May 2024 – Michigan in Pictures (2024)

Sunset Waterspout by Kyler Phillips

The National Weather Service page on the Science of Waterspouts that says in part:

Dr. Joseph Golden, a distinguished waterspout authority with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), defines the waterspout as a “funnel which contains an intense vortex, sometimes destructive, of small horizontal extent and which occurs over a body of water.” The belief that a waterspout is nothing more than a tornado over water is only partially true. The fact is, depending on how they form, waterspouts come in two types: tornadic and fair weather.

Tornadic waterspouts generally begin as true tornadoes over land in association with a thunderstorm, and then move out over the water. They can be large and are capable of considerable destruction. Fair weather waterspouts, on the other hand, form only over open water. They develop at the surface of the water and climb skyward in association with warm water temperatures and high humidity in the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere. They are usually small, relatively brief, and less dangerous. The fair weather variety of waterspout is much more common than the tornadic.

Waterspouts occur most frequently in northern Michigan during the months of August, September, and October, when the waters of the Great Lakes are near their warmest levels of the year. Waterspout formation typically occurs when cold air moves across the Great Lakes and results in large temperature differences between the warm water and the overriding cold air. They tend to last from about two to twenty minutes, and move along at speeds of 10 to 15 knots.

Kyler caught this spout when checking out a storm front as it rolled across Lake Michigan on May 31, 2017. His old Instagram is gone but I’m betting you can find him @kylerjphillips on the Gram!

Grand Funk RR by Scott Ward

Scott shared this photo on Monday writing “Bet you can’t guess where we were visiting. At one point these guys were outselling The Beatles! One of the true Michigan iconic bands. Glad to see that this homage to them is still there.”

If you guessed “Flint” you are correct! The band Grand Funk Railroad was one of the biggest bands to come out of Michigan in the seventies, scoring Grand Funk six platinum and seven gold-certified albums between their 1969 debut and first breakup in 1976. The power trio of Mark Farner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) & Mel Schacher (bass) originally came together in 1969 as “Grand Trunk Railroad”. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad objected, and the band (fortunately) had to change the name to Grand Funk Railroad.

Two of the three original members – Brewer & Schacher – are currently on tour as Grand Funk Railroad while lead singer & primary songwriter Farner tours as Mark Farner’s American Band.

Click the pic above to comment, and you can see more at Scott Ward Photography on Facebook and view & purchase work on his website.

Gabby Chaves Harding Racing Chevrolet 88 by Detroit Grand Prix

The Detroit Grand Prix takes place May 31-June 2 in downtown Detroit where it began in 1982:

Again in 2024, the Grand Prix will provide unprecedented access with more than half of the event’s footprint along Jefferson Avenue and the beautiful Detroit Riverfront open to the public, free of charge. Grand Prix visitors will be able to enjoy complimentary access to the main fan activation areas at the event, including Spirit Plaza, Hart Plaza as well as the Riverwalk. Fans will be welcomed in these key areas that will feature live music, food, games and displays all weekend long, without the purchase of a Grand Prix ticket.

The Detroit Grand Prix has all the details!

Saturday Sunset in Frankfort by SueFi Photography

Memorial Weekend 2024 is upon us. I’m wishing a great time for everyone, safe travels lucky enough to be traveling for pleasure, and for all of us, I wish patience. If you look around you will see Help Wanted signs everywhere you look, particularly in hot tourist destinations. Give those working an extra dose of kindness & have a blast!

To help folks enjoy the roads, the state has lifted some road closures for the weekend. We’ll need those roads because AAA Michigan is expecting nearly 1.3 million Michigan residents will travel at least 50 miles or more from home, second most since they began tracking in 1999.

Sue shared this photo last weekend – head over to SueFi Photography for lots more great shots from Frankfort & elsewhere in Michigan!

Map Turtle by David Marvin

May 23rd is World Turtle Day, an annual day of recognition created by American Tortoise Rescue to raise awareness about turtles & help preserve endangered turtles worldwide. Michigan has ten species of native turtles including the Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)– check them all out atKnow Your Michigan Turtles!

The Michpics entry on the Map turtle says that they are avid baskers, often basking in groups. They are diurnal, active both in the day and at night and also a very wary animal, slipping into the water to hide at the slightest hint of danger. During courtship the male initiates by tapping his long claws on the front of the female but few details are known. Well I guess those claws demand attention!! 👀

David took this photo a couple years ago while kayaking on the Grand River. See the latest on his Flickr!

Piping Plover Chick by Bill VanderMolen

If you’re on the Lake Michigan shore this weekend, there’s a chance you may see one of these small shorebirds scurrying along the water’s edge with some unique legwear. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore page onpiping ploversbegins:

The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) is an endangered shorebird. They are sand-colored on the back and white below. During the breeding season adults have a black forehead band between the eyes and a single black band around the neck. (Its larger relative the Killdeer is commonly seen at parks, playgrounds, and golf courses, and has two dark bands around the neck.) Piping Plovers nest only on beaches and prefer beaches with cobble. There are three small populations: one in the Great Plains, one on the Atlantic Coast, and the one here in the Great Lakes. They winter together on the Gulf Coast but travel to the separate areas during the breeding season.

…The greatest concentration of piping plovers in the Great Lakes occurs at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The areas around the nests are roped off during the breeding season to protect the birds from disturbances that would cause them to abandon their nests. Also, plover eggs and small chicks are very well camouflaged. Well-meaning plover watchers could easily step on them if allowed in the nesting area.

…As part of the piping plover monitoring and recovery efforts, each bird is banded with colored bands that identify it. Color bands allow researchers and park staff to keep track of longevity, faithfulness to nest sites and mates, and genetics, among other things.

Lots more including pictures on the Park website.

Bill took this back in July of 2018. See his latest on Instagram!

Tilting by john levanen

Back in the day, I used to feature excerpts by Linda S. Godfrey from the definitive book of Michigan mysteries: Weird Michigan. A good story to share when you’re floating around this weekend is the tale of the Lake Leelanau Monster.

The story of an early 20th Century sea monster sighting was sent to The Shadowlands Web site by a reader whose great-grandfather was the witness. The boy was fishing for perch one day in 1910 in the shallows of Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County. The lake had been dammed in the late 1800’s to provide water power for the local mill and to enable logging. The dam also flooded much surrounding area, turning it into swamps and bogs punctuated by dead, standing trees.

On that particular day, the young great-grandfather, William Gauthier, rowed out to a new fishing spot near the town of Lake Leelanau. Looking for good perch habitat, he paddled up close to a tree that he estimated to stand about five feet tall above the water, with a six-inch trunk. He was in about seven feet of water, and after deciding this would be a good place to stop and cast a line, began tying the boat to the tree.

That’s when young William discovered the tree had eyes. They were staring him dead in the face at about four feet above water level. The boy and serpent exchanged a long gaze, then the creature went, “Bloop” into the water. Gauthier said later that the creature’s head passed one end of the boat while the tail was still at the other end, though it was undulating very quickly through the water. The writer noted that Gauthier always admitted to having been thoroughly frightened by his encounter, and that the event caused him to stay off that lake for many years.

The writer added that his great-grandfather came from a prominent area family and was very well-educated, and that he knew others who would admit privately but not publicly that they, too, had seen the creature. No sightings have been reported in recent times, but who knows how many people have believed they were passing by a rotting old cedar when in fact they had just grazed the Leelanau lake monster?

Linda has regrettably passed on, but you can buy the awesome Weird Michigan right here.

Get more Michigan weirdness on Michigan in Pictures.

John says that eventually this boathouse will slide into the Lake Leelanau Narrows. See more in his huge Leelanau gallery on Flickr!

Ashman Road Level by Charles Bonham

Four years ago the city of Midland and surrounding area was inundated by a 500-year flood. I thought this story by Anna Clark in Belt Magazine about the experience of the Director of the Grace Dow Library in Midland when the dams broke was an interesting angle through which to view this devastating event.

The failure of the dams was the end result of years of deferred maintenance, negligence, and federal and state regulation unable to prevent a life-changing deluge. It threatened public safety, homes, senior residences, schools, and businesses, all of which were already vulnerable from the coronavirus pandemic.

Charles took this photo in downtown Midland right the day after the flood on May 20th. You can see lots more in his Midland, Sanford & Edenville MI Flood of June 2020 gallery on Flickr!

“Lonely Goose” Mouth of the Hurricane river by Michigan Nut Photography

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore asks if you’ve ever thought about being a campground host?

If the answer is “Yes!” they are seeking a volunteer campground host for the month of June at Hurricane River Lower Campground. Volunteer campground hosts work 5 days a week and stay in a designated campsite, assisting fellow campers with information and registration, but they do not handle any money, and do not clean restrooms. Campground hosts are welcome to bring their own RVs and campers, though there are no electric or sewer hookups (vault toilets are available) and cell reception is limited.

Hurricane River Campground is on the eastern side of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, about 12 miles outside of Grand Marais. The campground sits above a sand and pebble beach on Lake Superior, which is dotted with shipwrecks as it stretches east towards the Au Sable Light Station.

It’s an awesome spot – learn more & apply on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore website!

John took this photo of a lonely goose at the mouth of the Hurricane River way back in 2012! For sure view & purchase prints from Pictured Rocks & elsewhere on his website!!

I’m Posing for the Camera by R.Miller96

From Waterfall Wednesdays to the Michigan Duckie Project to every flavor of rainbows, one of the things that keeps Michpics fun for me are my little photographic obsessions. Way back in 2011, I shared this photo on what became the all time most popular post on Michigan in Pictures: Know Your Michigan Turtles.

World Turtle Day (May 23) is just a week away so it felt like a perfect time to bring back this photogenic painted turtle for an encore! See more in R Miller’s water gallery on Flickr.