Celebrating the Southward Equinox

Posted on by farlane
Celebrating the Equinox by Heather Higham

Celebrating the Equinox by Heather Higham

The autumnal equinox takes place tonight at 8:04 pm. NASA urges us to Embrace the Equinox, sharing that the word “equinox” originates from Latin, and translates to equal (equi-) night (-nox):

The equinox marks the exact moment when the center of the Sun crosses the plane of our planet’s equator. The day of an equinox, observers at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon. After the March equinox, observers anywhere on Earth will see the Sun’s path in the sky continue its movement further north every day until the June solstice, after which it begins traveling south. The Sun crosses the equatorial plane again during the September equinox, and continues traveling south until the December solstice, when it heads back north once again. This movement is why some refer to the March equinox as the northward equinox and the September equinox as the southward equinox.

Heather shared this photo waaaaay back in 2014. Follow @SnapHappyGal on Instagram and view & purchase her work on her website!

Lots more in the equinox archive on Michigan in Pictures.

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Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls

Posted on by farlane
Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls by Etzel Noble

Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls by Etzel Noble

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” ― Jim Bishop

Etzel shared this back in fall of 2019. See more in his Fall/Autumn gallery on Flickr.

Lots more Tahquamenon Falls & lots more Michigan fall photos on Michigan in Pictures.

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Michigan Supreme Court ruling blocks Line 5 pipeline

Posted on by farlane
Pyramid Silhouette by Andrew L McFarlane

Pyramid Silhouette by Andrew L McFarlane

“Yesterday, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that state regulators failed to fully consider the environmental impacts of Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel. This was a landmark victory for Tribal nations across the area thanks to the hard work of Earthjustice and the Native American Rights Fund along with the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

“The Sault Tribe firmly believes that culturally and environmentally, there should be no oil pipeline underneath the Straits of Mackinac. We applaud our sister tribes for challenging the state’s permitting system.” -Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Chairman Austin Lowes

I would like to applaud all five Tribal nations for standing up on behalf of the waters & people of Michigan. You can read about the details of the 58-page ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court to vacate a key permit for the Line 5 pipeline across the Straits of Mackinac on environmental grounds in Bridge Magazine. I’ve also included some informative images & a simulation of a spill from the good people at Oil & Water Don’t Mix who have been fighting this extremely risky pipeline.

Today’s photo is one that I took of my daughter on Pyramid Point in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore back in 2005. You can see Lake Michigan & North Manitou Island in the background. I decided to use my own photo because this issue is intensely personal for me given how much of my life has revolved around the Lake Michigan half of the world’s greatest lake. Relaxation, wonder, income, peace – I love this mighty lake and feel so blessed to have the Native people of this land standing strong to fight for it. Feel free to share a photo in the comments below of why you love Lake Michigan/Huron!

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Gateway to Michigan’s 2000-mile Iron Belle Trail

Posted on by farlane
Belle Isle by charles hildebrandt

Belle Isle by charles hildebrandt

The 2000-mile+ Iron Belle Trail from Detroit to Ironwood, Michigan is the longest state-designated trail in the United States. The trail winds through over half of Michigan’s counties and is unique in that it has two routes: a biking route that travels along the eastern side of the state using existing bike paths, lanes, and designated routes; and a hiking route that follows the western side of the Lower Peninsula, incorporating sidewalks, trails and a significant portion of the North Country National Scenic Trail. If you click the link to the State of Michigan, they have a map of both sections of the Iron Bell Trail trail and their status!

FF Journal shares the sculpture stands on Belle Isle as the southern gateway of the Iron Belle Trail and is called One World Under Michigan Stars. The 25′ diameter sculpture steel sculpture weighs 8 tons and was created at Detroit Design Center by Erik & Israel Nordin.

Charles took this back in June of 2023. Head over to Flickr for his latest!

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Lighthouse Seeks Volunteers. Purpose: Connection.

Posted on by farlane
Grand Haven Pier Sunset by Kevin Povenz

Grand Haven Pier Sunset by Kevin Povenz

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” – Winston Churchill

A couple of weeks ago I shared the news that the Grand Haven Lighthouse is once again open for tours. That is reportedly going so well that they need the help of volunteers!

The Grand Haven Lighthouse is operated by one manager and a host of volunteers! Our manager, Kyle Roffey is doing an amazing job as is the volunteers that have helped us out so far. But…we don’t have enough volunteers! If you’ve been having fun volunteering, you can sign up for some more. If you have been out to see our Lighthouse and love it so much you’d like to spend more time in it, sign up to volunteer! If you’re someone that volunteers for stuff all the time and is looking for something new to do, sign up to be here with us … Only 4 hour shifts, so it doesn’t take up your whole day. It’s fun and easy! You will get and talk with several hundred people, all smiling cause they are so happy to be there! Please help us if you can! We want to be open all summer, but we can’t do it alone!

If you can, click click to volunteer!

Kevin took this photo way back in the summer of 2011 and speaking of talking to people, along witht he photo he shared, “My wife and two of my daughters camped at the Grand Haven State Park for a few days this week. Had a nice time, lots of sun and sand. I Just love meeting other photographers when you are somewhere taking pictures. Lots of fun! I would of never of gotten this shot if I did not start talking to this other photographer.“

A great reminder that connecting regardless of the pursuit, connecting with your fellow humans can make things better! Connect with Kevin on Flickr or at Kevin Povenz Photos for his latest!

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Grand Haven Lighthouse now open for tours!

Posted on by farlane
Across the Lake by Gary Syrba

Across the Lake by Gary Syrba

WOOD-TV shares that the Grand Haven Lighthouse is now open to the public for tours:

After many years of restoration work, the iconic 151-year-old lighthouse that sits at the end of the pier in Grand Haven opened to visitors Tuesday. Crowds passed through to get a look inside what’s known as the foghouse, which was abandoned and boarded up for years.

“I think it’s fabulous. I have volunteered in them before so I’m a big fan of lighthouses and I think it’s fun for people to have the opportunity to see what it was like then,” said visitor Jo Harding, who made the trip from Lansing to take a peek inside. “Too much of America, we tear things down. We don’t preserve them and I think it’s really nice and we actually preserve part of our history,” Harding said.

Amen to that Jo & good on the Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy & their donors for returning this historic beacon to the public! The lighthouse will be open (weather permitting) from 10am – 5pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays.

Gary took this photo a decade ago so you’ll probably want to visit Grand Haven to compare ;) For sure head over to Gary Syrba Photography to view & purchase his work including some tasty shots of Grand Haven!

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Sunrise, Sunset, Solstice

Posted on by farlane
Untitled by Etzel Noble

Lake Erie by Etzel Noble

The summer solstice happened at 4:24 am on Sunday morning, and our friends at EarthSky explain that in addition to heralding the longest days of the year, the longest sunsets of the year happen around the summer & winter solstices:

That is, it takes more seconds for the body of the sun to sink below your western horizon around the solstices, and fewer seconds around the equinoxes. It’s true whether you live in Earth’s Northern or Southern Hemisphere … At more northerly temperate latitudes, the sunset duration is greater; and at latitudes closer to the equator, the sunset duration is less. Near the Arctic Circle (65 degrees north latitude), the duration of a solstice sunset lasts about 15 minutes. At the equator (0 degrees latitude), the solstice sun takes a little over 2 minutes and 15 seconds to set. Regardless of latitude, however, the duration of sunset is always longest at or near the solstices.

As it turns out, the sunset and sunrise are a tad longer on the December solstice than they are on the June solstice. That’s because the sun is closer to Earth in December than it is in June. Therefore, the sun’s disk looms a bit larger in our sky in December, and so it takes slightly longer to set.

Read more in EarthSky & for sure subscribe to their newsletter for all kinds of understanding about what’s up there

I originally shared Etzel’s tasty sunrise photo back on June 22, 2020 a few days after he shared it. Here’s a couple more great shots, but for sure check them all out in his Chasing SunRise/Set gallery on Flickr.

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Grow together for Father’s Day

Posted on by farlane
The Son Dials by Aaron Springer

The Son Dials by Aaron Springer

I want to wish all the dads & grandads out there a very Happy Father’s Day this weekend!

Aaron shared this photo 11 years ago saying “There are a few places I am drawn to again and again, this being one of them. Having spent a great Fathers Day with my dad, I felt like capping the day off with a visit to a place that has struck me with a sense of family in one way or another with every visit. A small tribute to a man that casts a long beautiful shadow himself.“

See more on Flickr in Aaron’s showcase.

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Grand Haven After Burn

Posted on by farlane
Grand Haven After Burn by SG Captures

Grand Haven After Burn by SG Captures

Sarah shares that Sometimes, the actual sunset itself isn’t terribly ‘earth shattering’….but the after burn sure is! Such as the case last evening, when the sky erupted into the most brilliant of vibrant color! I also hit the jackpot with the outer pier being beautifully covered in what remained of melted snow and ice!

Regrettably she learned too late something that any digital photographer fears – all of her images from last night had been inadvertently saved as JPEGs 🫤 Still, it’s a dynamite shot! Head over to her Facebook or Instagram for her latest, and view & purchase her work on her website.

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Sun Pillar vs Sun Pillar

Posted on by farlane

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!

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