Today is (thanks to Gov. William Milliken) Gwen Frostic Day in Michigan. Frostic was born in 1906 and passed away in 2001. We heartily encourage you to read the fascinating story of one of Michigan’s best known artists in from the Detroit Free Press (via archive.org).

The Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame inducted Gwen Frostic in 1986. They relate that:

Got a Few Awesome Heidelberg Presses? by Trish P. – K1000 Gal

Frostic was born in Sandusky, Michigan and lived in St. Charles before moving to Wyandotte for her high school years. Interested in art from an early age, she used a band saw to create life-size posters for school events, and later studied art education at Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan Universities. During World War II, she worked in a Ford Motor Company bomber plant where she learned production, a skill she put to good use running the 15 Heidelberg presses in her northern Michigan printing and sales establishment. These presses make impressions from her hand-carved linoleum blocks onto paper and the resulting prints found their way into distinctive books, pamphlets, stationery, and other products she designed.

After beginning her business in Wyandotte, Frostic moved to Benzie County in 1955, starting with 40 acres and gradually creating a 285-acre wildlife sanctuary 35 miles southwest of Traverse City. Her commitment to nature and design is reflected in her home, studio, and print shop which draw thousands of visitors each summer.

Frostic was a generous patron of the arts, donating $13 million – the largest gift in school history – to WMU, who renamed their art school the Gwen Frostic School of Art and award three Gwen Frostic Medallion Scholarships for art students every year. The Michigan Reading Association also has a Gwen Frostic award that recognizes a Michigan author who has made a contribution to literacy.

Click here to visit the Gwen Frostic Studio and you can also visit Gwen Frostic on Facebook. You can watch an interview with Gwen several years before she passed away below and also take a stroll around the nature center on the grounds at her studio.

Walleye Glory Days by UpNorth Memories

They lack the distinctive vertical bar makings of the yellow perch and have fan-like canine teeth. These battling fish are exciting to catch, delicious to eat and because they feed actively all winter, they provide a fine year-round sport fishery.

…Walleyes are greedy predators. They eat small bass, trout, pike, perch and sunfishes. Prime feeding times are early morning and evening. Although in turbid waters walleyes are active throughout the day. Walleyes often associate with yellow perch, smallmouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge.

In April and May, walleyes spawn over rock shoals. Males mature at age two to four years, females at three to six years. The average walleye caught by anglers is three years old and weighs from one to three pounds. Northern pike and muskellunge prey heavily on walleyes, while yellow perch, smallmouth bass and lake whitefish compete with walleyes for food.

We found a nice list of the top 10 walleye lakes in Michigan. They say that experts believe Holloway Reservoir in Genessee County holds the most walleyes per surface acre of any lake in Michigan. One reason – something you can use when fishing for walleye – is that the movement of the water attracts baitfish which in turn attracts walleye.

If you’re in the Saginaw area this weekend, you can check out the Michigan Walleye Tour tourney on Saginaw Bay. There’s also the Marbleye Classic on the St. Clair River (May 18-20).

If you manage to land any of these tasty fish, you’ll want to cook them up. MyNorth.com has a great recipe for Roasted Lake Michigan Walleye with Fennel – a perfect way to appreciate the delicious flavor of walleye! In closing, here’s a video of fish at the Port Huron Water Intake that opens with a nice walleye!

The Wizard of Oz rolled off the presses on May 17, 1900, but Baum actually had the top selling children’s book of the year one year earlier:

In 1899, Baum published “Father Goose: His Book.” The collection of children’s poems exploded in popularity and provided Baum with wealth and prestige for the first time in his life, his great-grandson, Bob Baum, recalled.

The author used the profits from his book to rent a large, multi-story Victorian summer home nestled on the southern end of the Macatawa peninsula on Lake Michigan.

The home, which he eventually purchased, came to be known as the Sign of the Goose, an ever-present reminder of the fame that came along with “Father Goose.”

Definitely read on for more, including a little about Baum’s 1907 novel Tamawaca Folks: A Summer Comedy, lampooning the resort community. You can also read the complete text of Father Goose right here.

This summer, Oz comes to Macatawa and Holland. The area will host the International Wizard of Oz Club Convention August 17-19, 2012 (click for program). This year the convention will focus on the homes of L. Frank Baum and the lakeside retreat he loved. They will even stage Tamawaca Folks: A Summer Comedy and explore Holland’s Castle Park.

Also see the Oz Club Facebook page for all kinds of photos & history.

North Country Dreamland from LakeSuperiorPhoto on Vimeo.

Shawn explains that her first time lapse compilation of scenes of night sky events from Northern Michigan 2012 took a year to shoot. With over 10,000 photos making up 33 scenes, it includes multiple northern lights, meteor showers, nebulae, constellations, the Milky Way, Venus and Jupiter, comet Pan-Starrs and shots over both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.

As she shot these sequences, she encountered sparring moose clashing their antlers on Isle Royale, howling wolves, beavers and even a fishing blue heron that appears in the video. She writes

Rare pairings caught on camera include ribbons of aurora above a full moon fogbow on the horizon of Lake Superior, the aurora and an isolated singular lightning storm cloud over Lake Superior, and the aurora and Milky Way in several scenes including Copper Harbor, Marquette, Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, and Eagle Harbor Lighthouse.

…When one thinks of locations to go view the aurora, most people think of Alaska or Norway, but in 2012, the auroras were also over the Michigan skies every month except December- (which the aurora was out then too, but that’s when our run of clouds moved in and shut me down for the year, and that cloudy streak still persists well into Spring 2013). makes everything recorded in 2012 extra special indeed.

All scenes are within 200 miles or so of my home in Marquette, Mi. and I feel very blessed to live where I do and to share the beauty that I see ‘in my own backyard’ with you. I hope it inspires others to take time to find the beauty that is everywhere around us and also to raise an awareness about the importance of preserving our night wondrous starlit skies.

If you would like to share this video on Facebook or through email, use this link and definitely check out Lake Superior photo on Facebook and at lakesuperiorphoto.com. The track is ” Lifted” from the album “The Crossing” by David Helpling and Jon Jenkins.

~Loreen Niewenhuis

USA Today has a feature on Loreen Niewenhuis, a Battle Creek resident who has hiked a good deal of the shorelines of all the Great Lakes. As to why, she explains:

“Our older son had gone off to college. The nest was emptying. I’d gotten my” master’s of fine arts degree … “but I felt I could stack up novels and not have an agent and be in my office writing novels forever,” says Niewenhuis, 49. “So I thought, let me do something completely different and get out of my office.”

So she put on her hiking boots. She got out the office.

Boy, did she ever.

Click through to read more about her journey and what she learned along the way. You can keep up with Lorraine’s latest including a planned walk on 1000 of Michigan islands on her Facebook page and at laketrek.com.

This photo is “Footprints”, Twelvemile Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore by Michigan Nut. Twelve Mile is certainly one of the state’s best beaches. See John’s photo out on black and see more in his My Favorites slideshow.

Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior & Erie? Michigan in Pictures has them and all kinds of beach photos!

Dr. Molly Trapp, director of Michigan Sea Grant’s new Invasive Species Rapid Response team (ISRR), is heading the team and was one of the first to arrive on the scene. “There are a variety of ways that invasive species enter the Great Lakes,” Dr. Trapp explained. “Many come in in ballast water of freighters are are dumped, while others are pets that people release when they can no longer care for them. That’s likely what happened here, and I just wish people would think a little bit before they take on the responsibility of an exotic pet.”

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Under Superintendent in Charge of Beach Security, Stan Daround offered comment as well, “We want to assure everyone that we remain the most beautiful place in America despite this crustacean invasion. Park staff is working on a plan to combat this menace.”

While Mr. Daraound was unable to provide specifics, he offered that the Park would probably be asking for “a lot of bibs and some of those claw cracker things” in their emergency appropriation request.

The village of Empire, already overtaxed preparing for their annual Asparagus Festival next month, has called all residents to an emergency eating in the Empire Town Hall at 6 PM.

Area resident Michael Buhler offered a simple plea: “Send butter.”

For more on invasive species in the Great Lakes (including actual facts) visit Michigan Sea Grant’s Invasive Species pages.

Future wine.. by Daylily18

Governor Rick Snyder has declared April as “Michigan Wine Month” to honor Michigan’s wide selection of quality wines and the wine industry’s significant contribution to the economy. Sales of Michigan wine in the state rose more than 6 percent in 2012, while total wine sales increased just 1 percent. Michigan wine sales have outpaced total wine sales over the past 10 years, doubling Michigan wineries’ market share to 6.5 percent.

The Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council has added 11 new wineries to its roster over the last year — for a total of 101 wineries that support Michigan agriculture by using primarily Michigan grapes and other fruit for their wines. Michigan’s wineries welcome more than 1 million visitors to their tasting rooms each year, and Michigan’s wine and grape industries contribute more than $800 million to the state’s economy annually.

“I am proud to acknowledge the outstanding recent growth of the Michigan wine industry,” noted Gordon Wenk, Chief Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, and Chair of the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council. “The industry is a shining example of value-added agriculture, contributing to the agricultural and tourism economies of our beautiful state. The quality of our wines, unique local foods and the scenic beauty of ‘Pure Michigan’ make Michigan an unparalleled winery touring region in the U.S.”

Michigan wines consistently win high awards at competitions around the country, and Michigan increasingly is recognized nationally for the quality of the wines produced. Increased interest and demand for these high-quality wines has sparked an increase in wine grape vineyards. Michigan’s wine grape acreage doubled over the past decade from 1,300 acres to 2,650 acres, according to a report released last summer by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. The USDA report is based on the 2011 Michigan Fruit Survey, which collected data from grape growers throughout the state. The complete results of the survey are available online and can be accessed from www.michiganwines.com/fast-facts.

April is a great time to kick off winery touring. Travelers can benefit from off-season rates and overnight packages at hotels and B&Bs near wine country. Tasting rooms are less busy in the spring, and tasting room staff are delighted to provide visitors with extra attention. Michigan wineries will begin to release new white wines from the 2012 vintage in April, as part of their Michigan Wine Month promotion. Most of the red wines from 2012 won’t be released for a year or two, but some reds from the outstanding 2011 vintage will be released this spring.

Michigan Wine & Food Showcase by Ken Jacoby

Many events are planned this spring and early summer that will provide opportunities to meet winemakers and sample a variety of Michigan wines, including:

• Michigan Wine Showcase: April 15 – The Rattlesnake Club, Detroit
• Michigan Wine Celebration: April 20-21 – Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail
• Spring Sip & Savor: May 4-5 – Leelanau Peninsula Vintners
• Blossom Day: May 18 - Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula
• Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival: June 15 — Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country
• Traverse City Wine & Art Festival – Traverse City

April will also see the release of the 2013 Michigan Wine Country magazine, an indispensable guide to the wines and wineries of Michigan, featuring maps and touring information. Michigan Wine Country is available online at www.michiganwines.com. Pick up a free copy at any Michigan winery or Travel Michigan Welcome Center, request a copy at www.michiganwines.com or contact the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council at 517-241-1207.

You can also click the cover to the right to view the magazine online.

On Michigan in Pictures I usually blog beautiful things, but today I’m featuring an ugly thing that we in Michigan should all be concerned about. Traverse City based Circle of Blue has an in-depth feature on the record-low level of Lake Michigan-Huron:

The latest numbers released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on February 5 show that both lakes Michigan and Huron — which are two connected lakes — are experiencing their lowest point since records began in 1918. Water levels were an average of 175.57 meters (576.02 feet) for the month of January, approximately 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) lower than the previous record set in 1964.

“Not only have water levels on Michigan-Huron broken records the past two months, but they have been very near record lows for the last several months before then,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office at the Corps, in a press release. “Lake Michigan-Huron’s water levels have also been below average for the past 14 years, which is the longest period of sustained below-average levels since 1918 for that lake.”

The low water levels, which the Corps attributes to: below-average snowfall during the winter of 2011-2012, last summer’s drought, and above-average evaporation during the summer and fall of 2012, have the potential to hurt the Great Lakes’ shipping industry.

…For the water levels on Lake Michigan-Huron to reach even near-average water levels again, the Corps said it will take many seasons with above average precipitation and below-average evaporation.

Read on at Circle of Blue for much more including the struggles that wildlife are having with the changing climate. You can also view the release from the Army Corps of Engineers and see historic Great Lakes levels back to 1918. From the Army Corps, I learned that at 1 1/2 ft below normal, ships are losing 8-10% of their carrying capacity.

Beyond harm to the multi-billion dollar shipping industry which feeds countless industrial endeavors, the low lake levels are making many of our recreational harbors inaccessible. These feed our multi-billion dollar sport fishing industry and  this has prompted Gov. Snyder to endorse a $21 million emergency dredging plan, $11 million of which would come from Michigan’s general fund. With over a half a million jobs in Michigan alone tied to the health of the Great Lakes, getting a handle on the threats that impact them are likely to be at the center of our policy and spending for a long time.

In a curious bit of synchronicity, you can see just how vital the Great Lakes are to Michigan in Michigan Sea Grant’s reports on Economic Vitality and the Great Lakes. View this photo bigger and see more in their Grand Traverse Bay Low Water slideshow.

Lots more Lake Huron and Lake Michigan on Michigan in Pictures.

I’m told that sculptor Jim Gavril of East Lansing deserves the credit for the chart! Click the photos to view them bigger!

@ +70 degrees

Texans turn on the heat and unpack the thermal underwear.
People in Michigan go swimming in the rivers.

@ +60 degrees

North Carolinians try to turn on the heat.
People in Michigan plant gardens.

@ +50 degrees

Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Michigan sunbathe.

@ +40 degrees

Italian & English cars won’t start.
People in Michigan drive with the windows down.

@ +32 degrees

Distilled water freezes.
Lake Michigan water gets thicker.

@ +20 degrees

Floridians put on coats, thermal underwear, gloves and woolly hats.
People in Michigan throw on a flannel shirt.

@ +15 degrees

Philadelphia landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Michigan have the last cookout before it gets cold.

@ +10 degrees

People in Miami all die.
People in Michigan lick the flagpole.

@ 0 degrees

Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Michigan get out their winter coats.

@ -10 degrees

Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Michigan are selling cookies door to door.

@ -25 degrees

Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic.
Michigan Boy Scouts postpone “Winter Survival” classes until it gets cold enough.

@ -30 degrees

Mount St. Helen’s freezes.
People in Michigan rent some videos.

@ -40 degrees

Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Spartans get frustrated because they can’t thaw the keg.

@ -45 degrees

Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products.
Cows in Michigan complain about farmers with cold hands.

@ -60 degrees

ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero in the Kelvin scale).
People in Michigan start saying, “Cold ’nuff for ya?”

@ -100 degrees

Hell freezes over.
The Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl!

Photo Links…

• Blindfold 2X by sterk1
• 28/365/1489 (July 9, 2012) – Squirrel Pancake at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) by cseeman
• Future Garden by Heart Windows Art
• Dwarfed by the giant crane by StormchaserMike Photography
• Fly By by Jamie Brokus
• Fozen Odyssey … Lake Michigan January 2007 color version by *ojoyous1*
• Brothers in Arms by docksidepress
• Not Gonna Grill No More by sunliner500
• N. State St. by william couch
• winter morning ritual by pizzo
• Zero degree windchill by StormchaserMike Photography
• Walk in the Woods by Rudy Malmquist
• No Better Artist than Mother Nature by Ed Roth
• Drunken Fools by Kristina_5
• Curious cows by buckshot.jones
• Winter Surfing! by Ross Nave
• Hell Froze Over!!! by Kathy~

via Michigan in Pictures…

Snapshots from the 2013 North American International Auto Show aka NAIAS 2013 aka the Detroit Auto Show started yesterday for media & industry. The public show runs Saturday, January 19 through Saturday, January 26. Here are a few quick hits:

• At $12 per person and $6 for seniors and youth, the tickets seem like a pretty great deal.
• It’s once again at the Cobo Center after a number of years at the Renaissance Center. Detroit Auto Show, 1960 is stunning shot at Cobo from Michigan in Pictures that captures the glamor the show once had. I’d be interested in what anyone who has attended in the 60s and recently has to say about the feel of the show.
• They have a Facebook page (where the photo above comes from), but then again is there anyone or anything at this point that doesn’t? They are giving away tickets and posting some nice photos like this birds-eye view of the show floor.
• Concepts? They have concepts, though Jason from Jalopnik says that the Tesla Model X is the only car that really feels like it’s from the future. (I think it’s the doors)
• There’s plenty of green machines at NAIAS 2013, but the International Business times wonders why there’s just one using hydrogen fuel cell technology. Unlike batteries, fuel cells take minutes to recharge and offer greater range.
• Being an off-election year, there are not many politicians to be found, unlike years ago. Danny Glover however, is in Detroit talking about unions.
• Much more coverage of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show at mLive, the Detroit Newsand the Freep.

Get more NAIAS on Michigan in Pictures!

I-96 Westbound Closed by p912s (Scot)

Wintertime driving can be challenging, and even deadly. It makes a lot  of sense for Michiganders to spend a some time and thought on staying safe behind the wheel in wintertime. The Keweenaw Research Center Winter Driving School at Michigan Tech offers drivers the tools to succeed. You don’t have to make the trip to Houghton to benefit from their knowledge, however.

Their handy Winter Driving guide details some of the proper vehicle maintenance that can help you to focus on driving, not mechanical problems, which can become a lot significant in the winter. Here’s a few solid tips – many more if you click the link!

• Keep your gas tank as full as possible. This protects against the presence of water in the tank, which can cause the fuel in the fuel line to freeze. Avoid using alcohol-blended gasoline during extremely cold temperatures. The alcohol in the fuel attracts and retains moisture, which also can freeze in your fuel line.
• In winter, being seen is just as important as seeing. The range of your car’s headlights, for example, can be reduced by one hundred feet if road grime is allowed to accumulate on the lens. Keep an old towel with your snow brush and use it to wipe the ice, snow, and mud off of the headlights, which will increase their brightness.
• Try to remove ice and snow from your shoes before getting in your vehicle. As they melt, they create moisture and cause windows to fog on the inside. You can reduce fogging by turning the air recirculation switch to the OFF position. This brings in drier, fresh air. You can also run your air conditioner for a few minutes, which serves as a dehumidifier.
• As the temperature drops, so does your battery’s starting power. You can maximize starting power by turning off all accessories, including the heater, radio, and lights, before you attempt to start the car.
• Once your engine is running, you may start driving, but don’t accelerate too quickly during the first mile or two. Also, idling a cold vehicle’s engine for a long time to warm it up could harm the engine. The right way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it easily for a few miles.

Be sure out this detailed video on safe winter driving from the KRC:

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the September/October 2006 issue of Michigan History Magazine.

Mitchell Street in Cadillac, circa 1915

The fight for the Wexford County seat is a story of bribery, corruption, intimidation, inebriated county officials and the organization of illegal townships to boost votes.

The Election

Cadillac’s decade-long struggle for the county seat came to a head on April 4, 1882, when ballots were cast throughout the county to determine whether the coveted prize should be moved from Manton to Cadillac. Twelve months earlier, residents of Cadillac and Manton had united to remove the county seat from Sherman to Manton. Now Cadillac was determined to secure the prize for itself.

Feeling duped by Cadillac, Manton residents were furious. A couple of townships destroyed their ballots, refusing to make a return. But when the “official” count of the April 4 vote was totaled, the results were overwhelming: 1,363 “yes” voters favored moving the county seat to Cadillac, while 309 voted “no.”

Battle of Manton, Part I

Main Street in Manton, circa 1915

In the early dawn following the election, a train left Cadillac with the sheriff and twenty “specially deputized” men and headed to Manton to collect the county property. Legend has it that the train backed quietly into a sleeping Manton, coming to a halt in front of the courthouse. Within a half hour, most of the county records and much of the furniture was aboard the train. As the Cadillac faction attempted to remove the first of three safes from the courthouse, however, Manton residents awoke.

There are two different versions of what happened next. Cadillac’s version tells of a mob of over two hundred Manton men who drove off the small band of deputies.

Manton’s version claims the city was deserted and only a handful of men were in town. Although outnumbered, these “brave few” quickly gathered at the courthouse and confronted the heavily armed “Cadillackers.” The safe was overturned, Cadillac men produced firearms and a drunken county clerk urged the murder of the Mantonites. Nonetheless, the Mantonites managed to force the attackers “back to Cadillac in fear.”

Battle of Manton, Part II

The Cadillac faction returned home where they were greeted by an ever-increasing jovial crowd. When the crowd learned that three county safes of records remained in Manton, a second invasion of Manton was planned. Cadillac beefed up its force to include not only the sheriff and his deputies, but also city officials, many of Cadillac’s finer citizens and several hundred mill hands. Provisions consisted of a barrel of whiskey and fifty repeating rifles donated from a local hardware store. Some Cadillac citizens bought clubs, poles, brooms and crowbars.

Again, there are two versions of the second assault on Manton. Cadillac’s version is that they numbered three hundred men and were cautioned by the sheriff to avoid violence or damage to property. When they arrived in Manton, they found a waiting angry mob made up of every able-bodied citizen of Manton and most of the farmers from miles around. Cadillac claims Manton attempted to hang the county clerk and that Manton women rallied to grease the rails with lard and butter to make the tracks too slippery for the train to move.

Manton’s story claims “an unopposed invasion by a drunken mob of five hundred to six hundred men, led by a drunken sheriff and clerk.” The sheriff ordered that the courthouse be demolished and turned his men loose onto Manton streets “like a pack of crazed hounds.”

A New County Seat

While we may never know the full extent of what took place during the “Battle of Manton” on April 5, 1882, we do know it was a highly charged confrontation. Weapons were carried and injuries did occur. There were no deaths. Fortunately, the only gunshots fired that day were those in celebration on the victorious return trip to Cadillac with the county safes – and Wexford’s new county seat.

Editor’s Note #2: Regular Absolute Michigan contributor Joel Dinda pointed out a discussion of the Battle of Wexford on Flickr that he was a part of that’s pretty entertaining.

25 Christmas Lane on a winter’s eve, circa 2010 (Photo courtesy of Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland)

My favorite holiday movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). Clark Griswold, (Chevy Chase), our hero, has a plan for the traditional Griswold family Christmas that includes fifty thousand twinkling outdoor lights on the roof. When Clark drags his entire family out to see his masterpiece, the lights don’t work. The frustrating, yet entertaining, effort to fix the problem resonates with me (This includes Clark on the roof checking each individual bulb.). My favorite part comes when Clark prevails, the family is impressed, and he thanks his father for teaching him about exterior illumination.

Beginnings

Wallace Bronner (1927-2008) knew that exterior illumination is essential for the holidays. We are all familiar with his enormous enterprise: Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, located on 25 Christmas Lane in Frankenmuth. Initially, this behemoth of holiday cheer started as a signage business. During the early forties, Wally worked as a sign painter and a clerk at the Hubinger Grocery Store, which was owned by his maternal relatives. Part of his job included designing window displays. In 1945, as Frankenmuth celebrated its centennial year, Bronner Display and Sign Advertising was in demand for painting signs and decorating store windows and parade floats. That year Wallace Bronner met Irene Ruth Pretzer, the woman he would marry on June 23, 1951 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hemlock, Michigan.

Signs designed by Wally Bronner for the city of Clare, 1951 (Photo courtesy of Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland.).

Irene was instrumental in helping Wally land a monthly window display contract with the Jennison Hardware Company of Bay City (c. 1947) (Irene had attended Bay City Junior College and boarded at the home of G.W. Cooke, president of the hardware company.). Bronner’s work for the hardware company resulted in a referral to the town of Clare, Michigan (1951). This first municipal holiday commission was to design decorative lamppost panels. After that job, Wally hired his friend Fred Bernthal to look for new clients in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Ontario.

Bronner also entered into contracts with General Plastics Corporation (Marion, Indiana) and Mold-Craft Corporation (Port Washington, Wisconsin). These companies provided street trims and ornaments, latex Santas, reindeers and nativity scenes. In 1952, Bronner staged two shows exhibiting outdoor Christmas decorations, one in the Frankenmuth Township Hall, the other at the St. Lorenz School gymnasium. Both were successful. However, both venues were temporary. Bronner decided to rent a more permanent building, a vacated one-room schoolhouse (formerly Frankenmuth School District Number 1). Thus, year round exhibit of Christmas decorations became possible! “At first the people of the community thought the idea to be rather unusual, but accepted it fully when Frankenmuth became known as the Christmas Town.” (Bronner’s 2005 Corporate History, page 35.)

“Thinking Big”

Wally Bronner with employees. (Photo taken in the 1960s. Photo is courtesy Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland)

Herman Bronner (Wally’s father) was a building contractor and stone mason. He convinced his son to “think big” by changing the plans for the first Bronner-owned building from two, L-shaped, rectangular buildings to one large, square building. The Bronner’s store at 121 East Tuscola (a lot adjoining Aunt Hattie’s grocery store) opened in 1954. It was divided into two sections, one space for the sign painting business, the other for Christmas decorations.

Wally was grateful for his dad’s vision and business acumen. The municipal clientele grew to include shopping centers and commercial interiors. As buyers selected decorations for their stores and churches, their wives requested home decorations. From 1954 to 1963, Bronner exhibited at the Saginaw County Fair, which, at the time, boasted numbers of three hundred thousand people. By 1960, the company was officially incorporated, and home decorations were added to the product line. In 1964, the first billboard advertising Bronners appeared on I-75, ten miles south of Exit 136 (Frankenmuth). Many travelling up North are familiar with that sign. Subsequent ones (more than sixty located in seven states) continue to extol the importance of holiday cheer and illumination.

Source material

Picturesque Story of Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, as related by Wally Bronner. Published by Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, 2005.

The History of Bronner’s Christmas Decorations by Doris A Paul. Published by the Frankenmuth Historical Museum, 1981.

Brad Redford, a native of Frankenmuth visited Bronner’s last year and has a pretty funny video in his show Redford’s Rundown. However, we’re going to have to go with this awesome music video of Wally Bronner (Christmas Always) by Michigan rockers The Hard Lessons. A little tip: click that link and subscribe to their email list to download their entire new album Arms Forest AND stay tuned at the end of the video for the B-side of this song, O Holy Night!

Here is a portrait of Elsie Schuenemann at the wheel of the Christmas Ship, near the Clark Street Bridge on the Chicago River in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The boat carried Christmas trees to Chicago from Michigan. Her father, Captain H. Schuenemann, died when the Rouse Simmons, a ship carrying Christmas trees, sank in 1912.

The trees behind her likely came from the woods of Escanaba. Though the story of Barbara Schuenemann and her three daughters carrying on the tradition of the Christmas Tree Ships has perhaps been a little over-romanticized, there can be little doubt that the Schuenemann family and the many others who participated in the difficult trade of hauling Christmas trees south as the storms of winter closed in were heroes cut from a cloth that isn’t found too often today.

If you’d like to read more about all the Christmas tree ships (there were many more than just the famous Rouse Simmons) I recommend Christmas Tree Ships from Fred Neuschel. He has also written a book called Lives and Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships (available from UM Press). The National Archive also has The Christmas Tree Ship: Captain Herman E. Schuenemann and the Schooner Rouse Simmons that details the Schuenemann’s story.

You can also see Rich Evenhouse’s great video of diving the Rouse Simmons – click for more of his dive videos.

Three recent trail camera photos of cougars in the Upper Peninsula have been verified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Two of the photos, both of a cougar with a radio collar, were taken in October in Menominee County – one near Cedar River and one near Menominee just north of the Wisconsin border.

The third photo was taken in northern Marquette County in November. The cougar in the Marquette County photo is not wearing a radio collar.

The DNR does not place radio collars on cougars; North Dakota and South Dakota are the nearest states where wildlife researchers have placed radio collars on cougars to track their movement. The DNR has not yet been able to determine the origin of the radio-collared cougar that is in Michigan.

In the fall of 2011, a radio-collared cougar was photographed in Ontonagon, Houghton and Keweenaw counties. Although the cougar recently photographed in Menominee County is wearing the same type of radio collar, DNR wildlife biologists are currently unable to determine whether this is the same animal or another transient that has dispersed from western states.

All three photos were taken by trail cameras located on private property and the landowners have asked to remain anonymous. DNR Wildlife Division staff were able to visit each location to confirm the authenticity of the photos.

DNR Wildlife Division staff have now verified the presence of cougars in the Upper Peninsula 20 times since 2008.

To date, the DNR has confirmed 11 photos, eight separate sets of tracks, and one trail camera video from 10 Upper Peninsula counties: Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Houghton, Keweenaw, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft.

“The increasing number and frequency of verified cougar sightings in recent years are likely due to three factors in particular: The growing popularity of trail cameras used to monitor wildlife activity in the woods 24 hours a day; additional transient cougars moving east from established populations in western states as they seek new territory; and the cooperation of the public in reporting cougar sightings and sharing their photos with us for official review, which we greatly appreciate,” said Adam Bump, one of four DNR biologists specially trained to investigate cougar reports.

Established cougar populations are found as close to Michigan as the Dakotas, and transient cougars dispersing from these areas have been known to travel hundreds of miles in search of new territory. DNA evidence collected from a cougar hit and killed by a car in Connecticut in 2011 showed it had originated in western South Dakota.

Cougars, also known as mountain lions, were native to Michigan, but disappeared from the state in the early 1900s. The last confirmed wild cougar in Michigan prior to 2008 was an animal killed near Newberry in 1906.

Although cougar sightings are regularly reported, verification is often difficult, due in part to a lack of physical evidence. Characteristic evidence of cougars include tracks – which are about 3 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wide and typically show no claw marks – and suspicious kill sites, such as deer carcasses that are largely intact and buried with sticks and debris.

Protecting evidence such as tracks, scat and cached kills from the elements with a bucket or tarp greatly improves the chances that a reported sighting may be verified by DNR wildlife staff.

Wildlife biologists on the DNR’s cougar team investigate evidence that is reported or submitted, and may visit sites to verify the location and collect additional information. The team then evaluates the collected information and decides whether the presence of cougars can be confirmed.

Cougars are classified as an endangered species in Michigan. It is unlawful to kill, harass or otherwise harm a cougar except in the immediate defense of human safety. Report cougar tracks and other evidence to a local DNR office or by submitting the sighting on the DNR’s online reporting form at www.michigan.gov/cougars, which also has lots of information about cougars. If an emergency situation exists, call the department’s 24-hour Report All Poaching line at 800-292-7800

More on the Michigan cougar saga on Michigan in Pictures and also see absolutemichigan.com/cougar.

Turkey by Vaughan

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and over a million Michiganians will soon be hitting the road to attend family get-togethers and enjoying annual traditions. To help get ready for the upcoming holiday we have compiled a bunch of informative and entertaining Thanksgiving related links for you to enjoy.

Thanksgiving Food & Drink

Thanksgiving starts with turkey, and the folks at Michigan Turkey are getting ready. An article from Whole Foods notes that Michigan Turkey  is not a large conglomerate – they work strictly with farms in west Michigan within 25 miles of the plant. Check out the video below The Traverse City Record-Eagle has a great feature with tips & recipes for making it a local Thanksgiving and mLive’s Thanksgiving Page has some excellent info (with more coming) including a recipe for cherry wood smoked turkey that looks absolutely delicious! They note that Thanksgiving is expected to cost about 13% more in 2011, but also offer a few tips for a simpler and lower stress holiday.

Today on Michigan in Pictures there’s some ideas for incorporating Michigan chestnuts into your menu.  For more, head over to Michigan-based Kitchen Chick for a ton of Thanksgiving recipes including cranberry pie!

Searching for the perfect complement for your meal? Michigan Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi told us:

I always like Riesling with turkey, although with poultry Chardonnay would be beautiful. You have a lot of versatility and a lot of possibility with turkey. You could use a white wine or an aromatic wine. Those tend to go well with turkey, too.

Speaking of wine & recipes, there’s a post on Leelanau.com that pairs recipes from Traverse magazine with wines. Last year Claudia sent us Sylvia Rector’s article Give Michigan wines a second look on Thanksgiving. She calls out some more Michigan wines that you’ll want to put on your wine shop radar! MyNorth.com suggest a few Rieslings on the sweeter side and they also list some great dry Rieslings (which are awesome if you haven’t tried them).

The Centennial Cranberry Farm in Paradise was established in 1876 and has online ordering of all kinds of cranberry products. Absolute Michigan has more about Michigan Cranberries, and lots more Turkey Day food ideas & articles at absolutemichigan.com/Thanksgiving and in our Michigan Grown section in Food & Dining!

Parades & Football!

2012 marks the 86th birthday of America’s Thanksgiving Parade, and the parade is one of the country’s oldest and most celebrated parades. It kicks off at 9:20 AM on Woodward Avenue and Mack and end at Woodward Avenue and Congress in downtown Detroit on Thursday, November 24, 2011.

If you Motown is off your radar on Thanksgiving, how about a nice set of parade photos from the our Flickr pool, a clickondetroit.com article – “Thousands Cheered As America’s Thanksgiving Parade Rolled Down Woodward “ (with video), a historical look at Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and a TV tuned to WDIV-TV Local 4 at 9 AM (also on for an hour nationally). If you’re the prudent type, you might consider building up a calorie credit balance at the Annual Detroit Turkey Trot.

Thanksgiving Day by Dave Hogg

The Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Classic pits the Lions against the Houston Texans, and halftime will feature Kid Rock performing his new song Detroit, Michigan.

Amaze your family, friends with what you learn about the origins and history of Thanksgiving on Wikipedia.

Cabrera 1 by RichardDemingPhotography

The American League Most Valuable Player Award is staying in Detroit for a second year. The Detroit Tigers explain that Cabrera powered to the MVP in the same way he slugged his way to the first Triple Crown in 45 years:

In the long-anticipated battle of historic seasons, Cabrera put an exclamation point on his 2012 Triple Crown campaign on Thursday with the AL MVP, beating out Angels rookie sensation Mike Trout in voting cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Cabrera received 22 of 28 first-place votes, with Trout receiving the other six. Cabrera finished with 362 points. Trout had 281, with the total points distributed on a 14-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

…It marked the second straight MVP award for a Tigers player, Cabrera following in the footsteps of vocally supportive teammate Justin Verlander, and the first MVP for a Venezuelan-born player. It’s the first MVP for a Tigers position player since Hank Greenberg in 1940.

Definitely read on for more including a great interview with Miggy from MLB TV. Cabrera joins an elite list of Tiger MVP winners: Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Hank Greenberg (x2), Charlie Gehringer, Hal Newhouser (x2), Denny McLain, Willie Hernández and Justin Verlander (in 2011).

While Cabrera is the 2nd Tiger in as many years to win MVP, he’s the first Venezuelan ever to win the award, and it was celebrated last night in Venezuela. On his Twitter last night “Cabrerita” said: “This MVP was for the fans in Detroit and Venezuela. Support from God, my family, and teammates made it possible.”

Despite the fact that Cabrera ran away with the vote, it was anything but certain heading in. Pollster and numbers geek Nate Silver who went 50-50 in his state voting predictions in the election, sharpened his skills in sabermetrics (baseball stats). He laid out a compelling case for the Angels rookie phenom Mike Trout, but baseball writer Phil Rogers concluded that his fellow sportswriters did the right thing in choosing Cabrera.

Samara at Roar of the Tigers has the definitive MiguelVP cartoon, and here’s a great video from BLB of Cabrera’s 2012 highlights:

Cranberries by argusmaniac

Although Michigan only has a small number of cranberry farms in the northeast, Upper Peninsula, and the southwestern corner of the state along Lake Michigan totaling about 250 acres – compared to more than 18,000 acres in nation-leading Wisconsin – the state does have all the requirements to grow a cranberry industry. 

The Cranberry Institute has lots of information about the official fruit of Thanksgiving including the purported health benefits of cranberries. Although it’s probably not what you’ll put on your table next Thursday, Locavorious has a tasty Michigan Cranberries in Cranberry Apple Pork Loin Roast along with some information about Michigan cranberry farms. You can get a nice recipe for cranberry pie from Michigan-based Kitchen Chick.

Michigan’s leading producer is  Centennial Cranberry Farm way up on Whitefish Point (near Paradise, MI), and their site is loaded with cranberry information & recipes. In closing, here’s a simple recipe that you can make with 100% Michigan ingredients. We tested this recipe out in the Absolute Michigan kitchen last year and are happy to report that it’s delicious!!

Baked Cranberry Acorn Squash

4 small acorn squash
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup Michigan maple syrup
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place cut side down in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Turn cut side up. Combine remaining ingredients; fill squash with fruit mixture. Continue baking for 25 minutes or till squash is tender. Makes 8 servings.

Buck on the run by oakwood

Opening day of deer season probably ranks pretty high in the list of Michigan holidays. The Michigan DNR has all the details on deer hunting in Michigan, including a reminder that much public land is open to hunting – be aware!

Michigan saw just 650,000 hunters last season, but that number is expected to climb to about 700,000 for the November 15-30 firearm deer season. As in 2011, some of these will be 10 and 11 year-olds due to Michigan’s Hunter Heritage Act. The Michigan DNR is your best source for information and their MI-Hunt program allows you to locate public lands open to hunting.  There’s also a lot more info from the White-tail Deer Portal from the DNR and MSU.

The Battle Creek Enquirer says that while “up north” was the place to be in years past, that trend has slowly changed to the point where southern Michigan is seen to offer the best hunting and has produced the highest number of deer killed. They also say that:

This year, however, there is a wild card: Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.

EHD is an often-fatal disease transmitted to deer by midges. Late this summer, an EHD outbreak was confirmed in Ionia County. It eventually spread throughout most of southern Michigan. In late October, the disease had been confirmed in 30 counties and accounted for a minimum of 12,000 dead deer – a number that accounts for only those deer reported to the DNR. The actual number of deer lost is anyone’s guess.

The DNR is asking for your help in reporting dead deer from EHD. One bright spot is that EHD does not affect humans, so edibility of the venison is not impacted by this disease.

An excellent, in-depth report from Bridge Magazine last year titled Deer have Michigan on the run is still relevant. It explains that:

The number of hunters in Michigan has been shrinking since the 1960s, according to state data. Hunting license sales have decreased 15 percent over the past 15 years, from 934,430 in 1995 to 786,880 last year.

The ranks of hunters are shrinking nationwide. But the effects of that trend are especially prevalent in Michigan, where deer dominate vast areas of the landscape, hunters are the primary method for keeping the herd in check and revenue from the sale of hunting licenses funds many of the state’s wildlife management programs.

Fewer hunters mean: Less money for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to manage wildlife; less money to maintain forests, marshes and other areas where birds and mammals reside; less money for conservation officers who keep poachers in check; and less money for small businesses that count hunters among their best customers.

It also means more deer – read on to learn about the impacts of our 1.7 million deer.

In another great article from last year, AnnArbor.com noted that Opening Day is Michigan’s other Black Friday, as deer hunters spend an average of $800 each, making deer hunting a half a billion dollar industry in Michigan. The Freep adds a feature on hunting gear that’s made in Michigan. If you are gearing up, be sure to look in on our Sporting Goods section.

Happy hunting!

Pour-Over by TerryJohnston

Before we get to the great news on Michigan’s wine industry, we’d like to give you a chance to meet a lot of the industry leaders with a pair of tickets to the Grand Rapids Wine, Beer & Food Festival good for either Friday or Saturday!

The festival takes place November 8-10 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids and is not to be missed! It brings together dozens of Michigan wineries, breweries, cideries and restaurants along with wine & food distributors from around the nation and world and a host of acclaimed food & wine experts offering tasting & seminars to create one of Michigan’s best culinary experiences. Click the link or watch the video below for more!

To enter, all you have to do is send an email to giveaway@absolutemichigan.com with your name, a contact phone number and either your favorite Michigan wine, beer or cider OR a restaurant, winery or brewery that you are excited to check out. We’ll draw a winner from the emails we receive tomorrow (Friday) at 11 AM!

Michigan’s wine grape acreage doubled over the past decade, according to a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. While acreage of juice & jelly grapes have remained steady at about 12,000 acres over the past decade, acreage of wine grapes has doubles from 1,300 to 2,650 acres, making Michigan the 5th largest grower of wine grapes in the US. According to the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council, there are 101 commercial wineries producing more than 1.3 million gallons of Michigan wine annually. That number has increased from 32 wineries in 2002 producing 400,000 gallons. For more information about the Michigan wine grape industry, visit the council’s website, www.michiganwines.com.

“This data confirms the steady growth of the wine industry,” said Gordon Wenk, Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, who also chairs the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council. “Michigan’s wineries are committed to the concept of regional identity by utilizing a high percentage of Michigan-grown fruit in their wines.”

grapes after sunset rain by aimeeern

Riesling is the most widely planted wine grape, with acreage nearly tripling in the past decade, and Michigan Rieslings and earned more than 20 top awards in 2012 for Riesling wines from bone dry to sweet late harvest & ice wine. It’s more than Riesling though. Cabernet Franc, a hearty, cooler climate red grape akin to the better known Cabernet Sauvignon also tripled in the past decade. Pinot Gris nearly quadrupled and Pinot Noir moved past Chardonnay as the state’s second most planted variety, with acreage increasing 150 percent in the last 10 years.

All in all, more than 40 varieties of wine grapes with at least two acres of production were reported. Traditional European varieties (vinifera) account for two-thirds of Michigan’s wine grape acreage. The balance is mainly comprised of hybrid varieties (crosses between European and native North American varieties). Get the complete results at michiganwines.com/fastfacts!

Here’s a video from last year courtesy our friends at Michigan by the Bottle:

~A message found in a bottle 11 days after Plymouth disappeared, dictated by Chris Keenan, federal marshal in charge of the barge

Wikipedia says that the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, also known as the “Freshwater Fury“or the “White Hurricane”, was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that ravaged the Great Lakes November 7-10, 1913. With the sinking of 19 ships, the stranding of another 19 and a death toll of at least 250, it remains the deadliest and most destructive natural disaster in Great Lakes history.

Major shipwrecks occurred on all but Lake Ontario, with most happening on southern and western Lake Huron. Lake masters recounted that waves reached at least 35 feet (11 m) in height. Being shorter in length than waves ordinarily formed by gales, they occurred in rapid succession, with three waves frequently striking in succession. Masters also stated that the wind often blew in directions opposite to the waves below. This was the result of the storm’s cyclonic motion*, a phenomenon rarely seen on the Great Lakes.

In the late afternoon of November 10, an unknown vessel was spotted floating upside-down in about 60 feet (18 m) of water on the eastern coast of Michigan, within sight of Huronia Beach and the mouth of the St. Clair River. Determining the identity of this “mystery ship” became of regional interest, resulting in daily front-page newspaper articles. The ship eventually sank, and it was not until early Saturday morning, November 15, that it was finally identified as the Charles S. Price. The front page of that day’s Port Huron Times-Herald extra edition read, “BOAT IS PRICE” DIVER IS BAKER “SECRET KNOWN”. Milton Smith, the assistant engineer who decided at the last moment not to join his crew on premonition of disaster, aided in identifying any bodies that were found.

You can get a map to the wreck of the Charles S Price, and here’s a list of shipwrecks of the 1913 storm and an account of the weather. You can see more photos from Wikipedia and also in Lakeland Boating’s slideshow of some of the on and offshore damage from the Freshwater Fury (includes a shot of the Price prior to its sinking). GreatLakesShips has this excellent tribute to the ships and crews that didn’t weather the storm below and you’ll also want to check out this interview with survivor Edward Kanaby.

*The Great Lakes storm of October 2010 had cyclonic wind patterns as well.

More at absolutemichigan.com/Shipwreck and even Michigan shipwrecks on Michigan in Pictures (where this post originally appeared).

We at Absolute Michigan have a straightforward and simple endorsement in 2012 – that you get out and vote. Michigan needs active & engaged citizens and you can be one of them.

Beyond the Presidential contest and the US Senate race, there are a whopping 6 statewide ballot proposals a lot of regional & local issues and candidates.

A great place to find out what you’ll be voting on is at publius.org, a Michigan-produced website that will show you your actual ballot.

The Detroit Tigers Theme Song was written by Ernie Harwell and set to a scene from the movie TIGER TOWN (1983), starring Roy Scheider. Time for a rental or NetFlix maybe?

A few observations in the middle of a (so far) nightmarish Game 1:

• Thank goodness the Giants beat the Cardinals. With 2 Midwest teams the media might have gotten ugly.
• The Giants had Steve Stevens, Robert Roberts or Phillip Phillips singing the national anthem.  Will the Tigers be able to counter? Let’s see … Aretha Franklin, Martin Wayans and a player to be named later? I think we’ll be OK.
• This hurts.
• Eminem gets the best photo ops.
• Of course the Detroit Tigers are active on Facebook with photos (after the fact) and lots of fan posts, but my favorite destination so far during the playoffs has been Detroit Tigers Fans United. (see below)
• The Detroit News is live blogging with Facebook comments but there’s only 12. There’s also mLive’s Live Blog of the game and the Freep’s live blog.
• This WSJ article notes (rightly) that the uniforms in this series are just about perfect. Not flashy, not cluttered.
• Does getting Jose Valverde a chance to pitch make it worth it? Consider Valverde in 2011…

Some twitters that we’re having fun following. Some are definitely off-color!

• @Tigers is the official twitter of the Detroit Tigers and while they’re mostly an occasional play-by-play, they have a gem every so often, Detroit’s own Eminem is playing over the speakers at AT&T Park. Detroit already taking over in the Bay!
• @roartigers aka Sam of Roar of the Tigers is a favorite of Absolute Michigan and a truly funny person. Die in an internet server fire, MLB. RT @MLB This is known as ‘maximum effort’ – pic.twitter.com/a0KvKZzJ
• @HuffPostDetroit has some great tweets and a running battle with their San Francisco counterparts. Okay, Hunter Pence’s long arms didn’t get him any closer to hitting anything thrown at him @HuffPostSF
• @JeffDaniels is of course that Jeff Daniels and a huge Tiger fan. All right I’m back. Oh, look. Zito not only hits like Mays, he’s throwing like Marichal. (The SF hurler’s game vs Warren Spahn in the ’62 series is judged one of the best ever
• @PhilCokesBrain is definitely PG-13 but has some hilarious observations like The good news is we aren’t as worried about JV’s pitch count anymore.
• @TerryFoster971 has some very cogent insight. Regarding Delmon Youn’s inexplicable failure to run he tweeted ok it looks like the Mr. October stuff is done. That was Mr. dumb dumb 
• @Bob Wojnowski is the Detroit News lead sportswriter. Verlander gets the first-inning HR out of the way. We’ve seen it a few times and he usually gets stronger. But this is a crazy, cozy park.
• @freepsports: For what it’s worth, in three of the four seasons the #Tigers won the #WorldSeries, they lost Game 1. #keepthefaith #Tigers2012
• @StarEagle is Dave Hogg, photographer and frequent Absolute Michigan contributer.

Kathy Siler of the Michigan Ag Council has a great article entitled In Search of the Great Michigan Pumpkin that notes that US Department of Agriculture’s statistics for 2010 ranked Michigan second in the nation with 7,400 acres of pumpkins planted. She also tells the centuries old legend of Stingy Jack, the Irish cheapskate who gave the name to the Jack-o-lantern and shares a lot information, including a recipe for Pilgrim Pumpkin Pie. While we are a big producer, the Kalamazoo News says that the 2011 pumpkin crop is a little smaller than usual, so today might be a good day to head to your local pumpkin patch!

The best listing we found is at Pumpkin Patches and more. Taste the Local Difference has a nice list of northern Michigan pumpkin farms and notes that in early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling. We’ll explore that in the Absolute Michigan kitchens and report! Their Pumpkin page has more facts including:

• Pumpkins are a nutritious, low-fat, low-calorie food.
• They are high in potassium and Vitamin A and are also a good source of beta-carotene.
• Pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, copper and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.
• There are many varieties of pumpkins besides the standard Jack-O-Lantern and pie pumpkins. Some especially fun ones are Jack B. Little miniatures, white pumpkins, Australian Blues, and Atlantic Giants.
• Pumpkins were once believed to eliminate freckles and were used as a remedy for snakebites.

Click through for more and a slew of great pumpkin recipes including Pumpkin Butter, Pumpkin Nachos (seriously), Pumpkin Thyme Rigatoni, and Potage au Potiron, a delicious soup made in the pumpkin! Pumpkins aren’t just for eating – some of Michigan’s brewmasters have brewed up some pumpkin ales. Click that link for a list and don’t forget about Jolly Pumpkin and their La Parcela Pumpkin Ale!

Of course the main use of pumpkins at this time of year is carving, and Michigan has some incredible artisans including “Pumpkin Ed” Moody, a specialist in giant pumpkin carving. Click the photo to see some of his work and also to learn about his new project, Karving for Kids that will allow Ed to carve for kids at Children’s Hospitals around the country. You can see another astonishing pumpkin carver in action in the video below!

Much more pumpkiny goodness at Absolute Michigan keyword pumpkin!

As promised, here’s a CBS News video of Michigan master carver Ray Villafane – this guy’s work is jaw-dropping!

Char B from Ohio wrote “We love the views, wine, cherries, and hopefully beautiful fall leaves. We are planning on climbing Sleeping Bear Dunes. Can’t wait to get there!” and Cindy P of Traverse City said simply “Michigan is Magnificent” – congratulations!

Absolute Michigan’s headquarters is at the gorgeous The Village at Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City. This Friday, October 12 from 5-10 PM Porterhouse Productions hosts a celebration of the bounty of Michigan at the October Festival at the Commons with Greensky Bluegrass.

The event features a food truck rally and wines from Black Star Farms, ciders from Left Foot Charley and 19 great seasonal ales including the festival’s Omena Harvest Ale (brewed with 50 pounds of freshly picked hops from Amy and Brian Tennis of New Mission Organic Hops), Filling Station Bayreuth Oktoberfest, Bell’s Best Brown, Arbor Strawberry Blonde, Founders’ All Day IPA & Breakfast Stout, Jolly Pumpkin Weizen Bam, Arcadia Jaw Jacker, Dark Horse Octoberfest and Cheboygan Oktoberfest and North Peak Hooligan! In addition to full meals, the food trucks will be selling tasting portions and all the libations, food & music is 100% Michigan. Even better, 100% of the alcohol sales support the great work of Bay Area Recycling for Charities.

There’s also a Silent Disco with DJ Dominate, glow in the dark LED disc golf, bonfires & heated tents. And speaking of that Michigan music, acts include Lindsey Lou and the Flatbellies, the Joshua Davis Band and Greensky Bluegrass - all Michiganders and all very good. Greensky Bluegrass all hail from Michigan and regularly light up stages across the nation with some of the finest names in bluegrass & music.

Tickets are available online where you can also see a promo video – $20 in advance or $25 day of event. Here’s Greensky Bluegrass absolutely tearing it up with Scott Law. It was a show that also featured May & Seth Bernard and is a treat!

Sixto Rodriguez performs at TCFF by Gary Howe

This summer I had the great good fortune to see the documentary Searching for Sugar Man at the Traverse City Film Festival. If you haven’t seen it, seek it out as it’s a wonderful film.

Watch the interview with subject Sixto “Sugar Man” Rodriguez below and check out Searching for Sugar Man from Sony Pictures Classics.

They also have him performing a song and an extra about how success was measured in the Rodriguez household.

This elite group is now joined by the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera who last night became just the 15th player and the first since 1967 to win the Triple Crown. The Tiger superstar led the American League with a .330 batting average, belted 44 homers and knocked in 139 RBIs, numbers made all the sweeter by the fact that they helped lead the Tigers to a second straight postseason berth.

Roar of the Tigers has three lovely crowns for Miguel Cabrera. The Freep has a roundup of what national writers are saying about Miguel. You can read the in-depth article on Cabrera’s feat on the Detroit Tigers website, see what Drew Sharp and Bob Wojnowski have to say and also check out quotes on Cabrera’s Triple Crown and a gallery of his 2012 highlights from the Freep.

photo credit: Miguel Cabrera by Keith Allison

Check out the finished video below and also don’t miss the behind the scenes blog from PureMichigan.org.

“The Michigan economy pushed further ahead in June, with our Michigan Economic Activity Index up strongly for the second month,” said Robert Dye, Chief Economist at Comerica Bank. “The rate of job creation has slowed over the first two quarters of the year as U.S. auto sales have plateaued around a 14 million unit annual sales rate in 2012. But outside of durable goods manufacturing, we are seeing ongoing gains. Housing markets statewide are improving as sales and prices increase. New home construction remains low, but is expected to increase to meet pent up demand.”

The Michigan Economic Activity Index consists of seven variables: nonfarm payrolls, exports, sales tax revenues, hotel occupancy rates, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, building permits, and motor vehicle production. All data are seasonally adjusted, as necessary, and indexed to a base year of 2004.

According to the Michigan Association of Realtors, the number of single family homes sold in Michigan rose 14 percent in July compared to one year earlier. The July 2012 average sales price was $116,116, a 6.55 percent increase over the 2011.

Overall, Michigan is leading the country in economic recovery, according to the Detroit News. The dropping unemployment rate, upswing in home sales and increase in consumer spending are all evidence of a positive outlook for the Great Lakes state.