Acid Mine Drainage by savethewildup

In an article on ABC news, John Flesher wites:

Michigan regulators gave final approval Thursday to a nickel and copper mine for the Upper Peninsula, despite opponents' fears it would pollute streams that feed Lake Superior and provide habitat for a rare type of trout.

Kennecott Eagle Minerals Co. said it hoped to begin construction this year on what would be the nation's only mine where nickel is the primary target, not just a byproduct from extraction of other minerals.

But foes were planning court appeals, insisting the project would violate environmental standards set in recent years as mining companies stepped up explorations of deposits in the state's mineral-rich northlands.

"Strong Michigan laws were written specifically to protect Michigan's waters, including the Great Lakes, from toxic byproducts this mining will create," said Hugh McDiarmid Jr., spokesman for the Michigan Environmental Council.

The state Department of Environmental Quality granted two permits — one to build and operate the mine in the remote Yellow Dog Plains region of Marquette County, and the other to discharge treated wastewater underground.

Read the release from mining company Kennecott Eagle and reaction at Save the Wild UP.

We at Absolute Michigan have long been advocating against opening up Michigan to sulfide mining, a chemical process that has killed numerous rivers in the West. Read about acid mine drainage from the EPA.

The National Wildlife Federation plans an appeal, but it appears that Michigan's best hope is a 2010 Ballot Measure. As this video says, there's no Pure Michigan without Pure Water:

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.

Not the Upper Peninsula, but the Northern Peninsula. by Jenna Belle

NPR ran a special series a few weeks back exploring the culture, traditions and economy of Michigan's Upper Peninsula that we felt was worth bubbling back up. In addition to the articles there are also audio pieces worth checking out in - Michigan's Upper Peninsula: A Trip U.P. North.

Articles

Often Left Out, U.P. Ducks Michigan's Worst Woes

If there's a Michigan map in your mind, it probably looks like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula — separated from the rest of the state by the Great Lakes — often gets left off the map entirely. While that can be irksome, the remote nature of Michigan's northern section can also insulate it from the rest of the state's economic distress.

Initially, Michigan's Upper Peninsula

This week's puzzle is in honor of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Because U.P. is short for Upper Peninsula, each answer has "U" and "P" in it. The first clue is: "U" and "P" are the initials of a common two-word phrase naming something holding a street lamp. What is it?

Pasties: The Meaty Center Of 'Yooper' Food

The meat turnovers were brought to Michigan's Upper Peninsula by immigrant miners from Cornwall, England. "Yoopers" — the local population — are very opinionated about them. A pasty isn't just a meal — it's a heritage. Here's the recipe, too.

In Michigan's U.P., Visitors Welcome, Just Don't Stay

Folks from Michigan's Upper Peninsula — or "Yoopers," as they call themselves — want you to know how lucky they are to live in such a beautiful place, how hard it is to do that, how their jokes about themselves are funnier than anything you've heard — and why you shouldn't move there.

Audio and transcripts from the series

What's A Yooper? [5 min 20 sec]

The people of Michigan's Upper Peninsula are nicknamed Yoopers. Weekend Edition Host Liane Hansen explores what defines the Yooper identity.

U.P. TV Anchor Moonlights At Target [4 min 39 sec]

Host Liane Hansen profiles TV Anchor Vicki Crystal of Marquette, Michigan. Crystal not only works as a full time anchor and reporter, but she also works part-time at Target.

Iron Mine At Core Of U.P. History, Culture [7 min 52 sec]

Host Liane Hansen visits the Cliffs Natural Resources iron ore mining operation near Ishpeming Michigan. Mining has long been a part of the U.P. economy, and Cliffs has been operating there since 1847.

U.P. County Tops State Unemployment Rate [3 min 56 sec]

Michigan's Baraga County has the state's highest unemployment rate, and at around 25 percent it's the third highest in the nation. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Baraga Village Manager Roy Kemppainin.

The Civil War That You Never Heard About [2 min 15 sec]

Stories about war are common. Unusual is the true story of an American war with no casualties. One of the spoils of the Toledo War was the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. And the early 19th century combatants were the Michigan and Ohio militias. Host Liane Hansen talks to State Representative Mike Lahti about the often-forgotten war.

In Contrast, This U.P. Town Is Thriving [6 min 30 sec]

In a country that's seen its share of downtown decay, central Marquette seems to be thriving. There's a bustling farmer's market, and along Washington Street there are coffee shops and quirky businesses including hockey and bingo supply stores. Host Liane Hansen pays a visit to Getz's Clothiers, a business dating from the 1880's that now draws 80 percent of its sales from online business.

Luminous Light Huntress (Tamara Jacobs) says that she loves landscape photography, especially waterfalls. Also that she's a tree hugger* in a major way and aims to merge her passion for the environment with her love of landscape photography.

Judging by the photo above, she seems to be well on her way. You can see this photo bigger in her incredible Waterfalls set (slideshow). Her other sets include Natural Landscapes, Man Made Scenics, My Favorites and Porcupine Mountains.

Dive into her Flickriver.

*I know that "tree hugger" has become some sort of dirty word or smear, but what in the heck is really wrong with having a deep love and respect for the natural world?

Featuring: Cadillac Sky, The Clumsy Lovers, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Caravan of Thieves, Pieta Brown, Deke Dickerson & The Ecco-Fonics, Hamell on Trial, Green Tea, Charlie Parr, Seth Bernard & Daisy May, Laurel Premo, Drew Nelson, David Mayfield, Reverend Eddie Danger, Kitty Donohoe, Carolyn Striho w/Scott Dailey & Jason Schaller, Dave Boutette, Conga Se Menne, Cadillac vs. Cornbread, Brandon Scott Sellner, Jeff Ray, Squeaky Clean Cretins, West of East, Rory Miller & Dale C. Miller, Yvonne Blake, Doris & The Day Dreams, & Children of the Porcupine Mountains Music Festival!

Photos from the 2008 Porcupine Mountains Music Festival are posted up on their MySpace page. Check them out and feel the warmth!

Bubble and Droplet. by G0Da

It seems that many media outlets are preaching the "staycation" this year. We say cut some corners, pack a lunch, brew your own coffee, just do what you have to do and support the festivals, events, cities and businesses that are making things happen. You might just have some fun and create some great memories in the process.

As usual we by no means have listed all the events happening around Michigan. Add ones we missed (with links) in the comments below!

July Quotes

"Many public-school children seem to know only two dates: 1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either occasion. - Mark Twain

"Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels." - Mark Twain

"Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit." – Henry David Thoreau

"You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook's year. I get more excited by that than anything else." - Mario Batali

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard

Fast Facts - Wikipedia

• The second half of the year commences in July
• The birthstone for July is a red ruby
• July was renamed for Julius Caesar... Previously, it was called Quintilis...

Stuff To Do!

June 12 - July 5
Ann Arbor Summer Festival Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is an exhilarating celebration of performing arts, outdoor entertainment, and community spirit. Each year, this three-and-a-half-week cultural and social event offers dozens of performances, activities, screenings, and more, with eclectic music, dance, comedy, film, visual arts, and family fun.

Now celebrating its 26th season, the festival has invigorated the cultural life of the community for over two and a half decades. It brings the world to Ann Arbor: innovative artists, enthusiastic audiences, eager students, curious visitors, and anyone looking to be inspired and entertained on a Michigan summer evening.

July 1 - 5
Comerica Cityfest Detroit
Comerica Cityfest is a five-day outdoor food and culture rich entertainment street festival in Detroit’s historic New Center over each Fourth of July weekend. The event exemplifies city life, (what it is and what it could be), in one of Detroit’s fastest growing 24-hour districts.

A diverse and family friendly crowd looks forward each year to our free national and local talent on four stages, over 40 Michigan restaurants selling “tastes” of their specialties, free stage shows, activities for children, and a marketplace of unique Detroit products and memorabilia. Comerica Cityfest is free and open to the public.

July 1 - 5
Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival Battle Creek
Twenty Six Years and Counting...The US Air Force Thunderbirds and Over 60 Hot-Air Balloons Headline Acts at the Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival.

Appearing for the 26th time in Battle Creeks Field of Flight and Air Show history, will be the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Featured as one of America’s top-precision aerial demonstration teams, the Thunderbirds, over 60 hot-air balloons and an array of aerial demonstration teams will color the skies over W.K. Kellogg Airport during the 2009 event that will be held the week of July 1 - July 5.

As one of Michigan’s largest family festivals, the event began in 1980 with only hot-air balloons and has grown to become one of the largest air shows in the country. "The hot-air balloons will always have a special place at our event, said Barbara Haluszka, Executive Director. "But adding the air shows has definitely put us on the map in the aviation world."

July 2 - 5
Rothbury Rothbury
This year the Rothbury Music Festival takes place July 2-5, 2009 in Rothbury, Michigan (near Muskegon). RothburyFour days of music on six stages feature some of the biggest musical acts around.

The Rothbury Think Tank will be focused on finding energy independence and feature the innovators, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, celebs, and rabble rousers who – in this time of economic, energy and climate crisis – are offering a green path to a brighter future.

July 4
MichiganFireworks.com - Independence Day Michigan
Currently listing 372 Fireworks displays in Michigan for 2009!

July 4 - 12
National Cherry Festival Traverse City
The National Cherry Festival features over 150 events including free air shows over the Bay, colorful parades & marching bands, music shows, sporting events, rides & carnival games on the midway, pie-eating contests, clean blue skies, warm sunshine, crowds of smiling faces, and loads of luscious cherries prepared every way you can imagine!

July 6 - 12
Common Ground Lansing
Common Ground is situated in downtown Lansing along the banks of the Grand River in Adado Riverfront Park. Common Ground is an event for all your senses. This annual celebration features an outstanding line-up of musical acts, focusing on top-level, national, contemporary music performers, scores of food vendors, and a dynamic display of outdoor interactive activities for kids. With an attractive, intimate venue, state-of-art production and a comprehensive array of patron amenities, the festival is the premier special event of the summer in the greater Lansing region.

July 10 - 11
Idlewild Music Fest Idlewild
In its heyday, the Idlewild Resort area was the place to perform for musicians and other entertainers who had already "arrived" and for those that were hoping to get noticed. The Idlewild Music Fest recognizes these musical roots with a three-day celebration. Coordinated and supported by business leaders, the nonprofit community and faith community of Lake County, the Idlewild Music Fest brings an unmistakable beat back to echo across Idlewild Lake and Williams Island, if just for awhile.

July 10 - 11
Michigan Elvisfest Ypsilanti
The world-renowned Michigan Elvisfest began in 2000 in Ypsilanti, Michigan's Historic Depot Town. Beautiful Riverside Park is the place where Elvis fans flock by the thousands every July to pay homage to the King of Rock & Roll and to hear the most award-winning professional Elvis Tribute Artists in North America, as well as other talented Legend Tribute Artists.

July 10 - 12
Blissfest Cross Village
he 29th Blissfest Music Festival will present a world of innovative folk and roots music and dance at the Festival Farm in unique and picturesque northern Michigan. It is truly a blissful musical weekend to be shared with families, friends and music-lovers of all ages. This year's 29th Celebration will feature Jamband, Bluegrass, Blues, Cajun, Celtic, Folk, Jazz, Latin, Ethnic and World music and dance. Follow the links above for all the details of the 29th annual festival. Remember, Life is Bliss so follow your Bliss to the Blissfest!

July 11 - Aug 9
Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire Battle Creek
Neither heat, rain nor scary beast will shut our gates. They will open at 10:00 am to the Queen's delight and close at 7:00 pm with the children's sighs. Come spend your day with us.

Welcome to the Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire - West Michigan premier Artisan Marketplace. With over 100 vendors selling their wares and crafts, you will find everything from turkey legs to wood-carving, leather to silks, and blacksmiths to fairy wings. Silver Leaf offers vendors that will appeal to both men and women and the young and the young at heart. Shop ‘til you drop at the Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire.

July 14 - Aug 2
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival Jackson
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival has been presenting the timeless themes and glorious language of William Shakespeare since 1995, growing each year into a premier regional event that draws respected actors from across the nation, and satisfied audiences from throughout the Midwest.

Check out their Face Book page!

July 15 - 18
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair Ann Arbor
Established in 1960, the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is the Original of the now four award-winning Ann Arbor Art Fairs:

* The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original
* The State Street Area Art Fair
* The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair
* Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair

Together, the fairs attract over 500,000 attendees from across the nation. The Original Fair was named the Number One Art Fair in the country by AmericanStyle magazine readers survey (October 2004) and has made the Top Ten Fairs and Festivals list every year since.

July 16 - 19
Venetian Festival St. Joseph
The name implies gracious glides on a glowing river and the gentle sounds of water rippling as gondoliers pole their slender boats and sing soft love songs to couples snuggled in the bows. Such were the hot days and long nights in Venice, Italy, where Venetian Festivals started so many years ago.

In St. Joseph, they still celebrate hot July days and long summer nights with boat rides and love songs and couples holding hands. The Venetian Festival on the St. Joseph River is all of that and so much more.

July 16 - 19
Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium Grand Marais
The oldest kayaking symposium on the Great Lakes welcomes paddlers of all ages and abilities for a weekend packed with fun and learning opportunities. Grand Marais has a protected harbor that is ideal for class sessions and skills practice while offering a perfect starting point for unforgettable trips along the scenic lakeshore.

July 18 - 19
Concert of Colors Detroit
The Concert of Colors is metro Detroit’s free annual diversity music festival. It is presented by ACCESS/Arab American National Museum, New Detroit Inc. and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) with the goal of bringing together metro Detroit’s diverse communities and ethnic groups by presenting musical acts from around the world. Over its 16-year history, the festival has become a beloved highlight of metro Detroit’s summer festival season.

July 17 - 19
Michigan Storytellers Festival Flint
See website for details...

July 17 - 19
Hiawatha Music Festival Marquette
The Hiawatha Festival is the only event of its size and scope in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Without Hiawatha, local performers and fans would have to travel between four and six hours to the nearest festivals of its size and type.

Each year's event features traditional-music styles that include bluegrass, old-time, Cajun, Celtic, acoustic blues and folk - including singer/songwriters - and dance. Mainstage acts include nationally known performers as well as regional and local favorites.

July 17 - 19
Quake on the Lake Waterford
Over the past 9 years, “Quake on the Lake” has gained a reputation as one of the premier summertime events in/around Oakland County, Michigan. It has become a “must attend” event for North American Inboard Hydroplane owners and drivers; and since its inception, nearly 300,000 people have witnessed world-record racing performances from the top teams in the business. The event is the proud recipient of 15 American Power Boat Association (APBA) records being set in 5 different racing classes making Pontiac Lake one of the fastest one-mile race courses in the country!

July 18 - 19
Ragtime Street Fair Dearborn
Come dance, enjoy and celebrate Ragtime in Greenfield Village all weekend long. Our popular new signature event focuses on the early “jazz age” of 20th century America’s first decades. The unique, ragged rhythms of this hugely popular genre present the background for two days of dancing, music, drama, parades and fantastic food. Ragtime Street Fair is free to members and free with Greenfield Village admission.

July 24 - 25
Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival Ypsilanti
The Michigan Brewers Guild’s Summer Beer Festival is a showcase event featuring well over 200 beers from more than 30 Michigan breweries.

July 24 - 26
Yale Bologna Festival Yale
Every July Yale plays host to the Yale Bologna Festival, a 3 day weekend event that closes the streets and transforms this small community of just under 2,000 to a gathering of over 20,000 Bologna starved party-goers! A tradition in Yale since 1989, this festival has grown considerably since its humble beginnings. The festival draws people from all around Michigan as well as other states, eager to see who will be the next King and Queen of Bologna. The Bologna Festival includes such events as the famed outhouses races, a street dance, fireworks and a parade down Main Street that continues to grow each year.

July 25 - 26
Art On The Rocks Marquette
Located in a beautiful wooded area on the shore of Lake Superior in north Marquette. Enjoy the 51st annual Art On The Rocks at Presque Isle Park.

July 24 - Aug 2
Coast Guard Festival Grand Haven
As we celebrate the 219th birthday of the United States Coast Guard and the 84th anniversary of the founding of the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, as we know it today, they welcome you and thank you for your support of these gallant men and women who serve us all year long...the members of the United States Coast Guard!

Enjoy your visit...There is only one COAST GUARD CITY USA and we're ready to show you a wonderful time!

July 28 - Aug 2
Traverse City Film Festival Traverse City
The Traverse City Film Festival has grown to become one of the largest film festivals in the Midwest, and one of the most respected in the country. Last year, there were over 80,000 admissions to nearly 100 screenings, a number of them U.S. or world premieres. A special emphasis is given to foreign films, American independents, documentaries, and films which have been overlooked but deserve the attention of a public starved to see a good movie.

July 30 - Aug 2
Woodtick Music Festival Hermansville
The Woodtick Music Festival is a home-grown, Upper Peninsula style shindig featuring a variety of regional and not so regional bands who all have one thing in common....they're damn good!

Edward Vielmetti tipped us off to the Miner's Revenge bicycle race in Greenland (Michigan) which takes place July 11 & 12. He writes:

Here's a novel reuse of an old copper mine - the Miner's Revenge bicycle race is using a 1/3 mile long section of the mine no longer in active use as a part of the race course. Bring your own lights - it's dark in there.

The race is July 11-12, 2009, with free on-site camping for racers and a bonfire the night before. Greenland is near Ontonagon; the mine is owned by the Adventure Mining Company which also does walking tours as well as other more extreme mining adventures that involve rappelling down a mine shaft.

You can learn more about the Adventure Copper Mine and get details on the Miner's Revenge bike race.

I solemnly swear that I didn't intend this photo by digital viking to be any kind of commentary on Valentine's Day when I picked it as our this week's Photo Friday. I will, however, roll with it!

Be sure to check out this shot larger. It's from his Cold as Ice set (slideshow), that includes some brilliant black & white work like this shot of some frozen piers. His other sets include Feathers and Fur and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

I'm guessing from his Flickriver that he enjoys photographing the natural world and the things we have built as they fade away.

At the first Pine Mountain Tournament, Bob Roecker, riding for the Duluth Ski Club, shattered the American jumping record held by Alf Engen, of Salt Lake City, with a leap of 257 feet and the current U.S. record of 140 meters/459 feet is still held there.

Can you have a videogenic event like this in the age of YouTube and not have video? Of course not! The video is Pine Mountain Ski Jumps, February 16th 2008 - be sure to view in high quality by using the arrow at the bottom right of the video!

Tim says that he's a resident of Northern Michigan who loves the area and all it has to offer. When he's not behind the camera, he's either working, writing, out on the water, on his bike or on a trail - or just relaxing and thinking of that next image.

This photo is part of his pictured rocks 2007 kayaking trip set (slideshow). Some of his other sets include ann arbor car show 2008, petoskey images and Kayaking Point Aux Barques.

Check out some of gorgeous winter photos from Tahquamenon Falls in his Flickriver.

The Chick Inn Triptych by jnhkrawczyk

Brawn beats brains - Michigan's Headless Chicken

The small town of Fruita, Colorado, holds a yearly festival dedicated to a bird that defied the laws of biology by staying alive after being decapitated for a farmer's dinner. In 1945, 'Mike' the headless chicken lived for eighteen months with only a brain stem and one ear to guide him, and became the star of a national sideshow tour. But he wasn't the first headless chicken to survive the chopping block. Michigan's Sault St. Marie boasted a crowd-pleasing, black leghorn decades earlier, in 1903. The headless chicken of the 'Soo' didn't live as long as Mike, nor did she match Mike's dizzying heights of fame and glory (Mike even has his own web site - miketheheadlesschicken.org), but she caused plenty of amazement in her day.

The natural wonder was created by one of the cooks at the Belvidere Hotel, who removed the hen's noggin and tossed her body into a barrel to be prepared for that night's roast chicken special. But when the cook pulled the hen's body out to be plucked, she flew away and began strolling around the hotel's basement floor.

Too amused to end the hen's life again, the hotel employees began feeding her oatmeal gruel from a syringe and claimed that she seemed to enjoy her meals, although, as the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News noted, 'she has no brains and no tongue to taste it with.' Some of the Belvidere workers, in fact, made a small fortune by betting patrons a dollar that they had a live, headless chicken in the basement, then escorting their dupes to the basement to prove their claim and collect. The stalwart hen did make national newspaper headlines.

Unlike Colorado's Mike, however, the Soo's headless black leghorn was not awarded the dignity of a recorded name, and she lived only seventeen days before she finally succumbed. Rumor around town has it she was stuffed not with bread crumbs but a taxidermist's form, and was displayed at various places. No one seems to know where she ended up. But she was seen by hundreds during those seventeen amazing days, and is remembered now as a testimonial to life and its occasional ability to survive against all conceivable odds.

Thistle Stop by photoshoparama

The 24th annual Silver Bells in the City takes place this Friday (Nov 21) in downtown Lansing. The event features a parade of lights, the lighting of Michigan's Christmas tree and (weather permitting) a fireworks show. It's also free and attracted more than 120,000 people last year! Click that link to learn more and see a cool video from 2007.

Yesterday we got our first snowstorm of the season, with up to a foot of snow falling in parts of the state. The Muskegon Chronicle breaks it down for west Michigan and shows a video of snow (in case you forgot what it looks like). Up in the UP, there's no need for that as they received a bunch overnight:

"Here at the office we had just about 6 inches," said Mike Dutter, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Negaunee Township. "We certainly had reports out towards Trenary of 19 inches since 10 p.m. last night."

Of course, they race outhouses in Trenary so you never know whether to believe them or not.

Snow Bound by siskokid

That chill wind we feel in Michigan isn't just from Mother Nature. The possible collapse of the Big Three and the US auto industry has been howling like a blizzard for the last week. Over on Michigan in Pictures we have a post that seeks to gather interesting articles and opinions on just what should be done regarding the collosal mess that is the US automotive industry. One of the links that we found is a web site that was created by GM called GM Facts & Fiction. It has a lot of information about the economic impact of the auto industry and we've included a video from the site below.

One person who spends a great deal of time on this is Michigan's Governor. In Economy Is Only Issue for Michigan Governor, the New York Times takes an in-depth look at Gov. Granholm, her job and her detractors - worth a read indeed.

One thing's for sure - winter is on the way. You can warm up (cool off?) with the Snow slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool.

Bat by reddeviltj

In Michigan bats - featuring the Iron Mountain Bat Mine, Edward Vielmetti introduces us to the Millie Mine, a critical hibernating and breeding location for up to 50,000 bats - one of the largest known concentrations of bats in the Midwest. He writes that the little brown bat is especially abundant throughout Michigan and is the most seen species. Bats are of course very beneficial due to their propensity for bug eating, but we can't blame folks for being a little wary. Click through to Edward's blog for more about bats and learn much more about bats including how to build a bat house from The Bat Zone at the Cranbrook Institute of Science.

On the last Wednesday of every month, Absolute Michigan has a "Weird Wednesday" - a celebration of the scary and the strange in Michigan. The woman who inspired us and who provides most of the content is Linda S. Godfrey, author of one of the best Michigan books ever: Weird Michigan. She's joined with Michigander Linda Shiel for a new book Strange Michigan: More Wolverine Weirdness - click that link for info on the book and upcoming signings!

High Ground by Ross Sandelius

Probably the scariest thing we have for you today is news that investor Kirk Kerkorian is starting to sell his $1 billion stake in Ford Motor Company. David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor observes "It's reaching a point where we'll have to decide if we’re willing to let the U.S. auto industry fail. It depends on the urgency that the government feels to save these companies." With a total employment of 200,000, a web of many more businesses that they feed and retirment committments to over a million Americans, you have to wonder how the government could not come to their rescue. Still, there are limits to what the US will be able to spend on our economic woes.

That's a tough note to end on, so instead, how about we remind you of our massive Michigan Haunted Houses, Mazes & Attractions page that features all kinds of haunted houses, corn mazes and scary attractions from all across Michigan.

Have something spooky to share? Post it in the comments!

Lakenenland Corporate Greed by Kristina_5

Found on the Absolute Michigan flickr pool, Kristina_5 has some interesting shots from an equally interesting sculpture park located 15 miles east of Marquette, Michigan on M-28. She writes:

This sculpture park was created by Tom LaKenen (pron. Lay-Kin-en) several years ago. He started creating these pieces as a hobby. Eventually his yard became full and he had a hard time finding places to display them. He thought about trying to sell some except he is kinda proud of them and has so many hours inot each sculpture that he would hate to see them go. This is when LaKenenland was born.

For more bizarre Michigan attractions check out her Michigan Oddities set on flickr!

Daryl Ann writes:

Located at Copper Harbor, on the west side of the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, in Michigan's beautiful upper peninsula (aka the U.P.), Hunter's Park overlooks Lake Superior. Note the cool fissure in the black lava rock, with quartz crystals looking as if they're bursting out! This is one place I will certainly return to, and spend more time at in the future! It's one of those rare places that stir something deep inside you and makes you want to never leave the spot. (also check out the cool circle rocks she photographed there)

She's working on her web site at darylann.com and says that she's been doing portrait and wedding photography for almost 10 years, but her heart and passion is in outdoor photography. It shows in her photos from Lake Superior (slideshow) and other sets like Michigan, The Upper Peninsula, Animals, Insects, Bugs... and Light Fantastic.

Maybe the best way to get to know her work is through her Flickriver.

The photo is Macro Mushroom & Child by yooperyakker, and it appears that she's seen some other strange sights in the woods.

Tread carefully!

More Weird Wednesday from Absolute Michigan.

Carl TerHaar (yooper1949) says he's semi-retired and enjoys photography as a hobby (and that if he can sell a thing or two, that'd help by more photo gear).

This photo is part of his stunning Isle Royale National Park set (slideshow), one of my all-time favorite photosets. Many of his other sets are from national parks around the country, but as he's from Cedarville, he of course has some boats from the Hessel Boat Show!

And oh yeah, he puts photos up big enough to use as wallpaper. Right on.

Celebration events are scheduled for Ishpeming, Lansing, and Marquette during September and October.

The Lansing City Pulse has more on this in their feature Anatomy of a Murder, turns 50

The defendant was acquitted of first degree murder 50 years ago. To try him again would be double jeopardy, which is unconstitutional. And your honor — did we mention that he’s a fictional character? Objections overruled.

The people of the state of Michigan will never rest the case against Lieutenant Frederick Manion. It’s way too much fun. In spring 1958, “Anatomy of a Murder,” a quirky, racy, philosophical best-seller by a fly-fishing Michigan Supreme Court justice began a six-month run at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, until something even quirkier, racier and more philosophical — Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” — toppled it in late September.

The following year, “Anatomy” became a full-scale cultural icon, inspiring a hit movie directed by Otto Preminger, with James Stewart, George C. Scott and Duke Ellington in featured roles.

The naughty-pine crime drama also gave Michigan’s Upper Peninsula its headiest (and only) hour of glamour. Author John Voelker (writing as Robert Traver) set the tale in his “remote and raffish” home peninsula, drawing on per sonal experience as a U.P. defense attor ney. A year later, he urged Preminger to drag cast and crew to the shores of Lake Superior, resulting in one of the most off beat and effective location shoots in film history.

The Hollywood wildfire burned out in Ishpeming 50 years ago, but the book and its reputation still tower like old growth.

Also see:
Anatomy of a Murder: JUSTICE EQUALITY A Trip Through Our Nation's Legal Justice System

Anatomy of a Murder at Wikipedia

Blaney Park Dude Ranch by smartee_martee

Travelers who turn off US 2 and head north on M-77 for the Seney Wildlife Refuge, Munising or Marquette quickly pass a group of buildings on either side of the road. These buildings, while still in apparently good repair, go largely unused. There is little indication they were once part of a prosperous, upscale resort that attracted hundreds of visitors who enjoyed numerous outdoor activities and four-star service.

The Blaney Park Resort story begins in the 1890s when the area was logged over. After the trees were cut, the logging company decided to re-use the land rather than abandon it. After remodeling some of the company buildings and constructing other new buildings, the resort opened in the late 1920s. One of the resort’s main selling points was comfortable interior accommodations with a close, safe proximity to nature.

The resort miraculously survived the Great Depression, partly because more and more urban, white-collared employees took vacations. Blaney also benefitted from the Tourist Camp Movement when larger companies encouraged their employees to exchange crowded, sterile, urban life for a week or two of the cleaner air and slower pace found in rural America, especially areas at some distance from factories and urban congestion. The movement put people on the roads. While many tourist camps became associated with laborers or even transients, Blaney offered upper-middle-class vacationers an improved experience in modern cottages with excellent food.

Blaney Park suffered setbacks in the 1960s, but the resort survived--and still does today. For the complete story of one of Michigan’s unique resorts, check out Michigan History magazine. For information call (800) 366-3703 or visit www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

Nina (nasunto) spent 4 days, 3 nights backpacking at the Grand Island National Recreation Area in the Hiawatha National Forest. It's an amazing place that offers great hiking & camping along with killer views as you can clearly see in her Grand Island National Recreation Area set (slideshow).

Other sets in her Michigan collection include Porcupine Mountains, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes (March 2008), Tahquamenon Falls State Park and Detour MI.

You can keep up with her travels through her photos and also at her blog, Black Coffee at Sunrise.

copper harbor fisherman by Michphotog

Jutting out into the cold, blue waters of Lake Superior is the rugged and picturesque coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Better known as the “Copper Country,” this land of scenic beauty was endowed by nature with a treasure trove of pure, native copper. At the tip of this northernmost part of Michigan lies the village of Copper Harbor--the town where the Keweenaw’s fascinating history began.

In the mid-1830s, when Michigan was admitted to the Union, it received the Keweenaw and the remainder of the western Upper Peninsula as a condition of ending its hotly contentious border dispute with Ohio over the infamous Toledo Strip. Most Michiganians considered the U.P. to be a relatively worthless wilderness. (“A place of perpetual snows that would provide an endless supply of bear meat,” they said at the time.)

Dr. Douglass Houghton, Michigan’s first state geologist, was given the assignment of determining what riches--if any--were contained in the new and unexplored land. In mid-1840, Houghton and his party landed at the wilderness that is the present-day town of Copper Harbor. He discovered a lustrous green copper silicate vein straddling the
shoreline. Several feet away, particles of red native copper glistened in Lake Superior’s surf. His subsequent report set in motion the nation’s first mineral boom as prospectors and explorers poured into the region, traveling hundreds of miles by canoe.

Copper Harbor’s great mineral rush peaked in a few years, but as copper mining pushed further inland, Copper Harbor continued to be a Keweenaw crossroads. A fort was added to keep the peace and a lighthouse was built to guide boats more safely into the naturally fine harbor.

Almost 170 years after Houghton’s initial exploration, Copper Harbor remains an important tourist destination. The history of this scenic and unique community is featured in Michigan History magazine. For more information, visit www.michiganhistorymagazine.com or call (800) 366-3703.

Together. by Rick Spillers

Eric Hansen is the author of "Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula" and "Hiking Wisconsin". In this morning's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he has an editorial titled Headwaters are no place for toxic new mining that begins:

Take a moment to think about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the nearby patches of Wisconsin, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan that border it. Picture the sparkling waterfalls, blueberries, brook trout and wave-washed shores there — the multitude of reasons so many think of this as God's Country.

Thing is, change is in the air — and there's a fair chance that it won’t be a good thing for the unspoiled waters of the U.P. — or for our water quality here, downstream, in Wisconsin.

New proposals for mining in the U.P. involve a method — metallic sulfide mining — known for its record of toxic water pollution.

These metallic sulfide mining projects are an alarming new threat to the Upper Great Lakes that has gone largely unnoticed in Wisconsin, or elsewhere in the region outside of Michigan.

Are we, as a state and region, prepared for a metallic sulfide mining district in the U.P.? Have we done a thorough assessment of the risks involved and the long-range impact this could have on our groundwater, streams and lakes?

Read the rest...

With two proposed projects (Kennecott Eagle north of Marquette on Lake Superior and Aquila Resources Back40 project just a stone's throw from the Menominee River and the Wisconsin border) and many, many more prospected sites (see map), the question "Are we ready?" is a darn good question to ask.

Through virtue of our work with an organization called Save the Wild UP, we've been following the story of sulfide mining in Michigan for years. It's frankly stupefying that a mining technology that has killed fish and entire rivers, lain waste to lakes and as currently planned would actually spew tons of sulfide mining dust in the air as a kind of giant acid rain machine is still being considered at all.

Even more than the Lower Peninsula, Michigan's Upper Peninsula depends on tourism and outdoor recreation for its livelihood and a couple hundred jobs would do nothing to offset the damage that news of mine accidents and poisoned rivers, lakes and air would generate. Once a mine opens in Michigan, so will the floodgates of a mineral rush that is virtually guaranteed to forever change the face of Michigan and our priceless waters. For it to happen without a public debate, behind closed doors is something we can't allow to happen.

The photo above is just one of many in the Downstream group on Flickr, where almost 100 people have added one photo each to be paired with the song A Letter from Downstream by Daisy May Erlewine. The result is a fascinating look at the meaning of water in all our lives. I think more than any photo in the Downstream group, this one for me says why we shouldn't allow huge corporations to bet their profits against the future of the Great Lakes. These waters are all of ours, and those of generations to come.

Eric concludes his editorial:

This is our region’s spiritual homeland, the headwaters country of our planet’s finest collection of fresh water.

Let us think long and hard before risking that notable resource by allowing metallic sulfide mining to get its foot in the door at such a critical location.

Let us heed Gov. Milliken and join our voices to protect both a land and its pristine water that mean so much to so many of us. Our grandchildren will thank us.

Amen.

For more on this issue visit Save the Wild UP and also check out Anatomy of a mine: Lansing hearings put U.P. wilderness on trial from the Lansing City Pulse:

The hearings hit hard rock Wednesday, April 30, when a white-haired man in suspenders slowly made his way to the stand, leaning on a cane.

Jack Parker, a geologic engineer and author of “Practical Rock Mechanics for Miners,” told the judge he began evaluating drill cores, or samples from proposed mines, 60 years ago.

“Six-oh,” he said, to avoid confusion.

Parker rang a theme that subsequent witnesses would hammer hard: The Eagle Mine designs, he said, were based on partial data about the rock, optimistically interpreted, often by computer modeling rather than direct inspection.

Parker worked for decades as a miner and later became a consultant at hundreds of mines, most recently at White Pine Mine, 75 miles west of Houghton. He spoke in a whisper — nobody wanted to think about the buildup in his lungs — and his gravitas lent the legal proceedings a rocky heft. Even a witness later called by Kennecott, Idaho’s Wilson Blake, acknowledged that Parker is an industry “icon.”

Pictured Rocks Waterfall by ER Post

There's so much that I want to say about the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore that I have no idea where to start. Maybe all I need to say is that it's my favorite place on earth, and that I really hope you get a chance to visit there soon. That would probably get me in trouble for unseemly minimalism, so here's more:

The Lakeshore is located on the southern shore of Lake Superior between Munising at the west and Grand Marais at the east in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Pictured Rocks was the nation's first national lakeshore:

During 1957-58, the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, conducted a survey of the Great Lakes shoreline to determine areas suitable for inclusion in the National Park System. Of the almost 5,500 miles of Great Lakes shoreline studied, the survey team identified 118 miles. “By virtue of its unique and spectacular scenery unmatched elsewhere on the Great Lakes, the Pictured Rocks area of Alger County, comprising 43 miles of shoreline."

The Lakeshore was authorized in 1966. It contains 73,325 acres that boast 111 miles of hiking trails, five lakes (Miners, Little Beaver, Beaver, Chapel, Grand Sable), several major waterfalls, countless smaller falls and rivers, public beaches, sixteen campgrounds (cool municipal campground in Grand Marais) shipwrecks, lighthouses and other maritime facilities and more opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking, sightseeing and outdoor fun than can be imagined. The main attraction, of course, are the pictured rocks themselves: spectacular and towering sandstone cliffs (up to 200' tall) that are composed of 500 million year-old Cambrian Sandstone painted a variety of colors by water running down the cliffs with oxides of copper, manganese, iron, and organic minerals. The cliffs are shaped by wind, ice and pounding waves that scour them smooth and also can shear off massive portions of the face.

Without further delay, here are 5 things to do at Pictured Rocks (please add other suggestions in the comments!):

Hike the trails. Although the NPS seems to be hiding the trails (PDFs with trail listing & trail map), there is no better way to see the Pictured Rocks than hiking along the park's woodland trails. My personal favorite is the Mosquito Falls Trail which leads past falls, through multi-leveled woodlands and down to the driftwood-strewn, sand & sandstone Mosquito Beach. Chapel Falls/Chapel Rock is another great hike.

If hiking isn't your game, consider a Pictured Rocks scenic cruise. The cruises are operated by Pictured Rocks Cruises and (especially on calm days) offer an incredible opportunity to see the rock formations. The price might seem a little expensive before the trip, but it probably won't after you've seen them. There are also airplane tours (scroll to the bottom for a cool aerial tour!)

It might seem strange to take a boat tour of shipwrecks, but the glass bottom boat tours of wrecks in the Alger Underwater Preserve don't view any glass bottom boat wrecks, so it's probably safe. There are tons of wrecks to see this way (such as the Herman H. Hettler), on guided diving tours or just walking the shoreline.

You can also connect with the maritime history of the region by visiting historical sites like the Au Sable Light Station. It's open for tours (check the times) in the summer and there are even bus transports on a few days for folks with mobility limitations. Other sites include the Munising Range Lights, the Munising & Grand Marais Coast Guard Stations and harbor and the Lighthouse Keepers House and Museum in Grand Marais. We promise not to tell if you take the extra jaunt to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point.

To borrow a line from one of my favorite web sites, go waterfalling! You can learn all about Miners Falls and other falls in the area from gowaterfalling.com and the Park web site lists some of the larger waterfalls. While some of them require a hike, there are some like Sable Falls that are a short walk. If you take that trip above to the Shipwreck Museum, you can also check out Tahquamenon Falls. It's one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River and awe-inspiring, especially in the spring and early summer.

More Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Links

• Get started with the Pictured Rocks slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr.
• Absolute Michigan keyword Pictured Rocks has a ton of articles and links and there's a whole lot more in our Destination: Michigan Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore feature!
• Photos & features at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan in Pictures
• Pictured Rocks in Summer is just one of Lars Jensen's amazing photo tours of the Pictured Rocks in all seasons.
• Pictured Rocks photos from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr (slideshow)
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore map (PDF) from the Park Service - we'll try and get some Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore info on the Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan very soon!
• Wikipedia's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore entry may have a thing or two we missed.

Crystal Falls is "Home of the Humungous Fungus", perhaps the world's largest and oldest living organism. It covers 38 acres beneath an Iron County forest near the Wisconsin border. It is believed to be 1,500 to 10,000 years old and weigh about 100 tons - about the same as an adult blue whale. It is the species called Armillaria Bulbosa and the mushrooms it produces are commonly called "honey mushroom." The mushroom is the only edible part of the fungus. Armillaria bulbosa is very common, occurring in hardwood forests in North America, Europe and Japan.

The fungus was discovered by Myron L. Smith and James B. Anderson, both of the university of Toronto. They came across the fungus while doing research for the U.S. Navy in 1988. When Johann N. Bruhn, a research scientist with Michigan Technological University in Houghton, wrote an article on it in the Journal of Nature in April of 1992, scientists were deluged with inquiries from the United States, Canada, and Britain.

The fungus even made an appearance in a Letterman Top 10 where it was revealed that Elvis once had staff try to bulldoze it onto a 40-acre pizza and that it's nicknamed "Debbie." The Humungous Fungus Fest is held in August every year (Aug 8-10, 2008) and you can learn a ton more about Armillaria gallica, the humongous fungus from Tom Volk (includes the New York Times article and pictures of "Debbie").

Peter writes that this was a huge eagle, and he doesn't think it could have possibly offered him a better display of its beauty. It's a crop of this photo and part of an amazing set of photos taken of bald eagles in the Eastern UP (see them bigger in the slideshow).

He has some neat shots of traditional tapping of maple trees (must see slideshow!), a pretty serious lens and some explosive canine friends.

NW vista by DA2Brian

Marquette, MI has been named one of the top 200 places in the U.S. for sportsmen and women to put their roots down in the April edition of Outdoor Life magazine.

These places exist in every state, towns where you can step out your back door with a fly rod or a shotgun and find abundant fishing and hunting opportunity in sight of the municipal water tower. Areas with decent weather and accessible public land and gun laws that don't criminalize hunters. Places where the economy is vibrant but the pace of life is slow. Towns with good schools and hospitals and a strong sense of community.

Places where you can wear fishing waders or a camouflage hunting jacket into a bar and not call attention to yourself.

Marquette ranked #7 on their list, which considered access to public areas for quality hunting and fishing, economically viability of the region and hospitality of the towns. The area's leading appeals were huge diversity of fish, from native brookies to rainbows and lake-run brown trout to steelhead, salmon, lake trout, walleye and pike.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out Marquette's Presque Isle from YouTube as well as this 3D tour of Marquette's downtown video. Absolute Michigan's Flickr group has many more great Marquette photos to view.

Check out web sites and features at Absolute Michigan keyword Marquette and get information on Marquette's history, demographics, geography and more visit Wikipedia entry for Marquette.

"Tilted" by Tiffibunny

The picturesque ghost town of Old Victoria is one of the first sites ever mined for copper in the new world. This is where the famous "Ontonagon Boulder" was discovered that now resides in the National Museum of Natural Science at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Four buildings have so far been restored, two boarding houses, a single family dwelling, and a bachelors and others are in the midst of reconstruction in a location formerly called Finn Town. Built nearly 100 years ago, these hand-hewn logs cabins served as housing for the miners at the Victoria Copper Mine and guided tours are available to take visitors through the rooms furnished with period antiques reminiscent of the men and women who once lived there.

Visitor information, photos and more can be found at the following sites:
Exploring the North - -Old Victoria Visitor Information

Keweenaw Heritage Sites - via the National Parks Service Website

Old Victoria Restoration - Fall Foliage Color Tour from SuperiorTrails.com

Wilderness Tractor Ride - Old Victoria to Twin Lakes & Back

Old Victoria at CopperCountry.com

Many more Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

Eben6119 by ETCphoto

The Chicago Sun-Times has a cool feature on ice climbing and the annual Michigan Ice Fest by Felicia Schneiderhan. The Ice Fest is held in Munising (home to over 100 climbable waterfalls) and celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. Schneiderhan says:

Ice festivals are great for beginners since the cost of admission -- $25 for the Michigan Ice Fest -- includes use of the necessary and pricey gear: crampons, boots, pick axes and harness. (Helmets and eye protection are a must for falling ice, and you usually can borrow them at the climbing site.)

Event sponsors often let you try out clothing like snow pants, gloves and belay jackets. Classes are available for an extra fee, or you can try your luck at the "Curtains," a popular site where dozens of climbers can help a newcomer.

Read Upper Peninsula, Mich.: Faster, stronger, better: Climbers brave wall of ice in test of wills at Michigan festival in the Sun-Times, get a bunch of photos of climbing the ice in the Munising area on Michigan in Pictures and learn more about the Michigan Ice Fest from Downwind Sports (the 2009 Ice Fest will take place Jan 31- Feb 2, 2009).