Over on our Absolute Michigan web site, we're featuring Leelanau's own National Lakeshore in Dig Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes. It begins:
The October 21, 1970 Act of Congress that established the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore declared that "...the Congress finds that certain outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena, exist along the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and on certain nearby islands in Benzie and Leelanau Counties, Michigan, and that such features ought to be preserved in their natural setting and protected from developments and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and natural character of the area."
Before it's all over, you will have hopefully enjoyed the photos, maps and links and checked out 5 "must-do" ways to experience the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (I'm hoping folks who know and love the Dunes can add many more tips for visitors!)
Check it out - I'm really happy with how it came out!
Photo: canyon of trees by metrolens
Sugar Loaf area resident Bryan Poirier - who was up late practicing for the upcoming New Third Coast tour opening for Neil Young - was startled Sunday night to see "a bunch of lights zooming up and down the face of the mountain, but I just figured it was Jim Rennie 'sleep-grooming' again."
Rennie, another area resident, admitted that he had sought treatment for the rare sleep disorder. He said that he had been headed over to the Loaf to set a few gates "just for practice" when he too saw the strange lights. Upon arrival, he realized that the lights were a remarkable array of unidentified flying objects. By morning, county law enforcement officials and a growing crowd of curious onlookers were on the scene.
Calls to Sugar Loaf's owner, attorney and realtor went unanswered, setting people's minds somewhat at ease that it was still business as usual at the long-shuttered resort. Shortly after noon excitement was rekindled when, at a hastily called press conference, it was announced that Sugar Loaf Mountain had been sold ... to aliens!
The purchasing party is a consortium of several alien species who are calling themselves INVADER (Intergalactic Negotiators for Very Amicable Development of Extra-species Relationships). INVADER spokesman Klaatu announced the sale of Sugar Loaf for an undisclosed sum and pledged a massive investment in anti-gravity chair lifts and advanced alien snowmaking technology that would render the hills skiable 10 months out of the year.
When pressed about the selling price, Klaatu said "Long ago, we abandoned the concept of money ... along with war, starvation and reality television but I can tell you that all parties are happy with the outcome."
Alien attorney Zoth the Destroyer dismissed as "outrageous" speculation that the resort would be used as the beachhead for an alien invasion and regrettably ate our photographer, cutting the interview short. We did receive a lovely fruit basket by way of apology, however.
Sap Buckets, photo by Jim Sorbie
News from the Week
The week's news featured a rare upcoming appearance by landscape artist Russel Chatham at the Dennos (Apr 4), a clip from Song of Lakes new Live at Interlochen DVD, a cool ice boating video, news that the courthouse redevelopment in Leland will receive brownfield aid and - for all you seasonally disaffected folks who aren't headed somewhere warm - a neat photo of an iris from a warmer spring!
The Week's Weather
The week's weather featured a lot of sun but not a lot of heat. Jim said that there was maple sap in those buckets - a sure sign of spring!
March 20, 2008: Flurries & 20s (30/25)
March 21, 2008: Sunny & 20s (32/18)
March 22, 2008: Sunny & upper 20s (32/18)
March 23, 2008: Light snow and low 30s (33/19)
March 24, 2008: Mostly sunny & 30 (34/7)
March 25, 2008: Cloudy, light snow, rain, and in between & 40s (45/30)
March 26, 2008: Mostly sunny & 40 (43/26)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from March 2007 and our March 2008 page.
Here's a cool video from the tail-end of last winter. There's still a lot of ice boating going on!
Sixty-nine years ago by John Levanen
News from the Week
Stories from the week included a note about the passing of longtime Manitou passage captain George Grosvenor, a look at "berging" the Leland River and a belated story on 2 Leelanau Odyssey of the Mind winners advancing to states.
The Week's Weather
The week's weather is about what you expect for late March - too warm to be winter, to cold for spring.
March 13, 2008: Heavy early morning snow, then cloudy & upper 30s (50/18)
March 14, 2008: Light rain & 40s (44/28)
March 15, 2008: Mostly cloudy, breezy & 30 (33/24)
March 16, 2008: Sunny & 20s (28/8)
March 17, 2008: Sunny & low 30s (36/18)
March 18, 2008: Flurries & 30s (39/830)
March 19, 2008: Partly sunny & 30s (39/30)
More about the photo: John writes: In 1939 our Leelanau house was about 40 or 45 years old.
It has been through a lot of Michigan winters. The Honke family owned the house back then , I assume one of them took this photograph. He also has a photo of the Honke Family in front of the house in 1918.
Click for the Leelanau news archive from March 2007 and also see the March 2008 page!
John Levanen took this photo titled If you're bored on a Sunday afternoon in Leelanau County...
It demonstrates the time-honored tradition of "berging" down the Carp River in Leland from North Lake Leelanau to a stopping point that is curiously close to the Blue Bird.
Keith Burnham over at The Leland Report has complete coverage of Berging the River Carp - 2008 including a trial run on Saturday, and the photos from 2007, 2006 and 2005.
The photo is by Chris Burda, part of his Fishtown Docks photo gallery (view slideshow). The University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web's entry for the Mute Swan (cygnus olor) includes photos and information and begins:
Mute swans are large birds, measuring 144 to 158 cm. The wingspan is 2 to 2.5 meters. The two sexes are alike in appearance, except that males are generally larger than females. The plumage is white. They are best distinguished from North American swans by the knob at the base of the upper bill, and the color of the bill itself, which is orange, with the tip and base colored black. The head and neck may sometimes be stained brown from water and mud containing iron.
Jim posted this great photo of the first light of day at Brunson Barn in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore:
The Brunson Barn is on Thoreson Road about one mile west of M-22 where Thorson Road turns south. This structure is all that remains of the Joseph and Margaret Brunson farm. Mrs. Brunson was the daughter of Thomas Kelderhouse. The gambrel roofed barn is sited in a small field with a gentle wooded slope that rises to the north.
Also check out this photo of restoration at the Brunson Barn from Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear.
I've been thinking that it would be nice to have a place where people can post a little note about a cool event, mention something interesting in the news or natural world or just say something about the weather. Here's our first for March of 2008 and we'll post a new one each month!
The photo is Yellow Plane by Andy McFarlane. It was taken on March 17, 2006 on North Lake Leelanau just outside Leland and I have it on good authority that it's pretty much his favorite photo ever.
Here's the April 2008 page.
The Leelanau Enterprise has a feature on Leelanau County in the 1930s that says that despite the dramatic collapse of the market in 1929:
...perhaps things weren’t all that different in Leelanau County, which had been in a bit of its own depression even before 1929. In a region where lumbering activity had once played such a large role, the population had been declining since peaking out (at 10,608) in the 1910 census. The tourism business was good, but this was seasonal, with most of the valued “resorters” returning to their respective homes at summer’s end.
The photo is Leelanau Leland Old Breakwall Winter Ice by UpNorth Memories - Don Harrison. I'm not sure it is from the 30s, but it's cool and if you follow that link, you can download the image for your desktop wallpaper and see lots more cool old photos from Leelanau and elsewhere in Northern Michigan.
