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Seeking Michigan presents a video of the "modern timber harvest" from the 1950s by Walter Hastings. I haven't even watched the whole thing but I already know that you'll want to! The film describes how wood is cut and delivered to the mill ... with a lengthy interlude about life at a logging camp including the food loggers ate at camp.
Kids, I think you can get extra credit for showing this to your teacher.
Timber Harvest from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.
Jumping over the sun by Ashley Dinges
Here's a few highlights of the many events being held around Michigan for the month of January. A lot of them are out in the snow for snowmobiles, skates, skis and sled dogs, but there's also a chance to heat up with the Ann Arbor Folk Fest, Ferndale Blues and the Detroit Auto Show. The weatherman says there's a 100% chance we didn't get them all so please add links and information for those we missed along with reviews of ones we list in the comments below!
January is named for Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) - January is the door to the year. - Wikipedia
"New Year ceremonies are designed to get rid of the past and to welcome the future." - New Year's Customs
"The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!" - Edward Payson Powell
All Month
Ice Skate Campus Martius Park - Detroit
Skating among the skyscrapers at Campus Martius Park. At 64 feet by 120 feet, it's a bit larger than the Rink at Rockefeller Center and showcases surround-sound music and color-changing lighting. Skaters and visitors can enjoy a warming pavilion for renting and changing skates, as well as outdoor seating. The rink is open daily though March 15.
January 10
Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race - Newberry
We are again looking forward to pristine trail conditions over beautiful terrain. Each year we seem to get just the right amount of snowfall, and each year our trail crews do a fantastic job of preparing great racing conditions for all our classes.
January 11 - January 25
The North American International Auto Show - Detroit
In terms of sheer news impact, the North American International Auto Show 2009 is poised to keep pace with NAIAS 2008, which featured a total of 58 vehicle debuts—44 worldwide and 14 North American. You can expect plenty of thought-provoking new technologies and head-turning designs as well as across-the-board participation from international and domestic manufacturers alike. NAIAS 2009 plans to welcome more than 700,000 attendees including hundreds of celebrity names from all walks of life, nearly 7,000 international media from some 60 countries, and approximately 40,000 industry insiders from over 2,000 companies. In addition, we expect to meet or exceed the $6 million we raised last year for children’s charities at the annual black-tie Charity Preview. The North American International Auto Show 2009 is truly where the automotive world comes together.
January 12
Motown 50 (Motown's 50th Anniversary Celebration) - Detroit
A year long national celebration of the start of Motown Records on Jan 12, 1959, in Detroit and the following success of its many music artists.
January 16-18
Hunter Ice Festival - Niles
As the snow starts to fly and the holidays are upon us, it’s time to think Hunter Ice Festival 2009. The fifth annual Hunter Ice Festival, January 16 through January 18, is a free family event offering fun-filled activities from morning ‘til night.
January 16-18 & 23-25
Tip Up Town USA - Houghton Lake
It's hard to put into words how Tip Up Town USA has come to be the very description of winter fun and enjoyment for the whole family at Houghton Lake. Thousands of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and neighboring residents return each year to see this largest Winter Festival in Michigan, held annually the last two weekends in January. Whatever the weather, TUT will be fun, fun, fun all the way. There will be all the usual popular attractions - the carnival, parade, Polar Bear Dip, Family Fun Tent, Beverage Tent, crazy games and more! Plus, the Ice Fishing contests will be bigger and better than ever and we're adding Broomball this year!
January 17-18
Winter Warm-Up Weekend - Traverse City
Cabin Fever? Cooped up with the kids! If you are looking for an excuse to take a weekend getaway, then look no further! The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula (WOMP) has teamed up with peninsula area businesses for 2009’s WINTER WARM UP. Guests may visit any of the five Old Mission wineries between 12-5 to purchase a souvenir mug. This mug is your “ticket” into each participating winery and business on Old Mission, entitling you to mulled wine tasting, desserts, appetizers and other special promotions. On Saturday Jan 17, 2009 each of the wineries will have a special artistic/performance offering! Some peninsula area restaurants are offering special promotions when you present your mug.
January 21-25
Zehnder's Snowfest - Frankenmuth
Zehnder's Snowfest has been host to one of the top snow sculpting events in North America for the past 17 years. Visitors have enjoyed larger-than-life snow sculptures and beautifully detailed ice carvings each year. Zehnder's Snowfest 2009 will again dazzle and excite you with snow and ice sculptures created by professional ice and snow carvers from around the world. Zehnder's Snowfest is also host to the National Collegiate Ice Carving Championship and the High School Snow Sculpting Competition. In addition, Zehnder's Snowfest will have entertainment for the entire family in the warming tent, a fireworks display, petting zoo and children's activities. Plan now to attend Zehnder's Snowfest 2009!
January 23-31
Ferndale Blues Festival - Ferndale
Created to help combat "winter blues" and benefit local charities, this year marks the 8th annual festival and will be held at various venues over the span of 9 days. Each year, the Annual Ferndale Blues Festival donates 100% of proceeds to charity.
January 24
Subaru Noquemanon Ski Marathon and mBank Half Noque - Marquette
The MGH Noquemanon Ski Marathon and mBank Half Noque, both in their eleventh year, continue to attract cross country skiers from around the nation and around the world. Thousands of skiers have taken the 51K or 25K trek from Ishpeming, the birthplace of organized skiing and home to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame to Marquette’s Superior Dome, the world’s largest wooden domed stadium along the shores of Lake Superior.
January 24
Heikinpäivä - Hancock
Heikinpäivä is set for January 24, 2009, with events throughout the week leading up to the primary festival day, as well as the days immediately following. Organizers keep a watchful eye on the celebration's uniquely ethnic flavor and it features Finnish crafts, music, food, films and games. Although a Hancock City event, the Heikinpaiva spirit has spilled into neighboring communities from Calumet to South Range.
January 30-31
Ann Arbor Folk Festival - Ann Arbor
The Festival returns to Hill Auditorium for two dynamic and different nights of folk and roots music on Friday, January 30, and Saturday, January 31, beginning at 6:30 p.m. each night. In keeping with the Festival's longstanding reputation, each night will feature a blend of renowned and up-and-coming performers, providing audiences with the opportunity to hear popular artists working at the top of their field while discovering terrific new talent. All funds raised through the Festival benefit The Ark, Ann Arbor's non-profit home for folk, roots, and ethnic music.
Read a good article or blog post about Michigan? See a cool picture or video?
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Photo: You with the camera, enough pictures!! by Daylily18
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Head over to Michigan in Pictures and share your favorite Michigan fish. We'll give away some free tickets to next weekend's Ultimate Fishing Show in Novi as well!
The photo is Fly Fishing by Murtasma. |
Tina says she took this in the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge (a secret path to Narnia). Have a look at the Narnia pics from the Absolute Michigan pool.
She is a Cancer Survivor, Volkswagen fanatic, Animal lover, Kayaker who suggests:
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr. Seuss
You can view this photo bigger and check out her sets including Michigan Birds, Flowers and Pure Michigan (slideshow).
Follow the yellow leaf road by the pentax hammer
View it bigger
Absolute Michigan wishes
the very best in 2009
for you and yours.
We hope that you will
continue to help us tell
Michigan's many stories.
The last Wednesday of every month is a "Weird Wednesday" on Absolute Michigan, when Linda Godfrey brings you 100% of the USRDA of Michigan weirdness. You can listen to Linda's latest podcasts and read her blog at uncannyworld.com and also check out her books including Weird Michigan & Strange Michigan.
One consistently described feature of the Dog Man, an upright-walking canine many witnesses claim stalks the woods and roadsides of Michigan, is its size… usually six to seven feet tall on its hind legs. It stands to reason, then, that massive, wolfen creatures should be glimpsed or even bagged by hunters now and then. That is exactly what happened to a deer hunter named Eastman around noon on November 18, 1935, on the third day of deer hunting season. Eastman was hunting near Flint around Rhody Creek Trail, and despite good weather and a great layer of tracking snow, there were absolutely no deer to be seen.
Eastman soon found out why. He suddenly heard what sounded like “horses running,” and turned to see a massive timber wolf at a dead run. Eastman ended up shooting a wolf rather than a deer that day. He gutted it and dragged it into town to have it weighed and measured; it was 182 pounds even after gutting, and measured seven feet, 11 inches tall when measured hanging vertically. 
The creature stood 39 inches at the shoulder! It was considered such a magnificent specimen that the carcass was sent to the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh where it was mounted and displayed. The entire story of the great Flint Wolf was told in the Great Lakes Pilot, Vol. 3, No. 6, 2005. And Strange Michigan found a copy of it displayed in the North Star Tavern in Luther, the town known for Dog Man sightings and incidents. Click the image to the left to see the pic from the Pilot!
Excerpted by permission from Strange Michigan: More Michigan Weirdness, by Linda S. Godfrey and Lisa Shiel, 2008, Trails Books
The Timber Wolf in Michigan
The timber wolf (also known as the gray wolf or simply wolf) is the largest member of the Canidae family. Michigan DNR page on the Gray Wolf (canis lupus) says:
It is believed that wolves were once present in all 83 counties in the state of Michigan. A combination of European werewolf mythology, fairy tales, views that wolves were incompatible with civilization, and active predator control programs throughout the 20th century virtually eliminated the gray wolf from Michigan: by 1840, they could no longer be found in the southern portion of the Lower Peninsula; by around 1910 they had completely disappeared from the Lower Peninsula; and by 1960, when the state-paid bounty on wolves was repealed, they had nearly vanished from the Upper Peninsula.
...The comeback of the gray wolf in Michigan is a remarkable wildlife success story. Estimated at 20 animals in 1992, Michigan's gray wolf population has grown to 361 animals in 2004, and the 2004-2005 winter count is expected to be even higher. While state and federal endangered species laws have helped make this comeback a reality, the most important factor has been the willingness of Michigan's citizens to accept the gray wolf as part of our natural heritage. This continued public support for wolf recovery is critical as our wolf population continues to grow.
You can see some pictures & sounds of the gray wolf from Wikimedia including this pic of a wolf print and the uncropped version of the photo above.
Where Most Of The Snow Went by Patrick T Power
While Michigan is still reeling from a punishing series of economic body blows, it appears that the weather has decided to lend an unwelcome hand. As the Muskegon Chronicle, Detroit Free Press and WMMT relate, folks all across the state are turning their attention from the plummeting economy to rising waters. West Michigan was particularly hard hit by flooding:
The jams and floods are all part of an unusual weather pattern that brought record high temperatures to Michigan in the wake of one of the state's snowiest Decembers, engorging rivers with rain and melted snow. The fronts also carried high winds Sunday that knocked down trees and wires, leaving as many as 183,000 customers statewide without power. Almost all had been restored by today.
Folks in the center and east side of the state haven't been so fortunate. The Michigan Messenger and Detroit Free Press note that some 60,000 households remain without power in the Detroit metro area and more in other areas:
High winds have been a constant problem throughout the weekend and into the beginning of the new week with 45,000 DTE Energy customers still without power, including 15,000 in Wayne County, 11,000 in Oakland County and 3,000 in Macomb County, spokeswoman Eileen Dixon said.
Consumers Energy also had 20,000 Michigan customers without power this morning, the majority in Genesee and Midland counties in central Michigan, and Alcona and Iosco counties up north, spokeswoman Debra Dodd said.
All around the state we are now seeing weather advisories for another storm rolling through tonight packing a few more inches of snow and more wind ... maybe we should go back to talking about the economy now? Either that, or let's get into a pickup truck and survey the flooding!
The Detroit Lions Perfect Season
(yes, we used this before but it's perfect!!!)
Welcome to Absolute Michigan's post commemorating the Detroit Lions' perfect 2008 season - an NFL record worst 0-16 record. Wikipedia's Detroit Lions entry has already note the milestone. They also remember the glory days of the 1950s when quarterback Bobby Layne led them to the league championship in 1952, 1953, and 1957.
In 1958 ... the Lions traded Bobby Layne. Bobby was injured during the last championship season, and the Lions thought he was through and wanted to get what they could for him. According to legend, as he was leaving for Pittsburgh, Bobby said that Detroit "would not win for 50 years." Since this time, the Lions have not won another championship and have only a single playoff game win. Some have attributed the Lions' subsequent 49 years of futility to the "Curse of Bobby Layne."
Nothing left to do but clip a few items for our scrapbook and hope that Bobby Layne's curse has been fulfilled.
Anatomy of a Disaster (Detroit News) - a loss-by-loss tour de farce of "the Season."
Woetown: Worst-ever Lions perfectly awful in going 0-16 (Freep) - The defense was horrible, becoming the first in NFL history to allow two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in a game.
Perfectly awful: The truth is sad-sack squad simply stunk (Detroit News) - Veteran tackle Jeff Backus, Matt Millen's first draft pick in 2001, has endured every bit of the NFL's worst eight-year stretch -- a 31-97 record -- since World War II. Sunday, he couldn't help but note, ironically, "It was one of those years where it just all kind of came together."
The 16 worst teams of all time: Lions now No. 1 (mLive) - In all, the Lions used five different quarterbacks, had the NFL's bottom-ranked defense for the second consecutive year and allowed the second-highest point total in league history (517), finishing just 16 points behind the 1981 Baltimore Colts.
0-16: Milestone the Lions Would Rather Forget (New York Times) - “It opened my eyes to this is a business,” said (Lion RB Kevin) Smith, who has not experienced the thrill of victory since Central Florida beat Tulsa on Dec. 1, 2007. “This is not the football you played as a kid where there’s a team mom and everybody’s happy.”
Lions Lose to Packers 31-21, Finish Season 0-16 (Pride of Detroit) - It took the Packers only one play to crush any hope of a comeback. On the first and only play of the Packers' next drive, Aaron Rodgers threw a pass to a wide open Donald Driver for a 71-yard touchdown. The coverage was downright pathetic, and it really summed up how bad the defense has played all season long.
Lions first NFL team to finish 0-16 - "It's just kind of numb," veteran kicker Jason Hanson said. "It's here. It's been coming, though, a train rolling down the tracks for a while. We tried to stop it. We couldn't." (includes video for the pain junkies)
Well, They Done Did It (Side Lion) - As a true Lion, I will simply say that “it is what it is”.
If you have some links to add, please share them in the comments!!
We have assembled a list of some of the best New Year's Eve events from across the state. Did we get them all? Not likely!! Be sure to add the ones we missed to the comments and safely enjoy ringing in 2009! Read More �
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