“King of the Toy Train World”

For more than one hundred years, Lionel trains have been a favorite toy. Originally founded in New York City in 1900 by inventor Joshua Lionel Cowen, the company now resides in Michigan.

This photo dates from about the early 1930s. The train is identified as a Lionel - based on comparisons of the switches, signal, trucks, track gauges, etc. with contemporary Lionel catalogs.

Cowen designed his first train, the Electric Express, not as a toy but as a display for selling toys. Demand soon turned the train into a toy.

It was at this time that Cowen’s superior marketing abilities made their impact. Cowen is responsible for linking toy trains to the Christmas season. It was Cowen’s idea to include toy trains as part of crèche displays. Later, incredible showroom and department store displays would leave every young boy wanting toy trains for Christmas, and toy trains remain popular Christmas gifts today. Colorful annual catalogs also enticed buyers.

By the 1920s, Lionel was the king of the toy train world. It was during this period that Lionel produced some of their most beautiful trains. The locomotives and rolling stock were highly detailed.

Lionel ceased toy production during World War II and manufactured items for national defense.

“A Real Estate Developer Who Loved Toy Trains”

In 1971, Lionel moved to Mt. Clemens, Michigan, but the company experienced hard times. In 1986, Richard P. Kughn, a real estate developer in Detroit who loved toy trains from the time he was seven years old, bought Lionel Trains. The sales and quality of the trains improved dramatically.

Kughn once talked about his passion for toy trains. “I was walking home from school on trash day. There was a trash barrel out in front of a house with a train sticking out on top. I didn’t know much about trains or toy trains at the time, but it intrigued me so I pulled all the pieces out, including the tracks and the transformer. I took it home, and my dad helped me clean it up. We worked on it and put it on the ping-pong table in the basement, and it ran.”

Kughn said “If you’re happy in what you’re doing, in creating, putting things together, watching things happen in front of your eyes because of your efforts, it makes you smile. . .and time goes by rapidly when you play with toy trains—that’s happiness.”

In 1995, Kughn sold the company. Today, it is located in Chesterfield, Michigan.

Seeking Michigan would like to thank the following for consultation on the photo above:

Peter Magoun, Trains and Things Hobbies, Traverse City, Michigan
Mark Cowles, Lansing Area N-Trak Model Railroad Club
Various members of the National Model Railroad Association

You can click to visit Lionel Trains, and here's a blast from the past - The Wonderful World of Trains from Lionel Trains.

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northern lights, clare county MI by ats8110

Last night our Michigan Northern Lights Log got over 2 dozen reports from the region of sightings - follow the link to subscribe via RSS. Here's the skinny on last night's Auroral Amazement via Michigan in Pictures...

Michigan was treated to an amazing show of Northern Lights as the skies exploded in red, green, white and even blues and yellows of the best display of the Aurora Borealis in years. Our Michigan Northern Lights Log and Flickr group lit up with photos and reports.

There were places you would expect – Marquette, the Keweenaw Peninsula, Escanaba – but also reports from literally EVERYWHERE in Michigan: Bath, Bellaire, Big Rapids, Blanchard, Clare, Charlotte, Charlevoix, Clark Lake, Coldwater Lake, East Leland, Frankfort, Fostoria, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lapeer, Leelanau County, Lenawee County, Mecosta, Mikado, Mulliken, Ottawa County, Onsted, Pontiac, Petoskey, Reading, Saginaw, Stockbridge, Tecumseh, Traverse City, Unionville, Whitehall & White Lake. People even checked in with reports from Pittsburgh, Indiana & Ohio.

Definitely click through to Michigan in Pictures for a sweet set of photos of the Northern Lights over Lake Superior. There's also all kinds of great info in the Northern Lights category including . Check out this great video of the Northern Lights from East Martin, MI by lakefxnet:

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Petoskey Stone Polish Project by Odalaigh

The 6th annual Antrim County  Petoskey Stone Festival takes place on May 28, 2011 in Barnes Park in Eastport. Admission to this festival will be FREE to one and all!

About Petoskey Stones

Petoskey stones are composed of fossilized skeletons of colony corals which lived their lifespan in the warm sea waters that at one time covered all of what is now the beautiful state of Michigan during ancient Devonian time, some 350 million years ago. Outcrops of these rocks are restricted to the Little Traverse Bay area near Petoskey, Michigan. Glaciers that covered Michigan about two million years ago plucked Petoskey stones as well as many other kinds of rocks and distributed them over Michigan and surrounding areas. Most of the Petoskey stones found along beaches and in gravels have already been rounded and smoothed by glacial and water action. Many of these are suitable for hand polishing and will often take a high polish. Occasionally a Petoskey stone will be found in "rough" form that has not been subjected to smoothing by glacial or wave action. The sample shown above is a fine example of a "rough" Petoskey. It was found in the limestone quarry at Charlevoix. In 1965, it was named the state stone of Michigan.

Petoskey Stone Resources from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The Petoskey Stone - Some history, lore and facts about the "Petoskey Stone" (very thorough document)

At the Quarry, The Petoskey Stone Tells Its Story

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Elberta Beach During the Hang Gliding Heydays by jimflix!

A few weeks ago on Michigan in Pictures we featured this great photo of hang gliding at Elberta Beach (Frankfort) in the 1970s. Frankfort & Elberta on Lake Michigan was a hang gliding and soaring hotspot in the 1970s and earlier. Here's a shot of sailplanes in the 1930s, a little Frankfort-Elberta Area Hang Gliding information and a video of present-day hang-gliding at Green Point Dunes (just south of Frankfort - read more about Green Point)

Another great spot is Warren Dunes in Southwest Michigan (there is a company that can take you gliding at Warren Dunes). You don't even need dunes or cliffs at Cloud 9 Aerotow in Webberville.

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Aurora by Muvv

Over on Michigan in Pictures there's a post about the 2010 Perseid Meteor  Shower which peaks tonight (August 12, 2010). Check there for viewing information about this shower which can produce in excess of 50 meteors per hour. Last year on Michigan in Pictures, we noted that the July/August shower which is associated with Comet Swift-Tuttle is also known as The Tears of St. Lawrence:

Laurentius, a Christian deacon, is said to have been martyred by the Romans in 258 AD on an iron outdoor stove. It was in the midst of this torture that Laurentius cried out: “I am already roasted on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on the other.”

The saint's death was commemorated on his feast day, Aug. 10. King Phillip II of Spain built his monastery place the “Escorial,” on the plan of the holy gridiron. And the abundance of shooting stars seen annually between approximately Aug. 8 and 14 have come to be known as St. Lawrence's “fiery tears.”

Stories like that always make me wonder why the phrase "mean as a Roman" isn't more popular. Persieds aren't the only thing lighting up the sky recently. Michigan in Pictures also featured a post about the early August Northern Lights. The photographer was featured in the CNN video below, and another Michigan in Pictures regular Shawn Malone was featured in this National Geographic photo feature about how that Huge Solar Storm Triggered Unusual Auroras. So take a look up in that Michigan sky tonight with friends and family - it'll be well worth it!

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Cribbage Pegs by the photoshoparama

The American Cribbage Congress will be holding the Grand National 28 in Grand Rapids on September 25–27, 2009. In addition, the Grass Roots Tournament of Champions will be held on Friday, September 25. Entrants who want to play Grass Roots cribbage on Monday–Thursday nights will have plenty of opportunity, for Michigan boasts thirteen Grass Roots clubs.

All events will be held at the same location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, located near the airport on the southeast side of town (5700 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids MI 49546). A special cribbage rate is available for all GN players (make reservations by calling 800.227.6963).

The event received a nice writeup in the Grand Rapids Press on mlive.com titled - Cribbage tournament brings nation's best players to Grand Rapids in battle for cash

It's the first time this Who's Who battle of card sharks has visited the state. For cribbage groupies, it's a chance to see De Lynn Colvert, of Missoula, Mont., who is billed as the greatest player in the cribbage universe.

Ace cribbage players are sticklers for the rules, but the state's mightiest wooden board warrior said all is fair in friendly banter.

While game code is sacred and “timber haulers” are despicable, that doesn't stop experts from serving up a tall tales and trash talk.

These human calculators “love to drink, play cards and tell lies,” said Jeff Shimp, 70, of Grand Haven, who holds the imposing title of Life Master One Star in cribbage circles.

The tournament is expected to draw about 350 cribbage players from across the country. They will battle for bragging rights and a top prize of about $1,500, depending on the event's take. Other tournaments, including more than a dozen satellite tournaments, kicked off Friday at the hotel.

mlive.com also has another feature with Muskegon cribbage board collector Dan Betz who 450 boards many of which were crafted by the Drueke Co., founded in Grand Rapids in 1914 and now is located in Ludington.

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Red, White and Chrome Dream Cruise by kelley girl

The 15th annual Woodward Dream Cruise happens this Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. It's billed as the world's largest one-day celebration of car culture, and with more 1.7 million visitors and over than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles, it delivers. Be sure to check out their Woodward Dream Cruise history page!

Speaking of history, Michigan in Pictures has an excerpt from Cruisin' the Original: Woodward Avenue from Arcadia Publishing that features some excellent photos from the 1950s. Did someone say photos? Check out this Flickr slideshow of Woodward Dream Cruise photos.

The Detroit News are official sponsors of the event and are featuring extensive Woodward Dream Cruise coverage of the activities, photo galleries, live video on Cruise day and live blogging as the event unfolds. Do not miss their Interactive: Your guide to the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Absolute Michigan's video correspondents Scott Allman and Jim McClain visited the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2008 and got some great shots of the cars along with interviews with the interesting and colorful characters that make up the world's largest one-day car event:

It's definitely worth clicking over to see the high quality version.

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July 23-26, 2009 the TrainFestival 2009 rolls into Owosso. The Steam Railroading Institute is hosting the event and says:

Steam and Diesel Locomotives from around the country will be on display for visitors to tour the cabs, take photos, watch demonstrations and much more. Huge model train layouts will be on display including a massive all-Lego model train. Railroad vendors from around the globe will have unique items for purchase that you won't find any where else. Families will be able to take an all day excursion or shorter one-hour train ride behind various vintage locomotives. For the thrill seeking visitor, you will even be able to pull the throttle and blow the whistle on one of these steam locomotives. Scaled down miniature trains will be hauling passengers around the grounds of the event as well.

One of the trains on hand will be Daylight 4449 (photo courtesy Wikipedia) - the last remaining operable locomotive from the art deco era and the trail that was selected to pull the American Freedom Train for the Bicentennial in '76 (click the picture to see bigger). You can learn all about it at that link and even follow along with its progress towards Owosso via their twitter feed.

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After tallying the votes from an enormous number of submissions we have identified our winner. Drum roll please......

"I moved from Michigan to Florida this January for work. People said "Florida in the winter....wow, you're lucky" and "you got a job in this economy, man, you're lucky". Well let me tell you something my Michigan friends....you can take a man out of Flint, but you'll never take the Flintstone out of the Man. Give me one excuse to leave this this oceanside resort for a reunion with the best people in the world, my Michigander soul people, and I won't be taking Interstate 75 south again. This Michigan Man is ready to find a way to join all the spirited people celebrating our nations birth with some Great Times in the Great Lakes.....and I thank you absolutemichigan.com for bringing me home!!! Say Yeah to Rothbury, the best music line up of the year....Say Yes to Me in M!ch!gan!!!"

Stace S

Rothbury Snoop Dogg Crowd by Dave Vann

We are pleased to announce that just as we did last year we are having another Rothbury Ticket Giveaway thanks to the very generous festival organizers. This year we will be giving away a pair of 4 day GA Tickets camping included!

Tickets can still be purchased and just like last year's Rothbury Festival they are offering a variety of packages to suit all lifestyles. Unique to this year's festival are the 2 day Saturday & Sunday tickets.

About the Rothbury Music Festival

This year the Rothbury Music Festival takes place July 2-5, 2009 in Rothbury, Michigan (near Muskegon). Four days of music on six stages feature some of the biggest musical acts around including THE DEAD • BOB DYLAN AND HIS BAND • THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT • WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY • THE BLACK CROWES • DAMIAN 'JR. GONG' MARLEY & NAS • STS9 • G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE • GOV'T MULE • UMPHREY'S MCGEE • BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE • YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND • and about a jillion others!

The festival also will be showcasing "Circus & Theater", a feature that demonstrates the festival's commitment to the performing arts and theatrical culture.

All kinds of interesting Environments & Experiences where you can wander through the Sherwood Forest and stumble upon its many mysteries. Put your hands on some great new gadgets and games at the Festival's Epicenter or wake up and get loose in a unique yoga journey.

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.

Rothbury in Video and Pictures

Checkout more Rothbury videos on their YouTube channel!

There is also this awesome slideshow from Rothbury 2008 via Flickr...

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Across cultures, the bloom of the cherry tree is revered. In both China and Japan, annual celebrations mark this special time in the growing season. The delicate, short-lived blossom symbolizes the temporariness of human life. In the span of a growing season, an orchard in bloom lasts the equivalent length of a sunrise; you glance momentarily at the sun peeking over the horizon, while sipping morning coffee. Before long, this fiery orb fills the sky and you return to your oatmeal as if nothing miraculous happened at all.

As breathtaking as a sunrise, the blossoming cherry trees have this same potential for being overlooked. Without fanfare the blossoms emerge, signaling the start of the annual growing season and fortelling the fruits to come. High off the ground, this delicate flower begins growing as the unpredictable north leaves them susceptible to devastating frosts. At the end of their short lives, the blossoms sprinkle to the ground and cover the ground as snow and then return again to the earth.

The Leelanau Peninsula is known for its cherries, and the opportunity to witness the gorgeous spring bouquets of blossoms bursting in the orchards is here and now. Check out the 2009 Cherry Blossom Tour this weekend or make a date to tour the area. No reservations are required, but this show runs for a limited time only and will not be back again until 2010!

Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2 eggs
* 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats
* 1 cup dried cherries
* 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 °.

Beat butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture just until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in oats, cherries, and chocolate.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until bottom edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

These may also be made into bar cookies. Press the dough into a lightly greased 13?x 9? baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Photos: Blossom, Barn & Blue Sky and Blue Sky & Blossoms by Andrew McFarlane. You can click both of them for background-big pictures!

Article courtesy of Leelanau.com

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The photo featured today shows a cluster of nests at a Michigan heronry and was shot by Sentrawoods.

Sentrawoods. adds:

This location was shown to me by my local flickr friend gerrybuckel. If you enlarge this you'll see seven maybe eight heron's nesting. I plan on getting much closer in the days to come.

The Department of Natural Resources tells us:

Sometimes confused with the sandhill crane; the heron is smaller and flies with its neck folded back, while cranes fly with their neck extended. Great blue herons are commonly seen in small suburban wetlands (cranes are generally less tolerant of close presence). Herons feed on fish, frogs, and other small animals, captured by a quick jab of the beak. They nest in colonies, usually building their stick platform nests in trees in lowland hardwood swamps. In recent years many rookeries have been displaced by shoreline development or timber cutting. Every attempt must be made to preserve known nesting sites if these beautiful birds are to remain common in Michigan's wetlands.

This photo is part of his Nature & Woods set (slideshow). His other sets include Holloway Reservoir, Mushrooms & Fungi, Technical & Engineering and Animals & Things. Here's his Flickriver.

For more pictures of blue herons check out the Flickr group Citizen Science: Great Blue Heron.

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The Kalamazoo Astronomical Society will co-sponsor simultaneous 100HA events on both April 3rd and 4th with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kingman Museum of Battle Creek as part of the International Astronomical Union's “100 Hours of Astronomy” celebration by inviting the public to take a closer look at what's up there --- way, way, way up there. This event takes place just when the Moon goes from First Quarter to Waxing Gibbous, good phases for early evening observing. Saturn will be the other highlight of early evening observing events.

Using much more sophisticated and technical equipment than Galileo had in 1609, society members and museum staff will point their telescopes to provide views of the moon, the vast plains called Maria, chains of mountains and craters. Further east, the planet Saturn will come into focus, revealing the rings that remained a mystery to Galileo.

Eric Schreur, the museum's planetarium coordinator, said the free stargazing will begin at 8 p.m. on both that Friday and Saturday, and continue until people's eyes grow tired of the celestial sights.

The concept of “100 Hours of Astronomy” is derived from the fact that, beginning on the evening of April 2, backyard stargazers around the world will set up their telescopes to give public audiences the chance to look up close and personal skyward.

As the earth turns into its shadow, observers in different cities will keep a continuous watch on the night sky until four days have elapsed. Major observatories around the world will participate by streaming webcasts to audiences in distant cities.

Throughout the four-day period, somewhere around the earth a telescope will be aimed into the night sky.

Another IYA goal is to have millions of people viewing the night sky through telescopes of their own.

Some people have telescopes buried in a closet or garage. The Telescope Amnesty Program invites people to bring them to IYA events, including those at the museum, where experienced stargazers can demonstrate how to set them up, or tune them for better performance.

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It's definitely worth clicking over to see the high quality version.

2008 Woodward Dream Cruise by Wigwam Jones

Another must see view of the event is Ann Arbor photographer Anne Savage's panoramic photos as featured in the Detroit News.

The folks at GMnext have informed us that to celebrate 100 years of great cars and trucks, GM assembled 106 legendary cars driven by GM employees, retirees and enthusiasts on Woodward during the Woodward Dream Cruise. Check out the GM Century Cruise Parade video at GMnext.com.

About the Dream Cruise

The Woodward Dream Cruise is billed as the world's largest one-day celebration of car culture, and with more 1.7 million visitors and over than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles, it delivers.

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Chim-Chim by jnhkrawczyk

The word of the week this week is toy. If you don't want to end up with the 2007 version of Chim-Chim (or some toy that ends up being recalled for lead), why not try and take it more local this year?

A few of the cool links we found are Down to Earth Toys, the Michigan Toy Soldier Co., the Enerdyne Science & Nature store and the Lionel Train Company, which is located in Chesterfield, Michigan. What we'd really like to hear about in the comments is any cool places you've found that make or sell toys along with any Michigan gift ideas for kids!

If you're interested in making a needy child's holiday a little brighter, think about using one of the many Toys for Tots drop-offs.

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The Drueke Company was founded in 1914 in Grand Rapids, filling the gap left when World War I made it impossible to get European chess boards. The company was purchased in 1990 by The Carrom Company of Ludington. They are still producing wooden games today. In addition to cribbage boards, they also sell backgammon, dominos, checkers, game boxes, chess tables and wooden accessories - all made in Michigan from walnut, maple and aspen.

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This morning, practically as I watched, the photodometer on the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr rolled over to 15,000.

The photo from Detroit International River Days maybe wasn't as dramatic as some of the others Connie (One Foot Over the Moon) added this morning (such as this one of the RenCen). It does however, showcase one of the great things about Connie's photography and that of other folks in group: they bring you real scenes of Michigan. It may not always be "pure", but it is absolutely and undeniably Michigan.

We're so grateful that they share their photos, and happy that we can share them with all of you.

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Watch Sicko online ... if you want

After I read this interview with Michigan's most controversial filmmaker Michael Moore where he says he has no idea how his new documentary about the health care industry got on the internet, and that he's "...just happy that people get to see my movies," I figured it would be OK to link to a site where you can watch Sicko online. Here's the link to the official Sicko web site and also Absolute Michigan keyword theater (if you want to watch it with someone else making the popcorn).

The Birds of Brush Park

Bootstrap Analysis takes a visit to Detroit's Brush Park neighborhood to survey for birds and feed an interest in Detroit history. In addition to picking up some surprising birds - a Cooper's Hawk being pursued by an American Kestrel, and two different Gray Catbirds defending their territories - there's also a lot of photos and information on what was once the city's most posh neighborhood.

Brush Park - 291 Edmund Place

While I was tempted to trot out the ever-popular Old Slumpy today, I thought it best to choose a photo that shows the revitalization of Brush Park. The condos pictured are available to rent at edmundplace.com. Zunzuncito has a set of Brush park photos and also runs the blog Urban Dragon Hunters (about dragonflies of SE Michigan).

Michigan wines are a growth industry

In her new Michigan Grapevine blog, Cari Noga says that rather than counting the number of wineries in the state (50 or so), the best measure of success and growth is the total amount of wine these wineries are producing. In 1996, Michigan wineries made about 82,000 cases. 10 years later, we've seen almost a tenfold increase, up to 404,276 cases. She also notes that Michigan's share of wine sold within the state is increasing as well (though not at the rate of overall production). Read How much wine are we talking about, anyway?.

Fremont, Michigan

As with most of Michigan, the Fremont forecast calls for a good chance of much-needed rain. The City of Fremont (pop. 4200 or so) is located less than an hour from Grand Rapids and the Lake Michigan shore (view Google map). The Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce says that Fremont is home to the world's largest baby food company, Gerber Products. In fact, they have a National Babyfood Festival every July which Absolute Michigan keyword Fremont thinks is the coolest thing to do. For the insatiably curious, Wikipedia's Fremont entry describes how Fremont became home to Gerber Products.

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DigitalSkyPilot.Com took some great aerial photos taken with a kite-mounted camera at the Grand Haven Kite Festival.

Click to see his photos from the Grand Haven Kite Festival.

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KITES! by yerffej9

(updated April 9, 2008!) The annual Great Lakes Kite Festival will be held May 16-18, 2008 at Grand Haven State Park in Grand Haven, Michigan. The event benefits the Children's Leukemia Foundation and features:

• Giant kites including the Giant Octopus and Trilobite kites (over 90 feet long)
• Demonstration field featuring kite ballets, performances and stunt kite exhibitions from some of the nation's finest kite teams
• Kiteboarding exhibition by the Naish Kiteboarding Team and Joe Bidawid
• Test flights of the latest and greatest kites and free kite seminars
• Indoor kite flying friday night and a night flight on Saturday
• Fighter Kite Competiton
• Moonwalk and obstacle course in the family fun tent

You can get the complete scoop on the Great Lakes Kite Festival from Mackinaw Kites. For more about Grand Haven, check out Absolute Michigan keyword Grand Haven. You can also visit the Grand Haven State Park page and click for a map to Grand Haven SP from Google.

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I don't know what to say about Bootstrap Analysis. According to its author, nuthatch, the term came from a German legend of a man who pulled himself from the sea by his bootstraps and "bootstrapping" is the evolution of progressively better adapted organs through natural selection. She says that testing reality by repeated experiences, the evolution of ideas through regular writings and working to move forward (at times by sheer force of will) are all part of her blog.

If you see a baby bird, resist the temptation to pick it up and take it home. The vast majority of these birds are not orphans. Invariably, the ones that are "rescued" by well-meaning people end up dying because the folks that bring them home are like the proverbial dog that caught the bumper. Once they catch it, they have no idea what to do with it.
- what to do if you find a baby bird

For some of these people, the temptation to see if they can get up on a bird and perhaps get at least a decent shot seems to preclude good behavior and common sense. I'm tempted too, but as you can see from my shots I don't give in!
-misbehaving (bird photography ethics)

From bird censusing (with pictures) to book reviews to a healthy dose of google-goofiness, I think you'll find this blog a fascinating closer look at the natural world.

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BuickElectra 225 by upthedubs1

Hollywood stars Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson will be filming a new movie in Michigan in the coming months, and they are hoping for some Michigan classic car owners to step forward and help out.

The film, Semi-Pro, is due to be shot in parts of Detroit and Flint in late April early May. The Lansing State Journal has the full scoop on the comedy set in the 1970's.

Specifically, the crew is looking for

• a white 1970 Cadillac DeVille convertible with a white interior
• a school bus, any other color than yellow
• large delivery and beverage trucks or moving vans to hide things the director doesn't want filmed.

If you can lend a hand to the folks in Hollywood, email them with your car's make and model, and a photo if possible.

As always, stay tuned to Absolute Michigan for the very latest!

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You get Red Dog Knits, a heart-warming, often funny, daily glimpse into the life of Kris and her menagerie of adorable pets (count - 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 fish) and two baby boys.

Here's an excerpt from one of the latest posts titled Bloggers Unite:

Well, it finally happened - Kelli of Knitter Bunny and host of the Dutchican Virtual Shower and I reunited in real life. Otis was quite fond of her and insisted on a photo to add to his portfolio. Face to face conversation which included a nice short-row tutorial on a napkin at Fiesta Charro was had. The internet is really quite a powerful invention - wish I had in graduate school - don't even get me started about the zillions of trees that were killed as I made copies of microfiches for my thesis. Sadly, some of you who read this may not even know what a microfiche is. Plus, I walked uphill both ways in the chilling cold to get to the library.

Whether it's learning a new pattern, showing off Otis in the season's latest knitting coture, or sharing tips on how new moms can maintain their sanity, Red Dog Knits is one blog you won't want to miss.

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The current version of Introduce Your Michigan Business or Organization is right there.

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If anyone happens to see the northern lights in Michigan (or nearby) please scroll down to post a comment to alert others who are subscribed to the comments. Likewise, if you take (or find) photos of Michigan northern lights, post links to them too! You can subscribe to this post by RSS!

For a lot more on the aurora borealis including photos, links and auroral activity forecasts, check out Northern Lights on Michigan in Pictures. Also see the Aurora Page at Michigan Tech.

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Winter Cabin by tgrabb

Kristi Kates of the Northern Express has a column that offers some strategies for surviving winter in Michigan. As the current issue of the Express also dashed my hopes that Sugar Loaf (our local and long-shuttered ski resort) would open this winter, I find that I am more interested in finding ways to enjoy more than the daily shoveling-cardio.

In addition to old standbys like winter sports and board games, she suggests having a party with a far-off (and warmer) place as the "setting" and organizing your own workshops. Makes me think that I should convince one of our hotel clients to host a photography workshop this winter...

Got some ideas or links to fun winter stuff? Post a comment or send us an email.

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GN-Leonids-2001 by Kirk Puuohau-Pummill

From Space.com: Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected Nov. 18:

If you live in Western Europe or eastern North America, put a big circle on your calendar around Saturday, Nov. 18. If that night is clear, bundle up warmly and head outside because you may be able to catch a glimpse of an intense, albeit brief display of Leonid meteors.

The Leonids are composed of the dusty debris that has been shed by the comet Temple-Tuttle, a small celestial body that orbits the Sun at 33-year intervals. In those years during and then for several years after the comet has swept through the inner solar system, it has had a propensity for producing spectacular meteor displays; meteors falling by the hundreds, if not thousands per hour.

These "shooting stars" all apparently emanate from the constellation of Leo, the Lion. Hence the name "Leonids."

Great! The article also adds that meteor watching is easy: forget about binoculars or telescopes, just go to the darkest place you can with a clear view of the eastern horizon and look up. I can do that! Now one question: Is Michigan in that eastern part where they can be seen or the central part where they can't?

At various other sites I learned...

• It's impossible to see the Leonids before 9:30 PM and hard to see them even before 11 (after midnight is the best)
• The Leonids are the fastest meteors of every shower because they come straight at us and that they leave long-lasting trails.
• There's a new moon then so viewing will be perfect. Somewhere.
• The Leonids are an annual meteor shower. However, there will be no Leonids at all in either 2033 or 2066.
• Although the peak is Nov. 18, you can see some meteors between Nov. 13-20.
• The University of Michigan Lowbrow Astronomers had a couple of member-written articles. I'm mostly noting them down here for a future feature.

I did finally think to "surf local" and found an article called The Meteoric Gales of November by northern Michigan astronomer and radio program Ephemeris host Bob Moler.

Nov. 18. Leonid Meteor Shower. At 11:45 p.m. the earth is calculated to pass through the debris trail of Comet Tempel-Tuttle's 1932 passage near the sun. Comets shed material when they pass close to the sun. This comet's orbit passes very close to the earth. From Northern Michigan the radiant point, from which the meteors will seem to come will have just risen in the east.

Since northern lower Michigan is pretty far west, I assume that most of the state will be able to see the shower. I'll email Bob and ask him! I guess I should have looked there first. Of course then I wouldn't have found out about the 2033 and 2066 thing.
I should also note that the photos are from Calgary, CA and Mauna Kea Gemini. I couldn't find and Michigan photos and when you're dealing with a space-based phenomena, it seems that Alberta or Hawaii might be close enough. SPACE.com did say they will provide a detailed viewer's guide to the 2006 Leonid meteor shower on Nov. 17. I'm really hoping some astronomy buff can answer it sooner for me in the comments!

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