As we head into the heart of summer and frankly quite a lot of uncertainty as to where our nation is headed, I thought that summertime is a perfect time to look to the children in our lives for a reminder of the joy of losing yourself in the moment, if only for a moment. I used to work at a preschool and also did summer programs for kids & was always struck by how much FUN you can have when you let kids take the lead.
To be clear, I’m not advocating ignoring things that concern you, just hoping there’s room for a little bit of sunshine.
I think that Charles is one of the very best at capturing this vibe, so here are two of my favorite portraits that I’ve shared in the past!! See more in his Funky Photos gallery on Flickr.
I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember the July 4, 1976 but boy oh boy did my bike have SO MANY STREAMERS 😅
Robb shares “This was the 4th of July parade in my hometown of Grand Ledge, Michigan, commemorating the Bicentennial. I was standing at the north end ot the town’s main drag, Bridge Street, and I got lucky when I shot this photo, showing four Hueys about to do a flyover of the parade. The Air National Guard field was a few miles down the road, to the left of the photo.”
The West Michigan Tourist Association invites you to participate in their 2024 West Michigan Photo Contest. Prizes include packages from some great businesses & they are looking for traveler photo submissions from the entire west half of Michigan – all the way from the Indiana border to Mackinac Island and into the Upper Peninsula.
“We love getting to see all of the amazing photos from all throughout West Michigan – it’s a highlight of the summer!” said Kaylie Pomper, Marketing Manager. “We love seeing so many different perspectives from the photos shared with us. It’s a great way to see involvement from the communities that make up our beautiful state.”
Pomper also noted that photos do not need to be taken this month in order to submit them to the photo contest. “If you have West Michigan photos from your past visits to the area, we encourage you to enter those as well! West Michigan is photogenic all seasons of the year, so don’t feel that you’re only limited to submitting summer photos.”
All photo entries must be received by July 29th, 2024. Judges will be awarding prizes in the categories of “Beach/Lake Photo; Travelers Exploring Iconic West Michigan Destinations; Downtown Photo; Fairs & Festivals Photo” with an additional prize awarded via public voting by WMTA’s Facebook audience.
Lillian won the public vote last year & shared “I am elated I won the public vote category with the rainbow photo I took just after my Dad passed away. I am so blessed to call this place home. Thank you WMTA for giving me the opportunity and to Mackinac Island for the phenomenal prize package. I know I’ve got an extra angel looking out for me.”
Tom shares that Turnip Rock is a beautiful, wondrous land formation off the coast near Port Austin:
The gigantic stone developed its signature look after millennium of being worn away by waves thumping across its bow. After being separated from the mainland in prehistoric times, Turnip Rock is an island inhabited by some trees and very little else.
Turnip Rock was one of twenty finalists in the 2013 “Seven Wonders of Michigan” contest sponsored by the Detroit Free Press and the Lansing State Journal, but it wasn’t selected as one of the final ten.
Michigan families should enjoy them while they can, says Ben Pfeiffer, founder of the nonprofit organization Firefly Conservation & Research, who projects a continued decline in the bugs. The numbers seen in Michigan skies this summer, Pfeiffer warns, are “likely the best that it’s ever going to be.”
This summer’s lightning bug explosion is a result of drought-like weather preceded by warmer Spring conditions. This matured larvae into adult fireflies earlier. It’s during the adult stage, which lasts about two months, that fireflies show off their distinctive bioluminescence.
The long-term decrease in the firefly population is caused by an increase in light pollution and pesticide use. Fireflies mate through glow patterns and require a dark environment. Bright white LED light interrupts the fireflies’ ability to see each other. Pesticides used outside, especially in soil, to kill insects like spiders or beetles can harm fireflies as well.
Jamelah shared this photo waaaaay back in 2005 & I thought it a great one to bring back. She wrote “I think deep down I’m still 5, because last night I had an incredible amount of fun catching fireflies,” and honestly SAME every time I do it!! See more in her Summer gallery on Flickr & read/see her work at Jamelah.net.
John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt. Everett Townsend and Walter Fry. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Proenneke, and Ansel Adams. Since the inception of the national parks in the late 1800s, the men who carried the banner of wilderness preservation also wrote the history of their movement, often missing the crucial role women played in protecting America’s wilderness from the Industrial Revolution and the raw material extraction that revolution demanded.
At Isle Royale National Park, the lower 48’s least visited but most revisited national park, an all-women team of park rangers reminds us that all it takes to work in nature is a passion for conservation and a love for the outdoors.
“It wasn’t intentional at all,” says Katie Keller, lead ranger at Isle Royale, when we inquired about how the team came to be. “Hiring for the parks is different every year. So we were just as surprised as the visitors when we had all-women rangers two years in a row.”
As you can see from the weather radar, a powerful summer storm has been rocking & rolling its way across the state this morning leaving cooler temps in its wake. Hoping you’re staying safe & dry!
Ethan got this double stroke of lightning on Sunday just before a storm dumped buckets of rain. Follow him on Facebook at Captures By Ethan and view & purchase his work on his website.
Just like back in 2016 when Ken took this photo of the full moon over Sleeping Bear Bay, we will once again be staring at a big & beautifully full Strawberry Moon close to the summer solstice. According to the Farmer’s Almanac who popularized moon names in the 1930s, “strawberry moon” comes from the Native Algonquian tribes who lived in the northeastern US. The Ojibwe, Dakota & Lakota marked it as the full moon to be harvesting wild strawberries.
European names include the Honey Moon and the Mead Moon. Since June is named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno, you gotta believe this is where honeymoon comes from!! This year the moon will be full at 9:08pm tonight (Friday, June 21st).
Michigan in Pictures 