Power: Lake Huron

Langell Boys, frozen in the ice on Saginaw Bay. A series of photos from otisourcat showing the efforts to free her from the ice. Ice has long been a power on the Great Lakes that has locked ships in their harbors (or worse) and even come after those on shore.

Silence: Lake Erie

Daryl's photo of the ice on Lake Erie and demonstrates how winter turns our vibrant lakes to beautiful deserts. See more in his winter slideshow. In addition to quieting the waves, ice can provide an opportunity for animals (and crazy people) to get across to places they wouldn't normally be able to. While this guy walked to Canada on purpose, these fishermen went on an impromptu ice ride.

Motion: Lake Michigan

Photographer/videographer Ken Scott assembled some timelapse clips of winter from the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The movement of the water creates some amazing formations like ice bergs, ice volcanoes and things that you can't quite name ... and you haven't really seen a lighthouse until you've seen what ice can do to a Great Lakes Light.

Breakup: Lake Superior

Jim Sisko, a photographer from the Absolute Michigan pool, does an amazing job of chronicling the ice on Lake Superior. After looking at these, it's a little surprising to see in this NOAA satellite image that the hold of winter is even starting to loosen on Lake Superior.

I hope that the fact you can see the Apostle Islands in that satellite photo is justification enough to send you over to check out the sights and sounds from Marlin Ledin's ride to the Apostle Islands across 150 miles of Lake Superior.

Michigan Central Station by MikeRyu

On Saturday about 4000 extra people dropped by Michigan in Pictures. The impetus was a New York Times story on Michigan Central Station. Although the Detroit City Council voted to demolish MCS last year, a massive budget hole, a lawsuit, and new council members who aren't quite as bulldozer-happy:

“I don’t want to bulldoze it, then find out later there could have been a viable use for it,” said Charles Pugh, a newly elected member who took over as Council president in January.

Now preservationists, business owners, state leaders and community activists are taking what feels like a last stab at saving the 97-year-old building before it goes the way of New York’s Pennsylvania Station or, more locally, Tiger Stadium and countless other pieces of old Detroit that have fallen to the wrecking ball in recent years. Among the recent proposals have been to turn the cavernous brick, steel and stone facade into an extreme sports castle; a casino; a hotel and office park; a fish hatchery and aquarium; an amphitheater; or a railway station again, with high-speed trains.

Just Another Sofa on the Streets
of Detroit by Cherie S.

While the story didn't have anything new for people who've been following the sad saga of Detroit's largest ruin other than a link to the Michigan Central Station Preservation Society, it does provide a nice lead-in for another national story. Last week in Examining Data That Would Downsize Detroit, NPR reported that with a quarter of Detroit's 350,000 buildings vacant or in shambles, Mayor Dave Bing wants to reshape the city by getting rid of them and relocating residents who live in desolate neighborhoods, saying it's too expensive to provide city services in areas that are like urban deserts. Bing's proposal is based on data collected by demographer Kurt Metzger, director of Data Driven Detroit, who explains the data:

"We had surveyors go out and actually collect information in every single parcel in the city of Detroit. And just to give you the real quick analysis, we found better than a third of the land - and that's of 139 square miles - we estimate better than a third of the land in the city of Detroit is either vacant land right now or contains buildings that need to be torn down. It's amazing. I mean, New Orleans is about 70 square miles. We're talking that better than 40 square miles, better than half of New Orleans is vacant land.

Now, of course its interspersed around the city, so that's where the issues about going into neighborhoods where there's a lot of vacant land. But a lot of one or two homes still left on streets. These are neighborhoods that are going to have to be gone into and trying to think about how do we start to move people into other areas."

An effort like this was discussed in Flint, but according to an article on mLive that contrasts the response of Flint & Detroit to population crash, Flint is no longer planning to do neighborhood relocation.

You can learn much more about Michigan Central Station on Absolute Michigan and Michigan in Pictures, and check out the Michigan Central Station slideshow from the photographers of the Absolute Michigan pool.

Today's Photo Friday is brought to you in part by Alice in Wonderland.

vintage.carousel (Brooke Hren) has sets including Favorites, Viewfinder and (in a seasonal way) Summer, Autumn and Winter (slideshow)

Splash around in her flickrriver ... and don't be late!

Lost Landscapes of Detroit

If you have a favorite passage ... or wonder what a piece of footage it, post a comment about it with the time where it appears in the film. We're definitely interested in what people can tell us about this collection of Detroit commercials, file footage, ads and video!

t p mann would like you to Ride the Breezeway along Country Rd C48 from US 31 in Atwood through Ellsworth & East Jordan and ending in Boyne Falls. With scenic overlooks, farms, orchards, restaurants, galleries and shops, it's a great motorcycle or bicycle ride.

Check out this photo of a farm near Boyne City bigger and see more in his sets including Favorites, Sunsets and Sites Along the Breezeway (slideshow).

Lake Freighter ducking into Suttons Bay by jsorbieus

The AP's John Flesher takes a look at a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes announced by the Obama Administration on Sunday:

The plan envisions spending more than $2.2 billion for long-awaited repairs after a century of damage to the lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world's fresh water...

"We're committed to creating a new standard of care that will leave the Great Lakes better for the next generation," Jackson said in a statement.

Among the goals is a "zero tolerance policy" toward future invasions by foreign species, including the Asian carp, a huge, ravenous fish that has overrun portions of the Mississippi River system and is threatening to enter Lake Michigan.

Others include cleanup of the region's most heavily polluted sites, restoring wetlands and other crucial habitat, and improving water quality in shallow areas, where runoff from cities and farms has led to unsightly algae blooms and beach closings.

Read the rest of the story in the Traverse City Record-Eagle and get the details on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan from the EPA. You might also enjoy the Great Lakes slideshow from the photographers of the Absolute Michigan pool. For an idea of the challenges the Great Lakes are facing, I urge you to seek out the amazing film Waterlife by Kevin McMahon. Here's the trailer:

abigail burch (Abby Burch) says that she's always loved photography and loves taking pictures of things, places and people she finds interesting with her still relatively new Canon Rebel Xsi .

You can (and should) check this photo of the Muskegon beach out bigger and have a look at her sets including favorites, nature, city, artprize and cottage (slideshow).

Take a dip in her Flickriver.

Event dynamo Michael Moore has teamed up with comedian Jeff Garlin to launch the Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival. The inaugural comedy fest takes place this weekend (February 19-21, 2010) and features and impressive roster of established comedians including Roseanne Barr, John Waters, Whitney Cummings, JB Smoove, Mike Birbiglia along with some up-and-coming comedians, films and associated hoopla. View the schedule of comedians and special events & films and order tickets!

The venues that they use for the annual Traverse City Film Festival will be converted to have a nightclub feel and they'll even be doing free, late night shows in the basement of Horizon Books hosted by Jeff Garlin. They'll also be having a free, outdoor showing of the comedy classic Groundhog Day with special live features. All in all, it's shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind experience for Michigan comedy fans!

You can follow blog posts, #comedytc Twitter posts and other media on the TCFF Blog and on Absolute Michigan's Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival page.

Head over to Absolute Michigan's Traverse City pages to get lodging, dining and other visitor information.

Approaching Spring by mayerdavid1978

Our Michigan event calendar for the month of March features all kinds of signs that spring is just around the corner with some cautious reminders that objects around the corner may be further off than they appear.

Quotes

"March is a tomboy with tousled hair, a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes
and a laugh in her voice." - Hal Borland

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." - Charles Dickens

"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn." - Lewis Grizzard

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush." - Doug Larson

"Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party!" - Robin Williams

Fast Facts
March's birthstone is Aquamarine and Bloodstone. They symbolize courage.

Its birth flower is the Narcissus.

March in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Daylight-Savings time occurs on March 14, 2010, at 2:00 a.m.. Time to spring ahead!

Think spring! The vernal equinox occurs on March 20, 2010 at 1:32 PM EDT.

Things to Do, Places to Go

March 1 - April 30
Foremost's Butterflies Are Blooming - Grand Rapids
Foremost's Butterflies Are Blooming is Meijer Gardens most popular annual exhibition and the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibit in the nation. March 1–April 30, visitors can escape the Michigan winter and mingle with more than 6,000 tropical butterflies flying free in the 15,000-square-foot Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory.

March 4 - 7
Metro Times Blowout - Hamtramck
Metro Times presents the 13th annual BLOWOUT music festival. BLOWOUT showcases over 200 of metro Detroit's most influential, unique and celebrated bands, djs and solo artists. These 200 acts perform at 15 venues over 4 nights creating the largest local music festival in the U.S. Past performers include: Eminem, The White Stripes, The Von Bondies, The Hard Lessons, The Sights, The Go, His Name is Alive, Obie Trice, The Dirtbombs, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Howling Diablos, Paradime, Motor City R&B Pioneers, Blanche, The Detroit Cobras and many more.

March 4 - 7
West Michigan Home & Garden Show - Grand Rapids
West Michigan's largest Home & Garden show is back and better than ever! Over a dozen gardens, three free seminar stages, floral arrangement classes and a standard flower show, plus tons of other attractions you can't miss! With over 350 exhibitors featuring every product and service you'll ever need for your home, garden or landscaping, all under one roof, this is the show to attend!

March 5 - 7
The Michigan Golf Show - Novi
This year marks the 19th anniversary of the largest consumer golf show in the nation.
Come experience the best golf deals in the Midwest. The Michigan Golf Show kicks off the golf season highlighting over 400 exhibitors with great deals on every aspect of the golf game! Retailers! Resorts! Travel Destinations! Over 100 Michigan Golf Courses! And a variety of "hands-on" activities will get you ready for this season.

March 6
Quiet Water Symposium - East Lansing
The Quiet Water Symposium celebrates non-motorized outdoor recreation and a shared concern for our Great Lakes Environment. At the Symposium visitors will find presentations by world famous authors, photographers, and expedition travelers. Other presentations may cover skills, safety, local and distant destinations. There may be presentations on bicycling, sailing, diving, and history.

March 6 & 7
Detroit Kennel Club Benched Dog Shows - Detroit
The DKC is one of just six American Kennel Club benched shows in the United States. The overwhelming majority of dog shows are unbenched, at which dogs are judged at an appointed time, then are free to leave the show grounds. At a benched show such as the DKC, dogs stay on the bench with their owners for the entire day when they are not in the ring. This means that the public has a rare opportunity to meet with just about every breed of dog, chat with the owners, and consult with breeders to discover which breed is right for them. Since almost everyone loves to talk about his or her dog, breeders are more than happy to share information with those interested in their particular breed. And almost all of the dogs enjoy the extra attention they receive from the spectators.

March 13
Annual Great Bear Chase Ski Marathon - Calumet
A laid-back, skier-oriented weekend in Calumet on the beautiful Keewanau Peninsula. You can choose between 26-km and 50km distances including a separate category for 26-km classic skiers. The Junior Bear Chase is a youth Nordic ski race for skiiers up to 16-years-old.

March 13
Brew-Ski Festival - Harbor Springs
Suds and snow. Is there a better combination? Our first annual Brew-Ski Festival features 100+ craft brews, entertainment and an evening of parties. We'll be pitching a big ole' tent at the base of the slopes where you and friends can purchase tickets and sample a variety of brews. The frothy samples are served up by brewery representatives while you enjoy music, brats and spring conditions.

March 12 - 14
Flushing Walleye Festival - Flushing
The event features:

• Outdoor Show Exhibits

• Fish Fry
• Trout Pond
• Outdoor Show
• Firefighter’s Pancake Breakfast
• Guest Speakers
• Texas Hold’em Tournament/Poker Night
• Youth Group
• Chili Cook-off

March 16
St. Patrick's Day Parade - Detroit
Sponsored by the United Irish Societies in metro Detroit, the parade runs along Michigan Avenue in the area known as "Corktown", so called because of the many immigrants that came and settled here from County Cork. The parade travels down a dozen or so blocks passing by historic Tiger Stadium and the Gaelic League/Irish American Club.

March 18 - 21
Lansing Home & Garden Show - East Lansing
The strongest Home & Garden show in the Mid-Michigan area fills the MSU Pavilion on the campus of Michigan State University. Incredible gardens, extensive landscaping projects, a Standard Flower Show and three free seminar stages surround hundreds of exhibits featuring construction, remodeling, kitchens & baths, retail garden centers, pools and spas and home services.

March 18 - 21
Ultimate Sport and RV Show - Grand Rapids
Michigan's finest tradition for the avid fisherman, hunter or outdoor loving family! Over 350 exhibitors will be at the show with the latest outdoor gear, travel information and fishing boats. The features are famous: World Class Taxidermy, Antique Lures, Trout Pond, Woodcarvers, Pellet Range, Fishing Simulator, Rock Wall and Fly Casting Instruction. Nearly 100 fishing and hunting semainrs will be held on 4 stages, including "Lake Ultimate," the 110,000 gallon indoor lake. Michigan sportsmen never miss it!

March 19 - 21
Carnival Weekend at Boyne - Boyne Falls
It's party time once again. Boyne Mountain pulls out all the stops as Mardi Gras moves north for the weekend. How can I get some of those beads you ask, come to Boyne Mountain and find out. Bands, costume competitions, the slush cup and parties all over the resort make this a weekend to remember. You might want to plan on using a sick day for Monday.

March 20
Krazy Daze at Boyne - Harbor Springs
Fun for the whole family awaits during this spring tradition. Kid's events include a Silly Slalom, costume judging, Nastar and more. Is it true they build a pond and let people ski and snowboard across? You bet it's true. So dress up or dress down, just make sure to be a part of the fun.

March 20 - 21
Kalamazoo Living History Show - Kalamazoo
The largest, nationally recognized, juried show in the Midwest devoted to pre-1890 original or reproduction living history supplies, accouterments and related crafts. More than 10,000 historical re-enactors from pre-Revolutionary through the Civil War, history buffs, collectors, and the general public from 18 states and Canada come together for a festive weekend to buy, sell and trade. The event attracts over 270 of the finest craftsman and dealers of living history supplies and related crafts from throughout the United States.

March 23 - 28
Ann Arbor Film Festival - Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is internationally recognized as a premiere showcase for creative, inspiring, and influential films of all types: avant-garde and experimental, story-based narratives, documentaries, and animation. As the longest-running film festival of its kind in North America, the AAFF is steeped in a rich tradition of ground-breaking cinema.

Did we get them all? Not likely!! Add ones we missed (with links) in the comments below!

The Last Paczki by cseeman

While groundhogs are a sign of spring's approach around the country, the appearance of paczkis in grocery stores in Michigan lets you know that spring is not too far off. Our Fat Tuesday Paczki Day page on Absolute Michigan will load you up with 110% of the USRDA on these sugary treats that are a Michigan tradition.

If you're looking to work off all those extra calories, Seeking Michigan has a cool feature on the real father of The Twist, Detroiter Hank Ballard. Click through to read it and we'll let Ballard take us out with his rendition of The Twist.

MightyBoyBrian (Brian Wolfe) says that since graduating from college, his love of photography has gradually intensified and is one of his most potent escapes from the engineering box that he seems to have learned himself into. He says he favors nature and urban shots, but with the new acquisition of a 50mm f/1.8, he's getting more into portraiture.

You can see this photo bigger and check out his sets including The Urban, Nature,  Panoramics and The Top 30 (slideshow).

Dive into his Flickriver!

gkretovic (Greg Kretovic) says that he lives for the outdoor and loves capturing it with his camera in unique ways, especially the opportunities offered by the Upper Peninsula.

He took this photo at last weekends Pine Mountain Ski Jumping Tournament. His sets include nature and you'll want to check out some of his tags including waterfalls and upper peninsula (slideshow).

Much more in his Flickriver.

From mysteriesofthegreatlakes.com:

The giant screen film, Mysteries of the Great Lakes, is as much a celebration of Earth’s greatest freshwater ecosystem as it is a rallying cry for protection. The story will take audiences on an inspiring voyage through these amazing inland seas. In the film, a few stops along the way highlight the stories of three key species - one each from water, air and land. The film also turns the camera on us, as humans - by touching on the human interface with the Lakes including the role of shipping to commerce, the use of the Great Lakes’ water by the millions of people who rely on it for life, and the general sense of well-being that people receive from simply being near these massive bodies of water.

The scenery and wildlife footage captured through the IMAX lens for Mysteries of the Great Lakes is spectacular, with some shots being unlike anything ever captured for this medium before. Filming took the production crews from beneath the waves of the Wolf River in Wisconsin - where thousands of lake sturgeon, the world’s largest freshwater fish, thrashed in the shallow rapids en route to their spawning grounds - into the skies to shoot aerial footage of all of the Great Lakes.

Thanks nasunto for the find! The film opens February 12, 2010 at Celebration! Cinema in Grand Rapids.

In addition to making some pretty cool prints, allthingsgrow has some cool pictures in her the rest slideshow.

She took this picture in Ypsilanti's Depot Town.

Check out her Flickriver.

John.Dykstra says he's an eighteen-year-old photographer living in Canton, Michigan and equipped with a sharp eye and a passion for the Great Lakes region.

His sets include Lakes, Waterfalls and Lower Peninsula (slideshow).

Meander down his Flickriver.

Iron Works #2 - Cranbrook by MikeRyu

Our Michigan February Event Calendar shows that the more the weather tries to keep us holed up, the more ways we find to get out and have fun!! Of course, there's still many, many more and we invite you to fill us in on other February events in the comments.

February Fast Facts - Wikipedia

• Having only 28 days in common years, it is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon.
• It has 29 days in leap years, when the year number is divisible by four (except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400 in the Gregorian calendar)
• It is the only month of the calendar that once every six years and twice every 11 years, will have only four full 7-day weeks.
• Its birth flower is the Viola (plant) and the Primrose.
• Its birthstone is the amethyst.

February Quotes

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." - Edith Sitwell

"Surely as cometh the Winter, I know
There are Spring violets under the snow." - R. H. Newell

"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March." - Dr. J. R. Stockton

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour." - John Boswell

"February makes a bridge and March breaks it." - George Hebert

Notable February Dates from Michigan History Magazine

• February 13, 1855 The Michigan legislature protects escaped slaves.
• February 24, 1863 Michigan supports the Emancipation Proclamation.
• February 17, 1864 The First Michigan Colored Infantry is mustered into federal service.
• February 21, 1905 The National Ski Association is organized in Ishpeming.
• February 20, 1909 The Hudson Motor Car Company is organized.
• February 2, 1936 Ty Cobb becomes one of the first players selected to enter the newly formed Baseball Hall of Fame.
• February 8, 1985 The Stroh Brewery announces it is closing its Detroit plant.

Things to Do, Places to Go

February 2 - 7
International 500 Snowmobile Race Sault - Sault Sainte Marie
2009 marks the 41st running of the International 500 Snowmobile Race and they invite YOU to join them for this outstanding event that is second to none! "All the thrills of NASCAR" All the excitement of I-500 Snowmobile Racing.

February 3 - 6
Winter Carnival - Houghton
Michigan Tech often registers more than 200 inches of snow in a season. Not content to let this abundant natural resource go to waste, students band together in an annual celebrtion of our beautiful, tough, exhilarating, and character-building climate. For complete event detail visit their website.

February 4 - 7
12th Annual Michigan International Auto Show - Grand Rapids
This is the greatest annual opportunity to view your "next new car!" More than 35 car manufacturers from around the world will bring their finest traveling displays with 300 + new vehicles - including sedans, vans, SUV's, trucks, hybrids and sports cars. Not only is the Auto Show the BEST place to shop and compare options for every day vehicles, it is also the first opportunity for West Michigan residents to see many of the most recently released or "soon to be released" models!

February 4 - 7
North American Snow Festival - Cadillac
Opening ceremonies begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Fox Hill Event Center on February 4. Various events take place on Lake Cadillac on February 4 - 7.

February 4 - 7
59th Annual Perchville USA - Tawas
The 59th Annual Tawas Perchville Festival includes a Perchville queen, live entertainment, a Polar Bear Swim, a "Chilly" Cook-off, ice-fishing contest, the Perchville USA Parade, and many more fun winter events.

February 6
White Pine Stampede - Mancelona
The White Pine Stampede is a major Nordic Ski race, part of the Michigan Cup series and the Midwest's premier Nordic event. The White Pine Stampede has a 50 Kilometer Event, a 20 Kilometer Event, and a 10 Kilometer Timed Tour.

February 6 & 7
Taste the Passion - Leelanau
Love is in the air as you celebrate the upcoming Valentine's Day at the "Taste the Passion" weekend February 6 & 7. This special weekend celebrates wine, chocolate and love in anticipation of Valentine's Day! The combination of winter's beauty in Leelanau with the special pleasures of life always makes for wonderful weekend.

The weekend starts on Saturday as participants head to their first winery stop to collect a souvenir glass. Then the fun begins with special pours and tasty chocolate treats offered at wineries between the hours of 11am and 5pm on Saturday, and Noon and 5pm on Sunday. However, because one cannot survive on chocolate alone (tempting as it may sound), savory dishes will be served at a number of tasting rooms.

February 12 - 14
Detroit's Winter Blast - Detroit
Many signature winter activities are returning with free ice-skating in Campus Martius Park, Professional skating demonstrations, unique sculptures in the Ice Garden, the Meijer Kid’s Family Fun Zone and more. Detroit’s music scene will be on display on two stages, with more than 50 entertainment acts performing. Plus- you can always find a place to warm-up with DTE Energy’s Comfort Zones. You’ll find heat every 150 feet on the Winter Blast site, including both heated tents and warming stations in local buildings.

February 12 - 14
West Michigan Youth Wintersportsfest
Three days, 22 Sports competitions and 3,000 athletes. Open to any athletes 18 and under. This will be an awesome event with youth athletes from all over the state and Midwest! There will be 20 sporting events taking place in 3 days with 3,000 athletes in participation. There will be indoor and outdoor activities including events like bowling, target shooting, figure skating, and many more

February 12 - 14
North American VASA - Traverse City
The VASA weekend festival of Races includes both a 27 and 50km special classic skiing race, a 12km Timed Class, and a 6km and 16km challenge. Junior VASA Races are also part of the weekend festival.

February 12 - 15
Cherry Capital Winter WonderFest - Traverse City
The Third Annual Cherry Capital Winter WonderFest is a three-day wintertime celebration chock-full of fun for all ages in the Cherry Capital of the World, President’s Day Weekend, February 13-16, 2009. Whether you enjoy outdoor activities with wintry frost nipping at your nose, or indoor activities that warm the body and soul, we have something sure to please you and your loved ones.

February 13 - 21
Detroit Boat Show - Detroit
The Detroit Boat Show has been staged every year for 51 years, and is known as the premier boating event in the State of Michigan. The Detroit Boat Show is known as one of the top boat shows in the country in regards to size, sales and attendance.

February 14
Winter Wine Wonderland - Traverse City
Join the wineries of Leelanau, Old Mission & Traverse City at the Cherry Capital Winter WonderFest at the Grand Traverse Resort for a celebration of wine, gourmet desserts, art & fun this Valentines Day. The Wine Festival will take place on Sunday February 14th from 3-8 PM (Fireworks at 7 PM) .

February 19 & 20
Frost Bite Winter Festival - Harrison
Event takes place on 5 groomed nine-hole courses, where novice and veteran golfers hit brightly colored tennis balls over the snow. Bring a partner and sign up for the two-person scramble. Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, men's and women's divisions.

February 19 - 21
U.P. Pond Hockey Championship - St. Ignace
The 2010 U.P. Pond Hockey Championship will be played on the Wild Ice of Moran Bay, Lake Huron, downtown St. Ignace, Michigan! We hope to have 160 teams competing for prizes!

February 19 -21
UP 200, Midnight Run Sled-Dog Championships and The Jack Pine 30 - Marquette
Three UP sled dog races provide a variety of challenges for mushers. The UP 200 is actually 240 miles in length and is a qualifying race for the Iditarod. Over 15,000 visitors come to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) to see the U.P. 200! It is a favorite winter event for local residents and out of town guests. The U.P. 200 has a dedicated group of over 500 volunteers from the U.P. and the mid-west region that come together to stage this great event each year.

February 26
The Great Wine & Food Symposium
Escape the snow with an evening of indulgence at The Great Wine & Food Symposium, west Michigan’s premier wine tasting event. You'll enjoy gourmet food selections, as well as over 300 wines and beers from around the world. Sample these tastes as classical music drifts through the halls and the snowflakes drift outside.

February 27
The Outhouse 500 - Coopersville
Join in with the hilarious and wacky fun of the 6th Annual Outhouse 500 on Main Street in Historic Downtown Coopersville! Hosted by the Main Street Merchants Association. Teams parade, then race their uniquely decorated outhouses down Main Street!

February 27
Winter Beer Festival - Grand Rapids
The 5th Annual Winter Beer Festival will take place Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The Winter Festival is a unique opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, all brewed in Michigan. We are expecting more than 35 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate and there will be more than 200 different beers available to sample. The event is open from Noon to 5:00pm.

February 27
Trenary Outhouse Classic - The Outhouse Races - Trenary
The Outhouse Classic is an annual race in Trenary where outhouses are built and raced down the main street. There are categories: speed, presentation, best use of theme, most humorous, best workmanship, and most miles traveled. Families come to the event to watch and to compete, there are two different age brackets making competitions fair. A few years ago nuns came to compete and built the Vati-Can. Make sure to head on up to Trenary for the annual Outhouse Classic. Read Absolute Michigan's Sports that ARE Silly: Outhouse Racing or watch Outhouse Classic Outhouse Race in Trenary, Michigan.

budderflyman (Michael) took this photo at Avery Lake. See it bigger in his Explore slideshow. His other sets include Personal Best, Black & White and Michigan (slideshow).

Dive into his Flickriver.

The EXPOSURE.Detroit photography group opens their February Photography Exhibit  on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 from 7-10 PM at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak. The exhibit will feature the work of  five talented photographers:

• Jesse Speelman
• Chris Hardy
• Tafari Stevenson-Howard
• Mike Neubauer
• Patti Margarita

...nature listens. ~Antoinette Van Kleeff

Laura writes that she is passionate about horses and photography to a fault and that she HATES cold and snow, yet finds herself out in a -14 degree blinding blizzard so I can get a shot where the light is *perfect* and the mane is blowing just right.

Check out her sets including Black and White and Explored(!) (slideshow).

Jump into her Flickriver.

Michigan is truly a winter state. The snow brings much beauty and allows us to enjoy seasonal activities such as skiing, ice skating and snowmobiling. Of course, along with this comes some occasional extra work.

The photo to the right depicts Negaunee’s Iron Street on March 13, 1899. These men have partially completed a Herculean shoveling task. You can see the “J. Trathen Saloon” in the background, so perhaps that was their eventual stop.

Negaunee, located in Marquette County, is a renowned Upper Peninsula mining town. According to Walter Romig’s book Michigan Place Names (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1986), the Jackson Iron Company first settled the town in 1846. It was given a post office in 1858. It incorporated as a village in 1865 and as a city in 1873. Romig also notes that “Negaunee” is a Chippewa word meaning “pioneer.” The 2003-2004 Michigan Department of Transportation map provides a recent population figure of 4,576.

Play the video below to see footage of an Armstead Snow Motors Company concept snow vehicle. The original film, completed in 1924, is permanently stored within the Archives of Michigan collections. It represents further proof that Michiganians have found inventive ways to deal with the snow!

Armstead Snow Motors from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.

Mulligans Hollow, photo by GH Patriot.

I had originally thought about a more sober and reflective photo as we head into 2010, but when I saw this one in the Absolute Michigan pool this morning, I changed my mind.

I don't think that anyone can deny that the first decade of the 21st century has been a brutal one for Michigan. We've lost a staggering amount of jobs, countless public services and tens of thousands of residents.

While we probably have farther to fall, it feels to me like we're reaching the point where we'll have to readjust to the world as it is and make some changes in what we do and the way we do it in Michigan.

My mood as we head into 2010? Happy. Hopeful. Ready for some hard work.

How about you?

View this photo bigger or check out his whole Mulligans Hollow slideshow for more big air.

PS: If you're looking for something to do tonight, here's Absolute Michigan's New Year's Eve Happenings.

PPS: Governor Granholm has proclaimed January as Michigan Snow Sports Month. I hear that Absolute Michigan will be something with that.

Matt Burrows says:

Though I've had my Nikon D70 for a few years, my iPhone has quickly become my go-to camera. It fits in my pocket and goes with me everywhere I go.

As a result, I've not only been able to document my life with photos of my family, but also capture the little things in life that are too often overlooked--the little things that keep life interesting.

In early July, my love of taking photos with my iPhone resulted in an invitation to write for iPhoneography.com, a blog that focuses on reviewing iPhone photo apps and discussing iPhone photography.

This photo is part of his super-cool iPhoneography set (slideshow). His other sets include ArtPrize 2009 and Nikon D70.

Hop in with Big Bird and cruise over to Matt's Flickriver.

Jacob Bommarito shoots with a Canon Rebel XSI and says he'll be going to the College for Creative Studies for film and video after he graduates.

Be sure to check this out bigger and also have a look at his sets including portraits and scholastic entries (slideshow).

Russell Leavenworth founded Leavenworth Photography in 1895. For twenty-five years, he photographed the booming lumber and mining industries of northern Michigan. His photographic subjects would change drastically in 1919. That year, Lansing industrial giants vacationing in northern Michigan persuaded Leavenworth to photograph their city’s burgeoning manufacturing industries. Leavenworth’s business prospered, as REO, Oldsmobile and other large industrial firms became clients. Leavenworth and his son-in-law/business partner Hiram Maple expanded the commercial photography business to include “subjects as diverse as street scenes, car parts, workers’ strikes, vaudeville troupes and football games, Leavenworth lived up to the slogan plastered on the door of his company car: “Anything photographed, anywhere, anytime.”

Cold Storage

To ensure that R.C. Leavenworth’s valuable negatives will not degrade, the Archives of Michigan has begun to preserve them. The Archives does this through cold storage, using the Critical Moisture Indicator (CMI) packaging method. This process involves placing the negatives in an airtight polyethylene bag and storing the package in specially designed archival storage boxes. Two four-ply matboards are microwaved for thirty seconds to remove moisture, and the sealed bag is placed between the matboards in the storage boxes. These boxes are then carefully labeled for future accessibility and sealed in a polyethylene bag with silica gel to prepare them for cold storage. A box in cold storage need only be defrosted for three hours to safely view the negatives. The CMI packaging method protects the negatives for several years against moisture and humidity, until they have to be repackaged. Using this process, the Archives of Michigan has successfully processed 120 boxes of Leavenworth’s negatives for Oldsmobile, REO Motor Car Company and Lansing Board of Water & Light.

When Negatives Go Bad

Due to improper storage and excessive heat and humidity, portions of the Leavenworth collection have been damaged. Nitrate negatives too deteriorated to identify or save are safely discarded in a large hazardous materials storage bin. Nitrate negatives must be properly disposed because they can actually self-ignite if the temperature rises above 106 degrees Fahrenheit for a sustained period of time. Damaged safety film negatives must be properly discarded as well due to “vinegar syndrome.” Vinegar syndrome is the term to describe, “the chemical reaction occurring during the natural deterioration of triacetate film base in a sealed container.” The degradation of cellulose triacetate combined with moisture forms acetic acid and a pungent odor. Damaged negatives that can be scanned were digitized to preserve the image before their disposal. The Archives of Michigan documented discarded negatives using a Microsoft Access database that identifies the negative’s number, former box location, and subject.

Click through to Seeking Michigan to see a step-by-step look at how nitrate film deteriorates (scroll down). You can also see some of Leavenworth's commercial photography in Oldsmobile in Pictures.

Daryl says that he took this photo in a marshy part of Lake Erie in Monroe County. You can see it and a few other shots on his map and check it out larger in his Colorful Skies slideshow.

His other sets include Barns and Outbuildings and Autumn.

Check out his Flickriver.

You can view this photo by NotLogan bigger in his My Favorites slideshow.

His other sets include Charlevoix, Michigan, Frankfort, Michigan, Suttons Bay, Michigan and Traverse City: Old State Hospital (slideshow).

Check out his Flickriver

buckshot.jones, another fantastic Detroit storyteller writes: "This is Detroit, straight up. Justbeamensch (Donald Jones) has one of the best collections of the odd and funky in the City of Detroit. Take a cruise through his photostream and you gather a sense of the soul of the city."

The photo is part of Donald's Detroit Greeting Cards at the Book Beat set (slideshow) which are available for purchase at The Book Beat in Oak Park (248-968-1190). His other sets include Murals in the City, Flora and State Fair.

Take a ride down his Flickriver.

danenmolly (Molly) is a friend of mine from the real world and her husband Dane is a pilot - hence the rare photo opportunity showing The Whaleback and North Lake Leelanau taken from high above Lake Michigan's Manitou Passage.

Be sure to check this out bigger and you can see more from this flight in her Fishtown - Leland - Good Harbor - Manitou Islands - Leelanau Peninsula set (slideshow). Her other sets include Aerial Photographs and Lake Michigan Sunsets.

Dive into her Flickriver.

It's Lansing's Birthday! by Eridony

2009 is the Sesquicentennial of the City of Lansing. The Lansing 150 Grand Finale is next Friday (Nov 20) immediately following Silver Bells in the City from 8-11 PM in the Lansing Center. This event concludes Lansing’s year long Sesquicentennial Birthday Party and will include free entertainment and a free reception.

As part of the celebration they are holding an "I AM LANSING" contest. Area residents, businesses and organizations can submit photos, videos and/or essays about Lansing and judges will decide the Best Lansing Story. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and you can enter until midnight this Friday! Head over to lansing150.com for all the details!

The City of Lansing history page (and the City of Lansing) begins:

In the winter of 1835, two brothers from Lansing, New York plotted the area just south of downtown Lansing, naming the territory "Biddle Town." Most of this land was in a floodplain and underwater for much of the year. Despite the condition of the land, the brothers returned to New York to sell the plots to unsuspecting individuals wanting to test their fortunes in a new land. The group of settlers arrived to Mid-Michigan only to find their plots submerged under several feet of water. Nevertheless, many in the group chose to stay and established what is now Metropolitan Lansing. They christened the town "Lansing Township" after their home village in New York.

You can get a ton more great old photos of Lansing from Seeking Michigan, check out a sweet view of Lansing from the Lansing standpipe in the late 1800s on Michigan in Pictures and learn lots more about Lansing at absolutemichigan.com/Lansing!

Photo: Bird's eye view of the city of Lansing (Mich.); 1866. Courtesy Seeking Michigan.

Life Magazine has a feature titled WWII: How Detroit Won The War that provides an excellent photographic look at how the Motor City retooled to become "The Arsenal of Democracy". Photos include Chrysler's Tank Assembly, Dodge's military vehicle production and Willow Run Bomber Plant where more than 18,000 B-24 Liberators were built between 1940 and 1945. They note that the auto industry's contribution to the war effort was valued at more than $50 billion worth of materials - an astounding 20% of the nation's war production.

You can see a ton more photos of the Willow Run Bomber Plant right here that provide a fascinating look into what Charles Lindbergh called "the Grand Canyon of the mechanized world." Here's the story of Willow Run (and how many newsreels did this guy voice??):

Photo Credit: Library of Congress photo LC-USE6- D-008797, Howard R. Hollem, photographer. Production. B-24E (Liberator) bombers at Willow Run. Looking up one of the assembly lines at Ford's big Willow Run plant, where B-24E (Liberator) bombers are being made in great numbers. The Liberator is capable of operation at high altitudes and over great ranges on precision bombing missions. It has proved itself an excellent performer in the Pacific, in Northern Africa, Europe and the Aleutians. Ford's Willow Run Plant, Michigan