Closed for Opening Day

Empty Comerica Park by Andrew McFarlane

Today was supposed to be the home opener of the Detroit Tigers but of course that’s not happening. I’ve been living just a few blocks away, and I can’t begin to describe the impact of having every one of the cities amazing venues either empty or being repurposed as emergency healthcare & food delivery locations.

The economic impact to those who work there or rely on crowds of fans of sports & music to survive is frightening, and the loss of one of the beating hearts of a city that still shows up every day, even when our teams aren’t at their best is really putting a hole in my heart this morning. Stay strong everyone.

PS: Shirley is still happy.

Frankfort Fire Department 🔥

Frankfort Fire Department 🔥 by Noah Sorenson Photo

Here’s a stunning shot of the Frankfort Light by my friend Noah. With news that Covid-19 is hitting police and other emergency services very hard in Michigan & around the nation, I hope that everyone will do EVERYTHING they can to minimize the strain on these hard-working women & men:

More than a fifth of Detroit’s police force is quarantined; two officers have died from coronavirus and at least 39 have tested positive, including the chief of police. For the 2,200-person department, that has meant officers working doubles and swapping between units to fill patrols. And everyone has their temperature checked before they start work.

An increasing number of police departments around the country are watching their ranks get sick as the number of coronavirus cases explodes across the U.S. The growing tally raises questions about how laws can and should be enforced during the pandemic, and about how departments will hold up as the virus spreads among those whose work puts them at increased risk of infection.

…officers are used to risk. It’s part of the job. But at a time when Americans are being advised to stay six feet from each other to combat an insidious virus that can live on surfaces for days, the perils and anxieties are new. This crisis is unlike any American police forces have dealt with before, said former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.

“We’re in unprecedented territory here,” said Davis, who led the police department when the Boston Marathon bombing happened in 2013.

…While the pandemic has so far hit American cities hardest, rural law enforcement agencies with few staff are in some ways most vulnerable.

In the tiny West Texas community of Marfa, Police Chief Estevan Marquez instructed his four officers not to pull over cars for minor traffic infractions, especially if they’re passing through from areas already hit by the virus.

He can’t afford for anyone to get sick.

You can read the history of Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse by Terry Pepper on Michigan in Pictures & should definitely view Noah’s photo & many more on his Instagram!

Michigan State Parks announce Covid-19 policy changes

Dune Climbers by Bill Dolak

The Michigan DNR has announced that although state parks and recreation areas remain open to provide residents with local opportunities to get outdoors, extensive travel should be minimal & effective social distancing is required so that unsafe conditions do not develop and state-managed lands can remain open.

“We are doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of visitors and staff at state parks and recreation areas,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “No matter how people are choosing to get outdoors, it is critical that everyone follows the social distancing guidelines. If they don’t, we will be forced to close public access to all state-managed lands.”

Closures and reduction in services include

Many park amenities have been closed in order to minimize the chance of people gathering in groups and/or maximize the environment for effective social distancing. Current closures include, but are not limited to, concessions, playgrounds and play equipment, viewing platforms, fishing piers, GaGa ball bits, volleyball and basketball courts, designated dog areas, disc golf courses, radio-controlled flying fields, pump tracks, and picnic tables and shelters.

All bathroom buildings and vault toilets will be closed in all state parks and recreation areas, including those at campgrounds, boating access sites, trailheads at state-designated trails, etc. People are encouraged to plan accordingly to avoid needing a restroom during a visit. Note: Over the next few days, vault toilets will be closing. Many locations, where available, will be transitioning to portable toilets that will be cleaned by local vendors.

There will be minimal trash service available. Visitors are encouraged to bring trash bags, if needed, to carry trash home and minimize litter.

No hand washing stations will be provided. Please carry hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes containing at least 60% alcohol, as well as trash bags to carry out used wipes.

Additionally, grooming of snowmobile trails (the season closes March 31) and grooming, brushing, grading and clearing of all nonmotorized trails and ORV trails are suspended until at least the end of the order. When out on any trail, be aware of surroundings, including the potential for washouts or debris. To report anything that could be a risk to other trail users, call 517-331-0111.

Follow the DNR’s COVID-19 response webpage for the latest closure information related to events, meetings and facilities, including campgrounds, harbors and other sites.

Bill took this photo last October at Van Buren State Park near South Haven. See many more incredible shots in his Drone the Sixth – DJI Phantom 4 Advanced album on Flickr!

See photos and read about many of Michigan’s state & national parks on Michigan in Pictures!

At All Costs

At All Costs (Sugar Loaf, 2016) by Andrew McFarlane

Most of the photos on Michigan in Pictures are someone else’s, but every once in a while, I’ll sprinkle in one of mine. I took this several years ago at Sugar Loaf Mountain Resort on the Leelanau Peninsula. The guy’s wife told me that he works on the really tall power lines and (clearly) has absolutely zero fear of heights.

I should probably add that if you want to support Michigan in Pictures, you can share it with your friends and also consider a small donation on my Patreon.

I often get pushback when I post things of people doing things that are dangerous, so let me stress:

1. Do not try this.
2. You probably aren’t up to it.
3. Sugar Loaf is now closed to access (when I went, it was still owned by the people who owed me $8k).
4. Gravity can kill you!

Have a great weekend & stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Dianna Ross!

Diana Ross, 1976 by Motown Records/Wikimedia Commons

Today is the birthday of Detroit-born Motown singer, actress, record producer, and all around legend Diana Ross. The Black PR Wire Power news release in honor of her birthday says:

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group, The Supremes, who during the 1960s became Motown’s most successful act, and are the best-charting female group in US history, as well as one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time. The group released a record-setting twelve number one hit singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, including “Where Did Our Love Go”, “Baby Love”, “Come See About Me”, “Stop! In the Name of Love”, “You Can’t Hurry Love”, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”, “Love Child”, and “Someday We’ll Be Together”.

Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross released her eponymous debut solo album that same year, featuring the No. 1 Pop hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” She later released the album “Touch Me in the Morning” in 1973; its title track was her second solo No. 1 hit. She continued a successful solo career through the 1970s, which included hit albums like Mahogany and Diana Ross and their No. 1 hit singles, “Theme from Mahogany” and “Love Hangover”, respectively. Her 1980 album “Diana” produced another No. 1 single, “Upside Down”, as well as the international hit “I’m Coming Out.” Her final single with Motown during her initial run with the company achieved her sixth and final U.S. number one Pop hit, the duet “Endless Love” featuring Lionel Richie, whose solo career was launched with its success.

Ross has also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award–nominated performance in the film “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972); she recorded its soundtrack, which became a number one hit. She also starred in two other feature films, “Mahogany” (1975) and “The Wiz” (1978), later acting in the television films “Out of Darkness” (1994), for which she also was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum (1999).

She is the only female artist to have number one singles as a solo artist; as the other half of a duet (Lionel Richie); as a member of a trio; and as an ensemble member (We are the World-USA for Africa). In 1976, Ross was named the “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard magazine. In 1993, the Guinness Book of World Records declared her the most successful female music artist in history, due to her success in the United States and United Kingdom for having more hits than any female artist in the charts, with a career total of 70 hit singles with her work with the Supremes and as a solo artist. She had a top 10 UK hit in every one of the last five decades, and sang lead on a top 75 hit single at least once every year from 1964 to 1996 in the UK, a period of 33 consecutive years and a record for any performer.

In 1988, Ross was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes, alongside Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. She was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Dig into the Supremes at Motown Museum!

Coronovirus Adds to Flint’s Water Woes

Distributing Water in Flint (2016) by J Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

The Freep reports that in the city of Flint, Michigan, the coronavirus pandemic is adding to the daily hardship some citizens have endured for over 5 years following the Flint Water Crisis and making it even more difficult for organizations to help:

Volunteers aren’t showing up to hand out water and food for fear of catching the virus — and, some residents say, they are now having difficulty buying what they need because the supermarket shelves are bare as a result of panicked shoppers.

“The stores don’t have it,” Sandra Jones, the executive director of R.L. Jones Community Outreach Center in Flint, said of bottled water. “We have people who called and promised to volunteer, but because of the pandemic every single one of them backed out.”

Every Thursday, she said, hundreds of residents line up at the center at Greater Holy Temple Church of God in Christ. They arrive as early as 4 a.m., where the bottle water distribution starts at 10 a.m.

The residents, Jones added, come in cars with folks from two, three and four families.

“We could certainly use help, and we could use letting people know we are not yet out of this crisis,” she said. “People are agitated. They are scared.”

Indeed. If you would like to help the R.L. Jones Community Outreach Center, contact Sandra Jones at Greater Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, 6702 Dort Hwy, in Flint, (810) 787-3960.

Shoutout to Michigan-based Circle of Blue & their great “The Stream” newsletter for the heads up! Click to read their coverage of the Flint Water Crisis & support their water journalism.

Window Cake

Window Cake by Peter Kelly

For some of us, social distancing has been a thing for weeks, but with Governor Whitmer’s executive order yesterday restricting non-essential travel, a lot more of us will be making window cake for the next three weeks. Stay safe everyone!

You can see more in Peter’s The Henry Ford set on Flickr & see lots more portraits on Michigan in Pictures.

The Corgi & the Cataract

The Corgi & the Cataract by Taylor Nicole Featherstone

This photo from one of the many waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula was sent in by a fan last March. I’m hoping that those of you with furry friends are finding ways to keep them (and yourself!) happy & fit.

You can check out more at Featherstone Fotography on Facebook & keep up with the Adventures of Darwin + Charles on Facebook. And definitely follow her on Instagram @oureveolvingadventure!

In Honor of the Vernal Equinox

In Honor of the Vernal Equinox, photo by Cherie

SORRY FOLKS – STILL GETTING BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO POST YESTERDAY, SO I GUESS WE HAVE A 2 FOR 1 SALE GOING ON!!

The vernal equinox heralding the start of Spring happened at 11:50 PM Thursday night.  EarthSky editor Deborah Byrd’s article on the vernal equinox has a ton of great information, video, and illustrations and explains:

…there’s nothing official about it, it’s traditional to say the upcoming March or vernal equinox signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. This equinox does provide a hallmark for the sun’s motion in our sky, marking that special moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator going from south to north … At the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally. Night and day are approximately equal in length. The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).

Read on for more including how you can mark due east and west from any location on the equinox!

You can see lots more from Cherie in her Flora & Foliage set on Flickr & see tons & bunches more flowers on Michigan in Pictures! Happy Spring everyone!

A Squirrel’s Eye View

Fox Squirrels in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan on a Quiet Day by Corey Seeman

Corey is one of my favorite members of the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr, which is the place where most of the photos on Michigan in Pictures come from. For over a decade, Corey has been telling stories through his photographs of the squirrels on the University of Michigan campus. For his latest entry he writes about a subject close to all of us:

Fox Squirrels in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan on a Quiet Day – March 19th, 2020

So much to unpack here. With COVID-19 essentially shutting down campuses all across America and the world, there are few normal days to be had. I have been going into the office a few times just to make sure that things are still standing. Most of my work is at home.

But the one part of my life that is sadly missing at home are the squirrels. I normally use it as a social exercise – handing out peanuts to strangers so they can feed the squirrels. That part is gone in the world of social distancing. I keep at least enough room for the Holy Spirit to drive a car between me and anyone I am with.

On my recent day in the office (Thursday March 19th, 2020), I walked around just a bit. On the sad side, I saw a squirrel on the Diag who was either sick, fallen, or had been attacked, struggling to drink water and eat. I did see one – who might have been a momma – living inside Michele Oka Doner’s 2009 bronze casted statue “Angry Neptune, Salacia and Strider.” She seems to have an infected eye – I hope it gets better. I wish the squirrels at my home were nearly this friendly. But in the grand scheme of things – there is so much more to wish for.

Be safe everyone – we will get through this. Sending love and virtual hugs from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Pictures from the University of Michigan on Thursday March 19th, 2020.

Be safe indeed, and love & virtual hugs to you all! Check out Corey’s University of Michigan (2020-) set on Flickr and if you need even more squirrels, Michigan in Pictures has you covered!