Little Sable Point Starry Night, photo by malderink
“Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.”
― Vincent van Gogh
Big Sable Point yesterday, Little Sable Point today – is there a Medium Sable Point for tomorrow? ;)
View the photo background bigtacular and see more in malderink’s slideshow.
Summer Evening at Big Sable Point Lighthouse, photo by Craig Sterken Photography
This weekend is the 2nd Annual Michigan Lighthouse Festival featuring Big Sable Point Lighthouse’s 150th Anniversary! The festival features lighthouse tours throughout the weekend, a vendor show on Saturday and Sunday, Friday Night dinner with special guest speakers, topped off with Ric Mixter performing “The Storm” on Saturday night.
Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light has some great information about the history of Big Sable Point Lighthouse including an explanation of the light’s unique appearance:
Construction began in early 1867 with the arrival of Lighthouse Board and Army Corps of Engineers workers, who immediately began the construction of a dock at which to unload the necessary supplies for the project. Next, a temporary cofferdam was constructed to keep waster from entering the foundation, which consisted of tightly fitted cut stone blocks beginning a depth of six feet below grade and extending three feet above.
On this sturdy foundation, the skilled masons began to raise the tower. Constructed of cream city brick, the walls were laid five feet thick at the foundation, tapering to a thickness of two feet thick immediately below the gallery. Within the tower, a circular inner wall, eight feet in diameter supported the cast iron spiral staircase. On its’ vertical climb, the stairway passed through three landing areas.
…In 1898, the District Inspector reported that the cream city brick used in constructing the tower was found to be flaking as a result of exposure to the elements, and voiced concern that if left as-is, the integrity of the tower would likely be compromised. This flaking grew so severe, that in 1899 a contract was awarded to the J. G. Wagner Company of Milwaukee to construct the necessary steel plates to encase the tower. The plates were satisfactorily test assembled at the Milwaukee Lighthouse Depot, loaded onto lighthouse tenders and then shipped to Big Sable. With the arrival of the plates, the process of riveting the plates together around the tower, and filling the void between the brick and the plates with cement began. The construction was completed in June 1900 at a total labor and materials cost of $4,925. In order to increase the visibility of the tower during daylight hours, the new cladding was painted white with a contrasting black band around its’ middle third.
View the photo bigger, see more in Craig’s Big Sable Lighthouse slideshow, and view & purchase photos at craigsterken.com.
More Michigan lighthouses on Michigan in Pictures!
Another World Below, photo by Neil Weaver Photography
Yesterday we were above the surface of Lake Superior, so let’s take a look beneath the surface today. Neil writes:
Sandstone formations make an intriguing landscape beneath Superior’s surface – Pictured Rocks NL. I had a lot of fun doing a little underwater photography this past week.
View the photo bigger on Facebook, follow Neil on Facebook for lots more cool photos, and view & purchase more work at NeilWeaverPhotography.com.
Spray Falls, photo by James Eye View Photography
The excellent GoWaterfalling website has an entry for Spray Falls that says in part:
Spray Falls is the remotest, and perhaps the most impressive of the several waterfalls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The 70′ waterfall plunges over the cliffs at Pictured Rocks and lands directly in Lake Superior.
The falls is right on the edge of the cliffs, and the creek has not cut back into the cliffs at all, so it is impossible to view the falls from the front unless you are on the water. The cliffs are sheer for miles in both directions, so there is no way to get near the base of the falls without a watercraft. Lake Superior is too cold for swimming. :)
The Lakeshore Trail passes right over the top of the falls, and you can get right to the brink of the falls. Be careful because the cliffs are undercut and unsafe in many places. About 1/4 mile east of the falls there is a safe lookout point from which you can get a nice, but distant, side view of the falls. There is a sign marking the lookout.
Read on for more including tips on hiking there and other nearby waterfalls. The easiest way to visit is to take the Pictured Rocks Cruise from Munising.
View the photo big as a waterfall, see more in his The Great Lakes slideshow, and follow James Eye View Photography on Facebook!
Back Flipping at Big Star Lake, photo by Cyndie M
Hope you’re finding time between all the eclipses & storms to enjoy summer in Michigan. It will be gone before you know it!!
View Cyndie’s photo background bigtacular and see more in her slideshow.
More summer wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
Binary Eclipse, photo by John A. Gessner Photography
You can check out yesterday’s Eclipse 2017 post for Michigan-specific eclipse times, suggestions and links to livestreams from the eclipse in case clouds get in your way. For all your general eclipse needs, NASA’s Eclipse 2017 website has you covered!
View the photo bigger, see more in John’s Michigan slideshow, and follow John Gessner Photography on Facebook.
The solar eclipse will be visible in Michigan on Monday, Aug 21, 2017 so in the interests of maximal eclipse enjoyment, I’m publishing this special Sunday Michigan in Pictures!
Solar Eclipse May 21st 2012, photo by John Kennedy
The brighter stars and the planets come out. Animals change their behavior. Birds and squirrels nest. Cows return to the barn. Crickets chirp. There is a noticeable drop in both light level and air temperature. It is an eerie feeling. Totality can last for no more than about seven and a half minutes but is usually less than three minutes long.
-National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Tomorrow is the day for the total eclipse, although in Michigan we will see only 70-80% of the sun eclipsed by the moon (less as you move northward) it’s still a rare opportunity. Here’s times for a range of Michigan locations:
NASA’s Eclipse 2017 website is definitely the place to go for all of your eclipse watching & info needs. In addition to the NASA Goddard Instagram feed and an Eclipse 2017 Flickr group where you can share photos from the eclipse with people from all over, there’s…
View the photo background bigtacular and see more in John’s Scenery slideshow.
Into the Sunset, photo by paulh192
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I’m guessing more sunsets and more time on the water with friends & loved ones is a good way to make that happen.
View the photo bigger and see more in Paul’s slideshow.
View the photo background big, see more in Ron’s Up North slideshow, and follow him on Instagram @RonSmith.
More black & white photography & more from Charlevoix on Michigan in Pictures.
Three of Many, photo by smfmi
View the photo from the Poseyville wetland in Midland County bigger and see more in smfmi’s Birds slideshow.
Michigan in Pictures 