farlane

[farlane]

Looking around at Chapel Beach

Chapel Beach Storm by Gary McCormick Although we were just in the neighborhood on Monday for the Seven Wonders of Michigan, but when Gary shared this photo of a storm rolling into Chapel Beach. yesterday, I couldn’t resist encouraging you to take a look around at one of my favorite Michigan hikes! The river you see in the foreground is the Chapel River that flows from Chapel Falls (pictured…

[farlane]

Keep your eyes on the road

Shepherding School Bus by Mike Sherman Michigan Artist “Everyone is in awe of the lion tamer in a cage with half a dozen lions. Everyone but a school bus driver.” -Laurence J. Peter Just a little reminder that all Michigan schools are back in session so keep your eyes on the road & your head in the game! Mike took this a few Septembers ago in Isabella County. See the latest on his Flickr!

[farlane]

7 Wonders of Michigan: Chapel Rock edition

Chapel Rock by Craig Sterken Photography Michigan has some truly incredible sights, but I have to think that Chapel Rock in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore belongs at or near the top of any list of the 7 Wonders of Michigan. Apparently I started to compile a list back in 2015 & added Mackinac Island’s Arch Rock to it. Let’s add Chapel Rock as well. If you have suggestions for the list,…

[farlane]

Bridge to the North

Mackinac Bridge, photo by Dan Moran If you want to call this the world’s most beautiful bridge, you’ll get no argument from me. View Dan’s photo background bigtacular and settle into his slideshow for a couple more amazing shots from Michigan. Then – because everyone needs a vacation every so often – keep watching for some jaw-dropping pics from Alaska. Seriously: wow, wow, WOW. There’s lots more…

[farlane]

Early fall color at Chapel Rock

IMG_4776, photo by John Clement Howe Around the end of September every year the request start to roll in regarding the state of fall color around Michigan, so it’s great to have photos like this one from last Wednesday to point them to! It shows one of my personal Seven Wonders of Michigan, Chapel Rock in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. View John’s photo bigger and see more in his Pictured…

[farlane]

Seagulls probably live longer than you think

Herring and Ring-billed Gulls by John Dykstra Recently, I was more than a little shaken to that seagulls can live for DECADES! All About Birds shares that the oldest recorded American Herring Gull was at least 29 years, 3 months old when it was seen in the wild in Michigan in 2015 and identified by its band, and they have reportedly lived as many as FIFTY YEARS in captivity. Also, while they…

[farlane]

Sunset on a steamy summer

Steaming into Sunset by Diann Summer is pretty much in the books, and Fox 2 Detroit shares that Summer 2025 was a hot one for a unique reason that bodes poorly for our future: Because the summer of 2025 is not over, it’s not included in the rankings. But as of Aug. 14, the average daily temperature is 74.3 degrees – making it one of the hottest. Here’s the difference: this year’s overnight…

[farlane]

It's officially Fall. Deal with it.

Upper Bond Falls by Bill Hendricks The good people at Michigan Storm Chasers share that Monday, September 1st marks the beginning of meteorological fall which is distinct from astronomical fall which happens at the equinox on the 21st. They say it aligns better with our actual weather patterns and I (and the weather this year) agree with them. Storm Chasers are a great follow on Facebook or…

[farlane]

Starry Night at Frankfort Light

Starry Night at Frankfort Lighthouse by Watermark Photography “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night” -Vincent Van Gogh Such a gorgeous shot of the Frankfort Lighthouse! Head over to Jeff’s A Little Night Music gallery on Smugmug to view & purchase this and other work & also follow Watermark Photography on Facebook.

[farlane]

Big Penny celebrates munching her 100th truck!

Number 98 by STUPID – Lansing Back in May, we introduced you to Big Penny, Lansing’s Truck Munching Bridge & now she’s back to show the Mighty Mac it’s not the only bridge making news. This diminutive 12-foot tall bridge has taken some big bites over the years – so many that as of May 1, 2025 she had snacked on 87 semis since counting began in 2004. Despite the added exposure Penny has been on…

[farlane]

Almost time for the 2025 Mackinac Bridge Walk!

Walking by Margaret Waggoner One of Michigan’s annual traditions is the Mackinac Bridge Walk that takes place every year on Labor Day morning. The Mackinac Bridge Authority shares that there’s no fee or registration to participate, and you may start walking from either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace any time after the Governor’s party starts the walk at approximately 7am (from St Ignace). You can’t…

[farlane]

Law & Order: Back to School Edition

1931 Ford Model AA School Bus in Greenfield Village by Steve Brown (in memorium) mLive shares that the decision to start the school year before or after Labor Day has long been a point of debate in Michigan due to the need for student workers in the hospitality & agricultural sectors. Even though the law requiring schools to start post-Labor Day passed 20 years ago, most Michigan schools are…

[farlane]

The Goldenrod Spider didn't bite Frank Carter

Goldenrod Spider by Gowtham Cathy Griffin of the Traverse Area Historical Society shared a little news from 120 years ago in 1905: FRANK CARTER, local resident who had been in Chicago and Grand Rapids during the summer, returned Monday night being ill from the poisonous effects of a spider which walked over his arm, leaving a poisonous track at every step. Last week, while lying on the ground…

[farlane]

Spend the weekend Hanging Out

Hanging Out by Stephen Trynoski Stephen took this at Lac la Belle Marina WAAAAYYYY up north in Michigan on the Keweenaw Peninsula. You can click to see this on the Flickr photo map and see more in his Boats gallery on Flickr. Hope you get to spend at least a little time hanging out before summer is gone!

[farlane]

Reflections on the Ludington North Breakwater Light

Ludington North Breakwater Light by Brad Reed The entry for Ludington North Breakwater Light at Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light details a ton of the history of this lighthouse including the reason for its interesting appearance: Over the summer of 1924, a unique structure took shape at the end of the North Breakwater. The main tower, fabricated of steel plates over an internal steel skeleton,…

[farlane]

Sergei Ferderov's Number 91 rising to the rafters!

Sergei Ferderov 91 on TCF Center by Detroit Red Wings/Allison Farrand / Ilitch Sports The Detroit Red Wings shared these pictures from around the city to announce that they will retire the #91 jersey of all star & multiple Stanley Cup winner Sergei Federov on January 12, 2026. Federov remains the all time scoring & assist leader among Russian-born hockey players so I honestly thought they had…

[farlane]

The Scent of Pure Michigan

Vineyard with a View by Mark Smith National Public Radio shares that Pure Michigan has a new partnership to develop fragrances inspired by some of the signature scents of Michigan including its beaches, flowers and vineyards. You can listen to the NPR feature below & learn more about the fragrances at the Aroma Labs. You can also tell us what you think some great Michigan fragrances are to…