Stephen Michael Mannina
Atmospheric Optics explains that the mesmerizing solar phenomena known as sun pillars are:
…Typically visible near sunset or sunrise, pillars can reach heights of 5 to 10 degrees, and occasionally even higher. While they may appear as vertical rays, they are actually the collective glints of millions of ice crystals. When it comes to colors, pillars are truly a sight to behold. They take on hues that reflect the sun and surrounding clouds, ranging from brilliant white to various shades of yellow, red, or purple. Depending on the locations of the cloud crystals, pillars can even manifest as several vertically strung patches of light. As the light interacts with the ice crystals in the atmosphere, it creates a stunning display that captivates observers.
Yesterday morning, I came across this photo by Stephen right before I saw him making a positive comment on a photo that Sean – the photographer I featured yesterday – had taken. This was soon after I had seen photos Neil Weaver had taken at an ice cave photography workshop along with fellow Michpics photographer Aubrieta Hope. It made me realize that a huge and underrated part of Michigan in Pictures is the community of real live human beings that are as passionate about their fellow photographers as they are about introducing people to their favorite parts of Michigan. That’s a long way of saying that I am going to be working on ways to showcase the people out there clicking the shutter. One way will be to revive the Michigan Photographer Profiles with a focus on the photographers on my Michigan Photographers page. Stay tuned!!
Thanks to Stephen for allowing me to share both of these awesome sun pillar shots. He’s facing a problem that many photographers face: figuring out which of these two photos is the best to submit for a photography contest? Have a vote? Share it in the comments below or on his Facebook post and for sure view & purchase his work on his website!
Fire and Ice by Snappd by Sean Photography
Snappd by Sean Photography is one of my favorite follows on Facebook because in addition to great shots like this, he also maintains a lively back and forth with his fans. If you have become as exhausted as I am by the stream of AI fakes & stolen photographs that has taken over social media, let me suggest that you follow him and some of the other real live photographers on my Michigan Photographers page. In addition to taking views (and money) away from pixel grifters, you will be supporting the fine men & women who are out there taking the actual photographs that are being ripped off!
Sean is a Detroit-based photographer, birdwatcher & UAV drone pilot. He took this last month from Belle Isle in the Detroit River. You can see what he’s up to today on Facebook and follow him on Instagram as well!
Crystal Blue Persuasion by Sheen Watkins Photography
Sheen captured the crystal blue of the ice with a bit of pastel sky thrown in on the Straits of Mackinac over the weekend. Head over to her Facebook page for the latest including a tasty shot of the mighty Mackinac Bridge with the same sky & for sure check out her website for more work!
Michigan in Pictures 