Michigan Exposures

And a Couple of the Burton Memorial Tower

2012-02-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is another structure that I really like.

As you can see, blue skies but there is a nice layer of snow on the ground.

Just a close up of the tower.

A Firetruck Wandering Through Ann Arbor

2012-02-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Nothing special, just a firetruck.

As I was heading back to my car, this firetruck was heading up State Street. So I decided to take a picture of it.

A Couple Shots of the Union

2012-02-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

Even though this was one of my 12 month projects, I can never get enough pictures of the Michigan Union. It is another one of my favorite buildings on campus.

A shot from across the street. Sadly it was a little on the cold side, so I didn't stick around too long.

I'm not sure this shot really works, but I kind of like it.

The Law School Gargoyles

2012-02-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if gargoyles are the correct term for these but it is the term that I will. To me, these are probably the coolest features of the Law School.

I kind of wish a couple of my other pictures had turned out though because I would have been pretty close to taking a picture of each of these. But at any rate, this is a pretty cool sample of the figures.

Evidently, each of these figures represent a different figure at the University at the time (or near the time). Some of the figures also represent different activities. There is one that looks like a football player and another that looks like a tennis player.

As I said, it seems like I notice different things when I come through here. I really like the artwork for this.

This almost looks like it represents a pharmacist or doctor.

A representation of the 10 commandments.

These are definately the figures that represent people of the University.

This figure is probably one of my favorites.

This figure looks like an explorer of some sort.

Possibly a builder?

This one almost looks like it represents medicine.

This figure is another one of my favorites.

The University of Michigan - Law Quadrangle

2012-02-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

I was going to head over to the west side of the State today but the road didn't feel like cooperating today. It snowed just enough last enough to make the roads fun. The sad part was that the freeway looked fine enough until I actually got on it.

I'm kind of bummed too because it looks like it would have been windy over there and that would have made for some nice lighthouse pictures. One of these days I hope to get some pictures where the ice is draped over the sides of the catwalks for those lighthouses.

So I decided to stay in the area and I figured since I had my camera with me, I'd head to Michigan's campus and take some pictures. It has been a while since I've been there. I wasn't going to take too many pictures though as it was cold out.

I think my favorite part of Michigan's campus is the Law Quadrangle. Heck, I think they may be some of my favorite buildings period. The architecture reminds me of Oxford. This would be the south part of the Law Library.

The entrance to one of the halls just outside of the law library.

I think the thing that I like the most are the little details on the buildings. It seems like I always notice something new when I do one of these trips.

Another one of the little details.

Looking up at one of the spires of the Law Library.

The main entrance to one of the residence halls.

A chapel.

The State Seal of Michigan. This is to the side of the Law Library's entrance.

A close up shot of some of the glass work above the Law Library's entrance.

At the other side of the entrance.

Just above the Library entrance.

One of the archways in the quad. There are some really neat details here too. But more about that in the next post.

Looking above one of the archways.

One of the other archways.

EMU Basketball Vs. Kent State - Post Game

2012-02-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

So a couple shots from after the game.

The scoreboard pretty much says it all. Eastern had a pretty commanding lead at one point in the game and looked like they were going to roll to a victory but then the wheels fell off the bus. It seemed like there were quite a few mistakes but this is a young team.

And of course the post game handshake. I think this is one of the things I like about college.

EMU Basketball Vs. Kent State - The Game

2012-02-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here are my shots from the game. The game wasn't too bad. EMU came out of the gate pretty strong but then petered at the end but more about that later.

The Jump Ball at the beginning of the game. I think EMU was able to win that.

Riley slam dunking the ball. I think I would have liked this shot a little more if I had gotten his face in it.

Jamell Harris also getting in on some slam dunk action.

Darrell Lampley going towards the basket. He actually had a pretty good game and I think scored 18 points.

Austin Harper dribbling down the court. This was before EMU would start circling around the perimeter.

Quentin Dailey also had to get in on the jamming.

Austin Harper getting mugged as he tries to take a shot.

Antonio Green setting up for a three pointer. I don't remember if he made this one but he made quite a few others.

Darrell Lampley charging towards the basket.

Antonio Green taking a layoup shot. He ended up with 12 points.

Matt Balkema taking a shot as well.

Antonio Green under the basket.

I just wanted a full court shot. I'm not sure how well I like it.

Coach Murphy trying to direct the team. He was pretty animated last night and quite honestly I can't say I blame him. I seriously think EMU had a chance in this game.

EMU Basketball Vs. Kent State - Pre-Game

2012-02-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

So I went to the EMU basketball game last night. They were playing Kent State which is not in the same divsion as Eastern. It was my first game in a while so I think I may have been a little rusty.

The Kent State players were performing some sort of bizarre ritual in which they could levitate a basketball. Or I caught the basketball in mid air as they were doing their pre-game pumping up. Take your pick.

The singing of the National Anthem.

And the team lined up for the National Anthem.

Icicles

2012-02-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

I was wandering around our building at work taking pictures of some other things, when I stumbled across this.....

Since I haven't had too many winter pictures this year, I figured I would leave you with a shot of some icicles. It has been pretty nice for the past couple of weeks but it sounds like winter may make a return towards the weekend.

Mail from the Westcott

2012-02-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. The time where I answer e-mail or comments from the people that have decided to ask me questions.

The first question is in regards to the website I use to track shipping on the Great Lakes.
There are actually two websites that I use to track shipping. The one I started to use was http://www.boatnerd.com. If you go to the link that says "Vessel Passages" and click the area you want to know about, it gives you a pretty good idea of what's coming down. A better one is put out by boatnerd. It tracks the ships realtime and is at http://ais.boatnerd.com. On that one you can find a pulldown menu that limits your search.

The next question is in regards to the eagles that I take pictures of.
All I can tell you about that one is that they are in Bay City, Michigan. It seems like there are enough people that go there and I don't want it to become more of a circus.

Is In-N-Out ever coming to Michigan?
I don't think that will ever happen. Evidently, they have their own meat processing plant and they deliver fresh so that pretty much limits them to the West Coast.

Cialis or Viagra?
Um...why the hell do you people keep posting these comments on my blog? Please leave me alone. Thank you.

I also had a pretty cool comment on one of my Huron Lightship posts.

I also want to thank the various people that have pointed out mistakes on my blog or have helped me identify some of the things that I was unable to identify.

I've got many more pictures of the Westcott that I can use....so please use either the comments section or send me e-mail to kozzie_13 at yahoo dot com.

Thank you.

Some Shots of Downtown Grand Rapids

2012-02-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what any of the buildings or streets are called as I don't venture over to the western end of the state much. However, I was fairly impressed with the size of some of the buildings in Grand Rapids. It never occurred to me that Grand Rapids was that large.

So after the game, I had a little time to kill, so I took some pictures from the parking structure. I think I may have overexposed things a little bit.

I would have liked this shot a little better if it were clearer.

All in all, I had a pretty good time on Saturday but it was too much driving or riding.

The Grand Rapids Griffins Vs. the Hamilton Bulldogs

2012-02-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite sports is hockey and one of my favorite teams is the Red Wings. I haven't been to a Red Wings game in a while and I've never been to a Griffins game. I think the distance from home to Grand Rapids is a fairly large factor in that. Well a reason to go to a game presented itself in the fact that one of my co-workers has a son that plays for a team that would be facing the Griffins. So I decided to go to a game for that.

The Griffins play in Van Andel Arena which is named after one of the founders of Amway. It was constructed in 1996 and has a capacity of around 10,500. The Griffins also started in 1996 as a part of the now defunct IHL. In 2001, parts of the IHL were folded into the AHL and in 2002, they became the Red Wings affiliate.

Since they were playing a Canadian team, O Canada was played. I actually like that anthem.

They also played the Star Spangled Banner.

Brendan Smith tries to get the puck out of the corner, he is being hassled by one of the Hamilton Bulldog players.

Jordan Pearce clearing the puck from the net area.

Lefebvre taking a shot at the net. It didn't go in.

Pearce making one of many saves.

One of the Hamilton players chasing after the puck.

One of the interesting parts about going to minor league games is the things they do in between periods. This was a gatlin gun t-shirt launcher.

One of the zambonis clearing the ice between periods.

Tatar as he takes a shot towards the net.

The Hamilton goalie standing tall.

The Hamilton goalie making a save.

Brunnstrom taking a shot at net.

Jamie Johnson setting up on the power play.

Brendan Smith taking a slapshot.

The puck back in the net and the look of shock on the goalie.

Just a general scrum around the front of the net.

Doug Janik taking a shot at the net.

Nyquist clearing the puck from behind the net.

The Hamilton goalie in the process of making a save.

During the next intermission, they had a Tae Kwon Do demonstration. I think this guy was breaking bricks.

The other Zamboni cleaning the ice.

Pearce making another one of his saves.

Pearce standing tall.

Smith carrying the puck out from behind the net.

The Griffins celebrating one of their five goals.

Brunnstrom advancing on one of the Hamilton players.

One Hamilton players carrying the puck around the net.

Lashoff carrying the puck from out behind the net.

One of the Hamilton players taking a shot towards the net.

The Griffins congratulating the efforts of their goalie. They won the game 5-2.

I had fun and the seats we got were excellent. We were right at ice level.

On the Way to Grand Rapids

2012-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons why I didn't have a ton of time on Saturday was because my dad and I were going to the Grand Rapids Griffins game. We met in Fowlerville and he drove over to Grand Rapids. On the way, I was treated to this sunset over I-96.

Interstate 96 is completely enclosed within the State of Michigan. It starts near Muskegon on the west side of the State and ends at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit.

Construction on I-96 began in 1957 and was going to be a replacement for US-16 which was finally decommissioned in 1962. Construction for the most part was completed in 1962 but it took another 15 years to complete the sections through Detroit. It also known as the Jeffries or Rosa Parks in Detroit.

Some Shots Around the Aquarium

2012-02-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

If i would have had some time on Saturday, I would have made this the continuation of my Belle Isle series but as it was, I was fairly pressed for time. I only had time to take the shots as I was waiting in line or going back to my car. Plus the fact that it didn't really look like Belle Isle in February helped a bit.

I kind of liked the look of this gnarly tree. I thought it would look better in black and white, so I shot it in black and white.

The Nancy Brown Peace Carillon. I was around long enough to hear the chimes playing for quite a while. It sounds pretty peaceful. Unfortunately, this shot was obscured by the trees a bit.

A shot of the Peace Carillon as I was heading back to my car.

This is the stream that sort of runs between the Strand and the Conservatory. I liked the blue color but it reminded me more of a summer day than what is supposed to be in the middle of winter.

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory....Again

2012-02-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

My pictures from Saturday continue. As I said in my last post, I had a little time to wait in line for the Aquarium, so I decided to take pictures of the Conservatory as well. I think this may be one of my favorite structures on Belle Isle. It has that old school look to it.

This building was also constructed in 1904 and was designed by Albert Kahn. It was orginally intended to be a compliment to the aquarium and at one time you were able to go between both buildings. That entrance was closed as the aquarium wanted to add a shark tank.

Albert Kahn loosely based this design on Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

In 1952, it was remodeled with some of the wooden beams being replaced by aluminum.

In 1954, it was renamed the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory after she left her rather large collection of orchids.

This is a Marshall Fredericks sculpture.

A view of the Conservatory that I was hoping to get for a long time. I really love how the outside gardens flow into the building.

Inside the Belle Isle Aquarium

2012-02-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I saw on the Belle Aquarium Facebook group that they would be open on February 4th. I was a little bummed because I had so much else to do yesterday but I figured out how I could make it work, so I ended up at the "Shiver on the River".

The first thing that surprised me was the number of people that showed up for this event. The aquarium wasn't even going to be full but there were many people there. I guess that makes a pretty convincing argument that people will go to the aquarium.

I've taken several pictures of the outside of the aquarium but I've taken them with people in them. I think this possibly bodes well for things.

After about 45 minutes of waiting in the line, I finally made it to this point. Soon I would be inside the aquarium for the first time in about 20 years. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I wasn't expecting alot because I didn't want to be disappointed.

Getting a little closer. This aquarium may not be as large as some of the aquariums I have visited elsewhere but the building has some degree of character. As I've pointed out before, it was designed by Albert Kahn.

The face is Neptune, the God of the Sea.

A shield of Detroit graces above the Aquarium sign. On it is Detroit's motto, "Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus" which translates to "We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes". I'm not sure where the first part comes from but I think the second may be a reference to the fire in 1806 that pretty much destroyed the city. But I think the motto may be appropriate for the Aquarium as well. Maybe some it will emerge from the ashes.

A closeup of the face at the entrance.

A closeup of one of the columns to the side of the entrance.

Looking up at the seal.

Looking up at the details above the entrance.

When the aquarium closed in 2005, it was the oldest aquarium in continued existence in the country. Unfortunately parts of it showed its age but I think it was pretty cool.

Looking inside the aquarium. The glass ceiling was deliberate. It would be lit from skylights and was green to give the impression of being under the sea.

I was actually surprised by the number of tanks that they had open. I think there were about 10 or so. I have to imagine it was a good deal of work to get it to this point. I want to thank the people that put in the efforts to make this happen.

One of the other fish.

I think this is a map turtule. I kind of wish the picture was a little clearer because I like the turtles pose.

A tortoise.

A small nurse shark and some fish.

A closer shot of the shark. I think this is the fish that I was most surprised about.

I'm not sure what kind of fish this is.

Some of the tanks just had exhibits in them.

Another one of the tanks.

These are the koi from the pond that is by the conservatory. They use the basement tanks to store them during the winter. I am guessing that is part of the reason why the aquarium is in as good of shape as it is.

Looking at the hallway from the other side. I really love the look of the cieling.

A couple more fish.

From the brochure that was provided by the group, it sounds like they are planning some major renovations in the spring. I hope that the turnout from yesterday, those renovations and some other things that are happening lead to a more permanent situation for the aquarium. It would be a shame to let another one of Detroit's treasure fall to the wayside.

Once again, I would like to thank the group of people that put this together. Maybe someday I might be able to see the eel tank in its full glory again.

Another Eagle Pic

2012-02-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me. It was my usual weekend to go up to my mom's. There was also the Shiver on the River at Belle Isle where they would have the aquarium open and then I was off to Grand Rapids to see a Griffins game. All of this combined made for a long time. So we'll start with first things first.....

Going up to my mom's means stopping by the eagle spot. Unfortunately, my pictures of the eagles weren't the greatest and this was probably the most passable. I still like it but I think it could be a little crisper.

Shiver on the River

2012-02-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

This picture is a recycled picture but I needed to show it to talk about something else.

Speaking of revitalizations....

On this Saturday (February 4th, 2012), the Belle Isle Aquarium will be open to the public from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. for a free event called "Shiver on the River". I think this is the first time the aquarium has been open to the public since it closed in 2005. They are going to have some fish in some of the tanks and there may be other events as well. If you are in the area and can attend, please do. I am guessing if there is a large enough show of support, this may become a more common occurrence.

NOTE: I have since found out this is not the first time the aquarium has been open to the public since 2005 but this is the first time they have some exhibits in the tanks. So like I said, if you are in Detroit and would like to see this become a more frequent occurrence please attend.

Random Buildings Around the David Stott

2012-02-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to wander the area around the Stott Building for a bit. I'd have to say this is probably one of the more impressive looking blocks in Detroit. It is definately one of the few that has the feeling of a big city.

The orange building is the Guarding Building and this has been featured on this blog before. The guy in the center of the picture started to ask me what I was taking pictures of....I basically ignored him because he seemed crazy.

Another angle looking down that street.

The tall building is the Book Tower. Someday, I will do a feature on that building.

A closeup of the Book Tower.

Looking down Griswold from another vantage point.

I think I've said this repeatedly but I will say it again. It is pretty easy to focus on the negative of Detroit. People do that all the time. But I don't think it offers anything positive for the city. I think there are signs of progress and I hope those signs continue. I don't think Detroit will ever be what it was in the 50's or 60's but it may become impressive again.

The David Stott Building

2012-02-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

Slowly but surely, I am learning the various landmarks of Detroit. For all the attention that people give to the Michigan Central Train Station and some of the other decrepit structures, I wish more attention would be given to the buildings in Detroit that are still viable. Admittedly, they probably aren't as nice as they were in the day but they are still pretty nice looking buildings.

So today, I will talk about the David Stott Building. It is on Griswold Street just off of Michigan Avenue. It is a block away from Lafayette Coney Island and is a pretty distinctive landmark. New York and Chicago may have taller building but Detroit has some pretty asthetic buildings.

This building was constructed in 1929 by Donaldson and Meier. It is another example of Art Deco in Detroit.

It was named after a businessman in Detroit.

The sculptures on the building are by Corrado Parducci.

It is constructed of brick, marble and limestone. It almost looks like it could be a relative to the Guardian Building.

It is 37 stories and stands at 437 feet tall.

It is part of the Capitol Park Historic District and near one of the places that was used by the Underground Railroad. The district was so named because it served as Michigan's capitol from 1837 until 1847 when Lansing took over this role.

I'll have to say it is a pretty impressive structure.

I took a brief look inside. Not quite as impressive as other buildings in Detroit though.

Probably one of my favorite angles for taking pictures of tall buildings.

Sweetest Heart of Mary Church - Detroit

2012-02-01T22:46:00.000-08:00

Approximately 5 or 6 blocks away from St. Josaphat is another Church. This was actually the Church that I saw when I was taking pictures of St. Josaphat and I was hoping to return some day.

I'm not a particularly religious person but I do appreciate the architecture of churches. This particular one reminds me more of a Cathedral than a Church though.

In the 19th Century, Detroit was a rising city and as a result many Polish immigrants settled there. Many of these people attended St. Joseph's (another Church I'm gonna have to look up) which was a German speaking church. Eventually they became dissatisfied and wanted to build their own church.

In 1871, the Polish churchgoers built a frame church near where this church stands.

In 1890, construction began on what would be the current church. It was completed in 1893 and would be the largest Catholic Church in Michigan.

This church is probably the largest Gothic Revival Church in the Midwest.

If this is how ornate the outside looks, I can only imagine what the inside looks like.

I like the statue but I'm not too keen on the picture.

The stained glass windows were built by the Detroit Stained Glass works and have won awards. The church has been undergoing some renovation but I can only imagine what it looked like in its heyday.

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church - Detroit

2012-02-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I took pictures of St. Josaphat in Detroit. When I did that I noticed a couple of other churches in the area, so I wanted to take pictures of those some day. I was heading up to Troy today, so I had my chance since I had a little time to kill.

I saw the first church as I first turned down Mack Avenue. It didn't look like a Catholic Church and I thougth maybe it was a Lutheran Church.

It turns out that the church is called Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. And probably the reason it looks like a Lutheran Church is that it was built by German Catholics.

This church was the third German Catholic Church and was built in 1875. It would served the German community until shortly after World War I as the Germans started to move out and the African Americans moved in.

It was officially considered an African-American Catholic Church in 1938. At this time the Congregation numbered around 1500 and they even had a school.

After World War II, I-75 was constructed in this area which displaced many of the parishioners. In 1957, the schools were closed.

In 1975, it was registered as a State Historic site and in 1980, it was designated as a National Historic Place. It still serves weekly masses.

Something New

2012-01-31T22:28:00.000-08:00

I added another section to my blog tonight. At the lower right hand corner is a section that lists ships by shipping company. If you like this idea please post in the comments section and I will add more like it in the future.

After three years, I realize my blog is bit unwieldy.

And The Fisher Building....

2012-01-31T20:01:00.000-08:00

So my next building is the Fisher Building. It is probably one of the more distinct buldings in Detroit and since it is set away from the main downtown area, it stands out. With the GM Building and a few other buildings it is considered as New Center part of Detroit. So called because it was going to be a hub connecting the downtown area of Detroit to the auto factories in the outlying parts of Detroit. Some people consider it to be the original edge city (a sub-center remote from but related to the main core).

The building was designed by Joseph Nathaniel French of Albert Kahn associates and was constructed in 1929. Originally it was going to be a complex of three buildings with two 30 story buildings flanking a 60 story building but the Great Depression put a damper on that.

It was named after the Fisher family of Fisher Body Fame after they sold Fisher Body to GM and used the money from that to finance the building.

The building is considered to be of the Art Deco style.

The top was orignally covered with golden tiles but those were removed during World War II for fear of being a beacon for enemy bombers.

This is a shot of some of the detail on one of the buildings to the side.

The antenna on top is used by the WJR which operates at 760 on the radio dial. It is designated as a clear channel which means it is the only station that operates at that frequency east of the Mississippi. It was cool when it broadcast the Michigan games because I could hear them all the way in Maryland.

The building is constructed of limestone, granite and several types of marble. It is considered Detroit's largest art piece.

From 1965 to 1976, it housed a fine art gallery that dealt with some of the more respected artists of the 20th Century.

It is also the home to the Fisher Theater which is one of Detroit's oldest venues. I love the details on the outside of the building. I think this makes it one of Detroit's cooler buildings.

A very ornate front entrance.

The main building is 30 stories tall and stands at 444 feet with the antenna.

Looking at the arch of the front entrance.

Details on the ceiling on the inside.

Looking down the main hallway.

Looking down one of the side hallways. There are a few shops here.

Looking outside from the main hallway. This is definately a beautiful building.

Looking up through a tree at an oblique angle.

I'm glad that Detroit has quite a few buildings that are well maintained like this one but in a way it is sad because they contrast to the buildings that are not so well maintained. But of course, people wouldn't believe this building is in Detroit because their impression is that every building is decayed and the streets are full of potholes. Oh well.

The Cadillac Place

2012-01-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

The first building I took pictures of was the Cadillac Place. It is across the corner from the Fisher Building.

This building came to fruition after the founder of GM, William Durant finally acquiesed to the Board of Directors and build a Headquarters in Detroit. Groundbreaking for the building began in 1919 and the first occupants moved into the Cass Avenue wing in 1920.

Construction was completed in 1923. The building was originally going to be named after Durant but after his ouster in 1921, it was named the General Motors building.

It's not often that I go into the buildings I take pictures of but I saw that this one was still open and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. The building is as ornate on the inside as the outside.

This was a chandelier hanging in the lobby.

I really liked this clock. It makes you think back to the days when GM had lots of money.

The top of the arch of the entrance.

One of the sculptures on the outside.

The main entrance. The building is a neo-classical style and was designed by Albert Kahn (a name you see frequently on this blog).

One of the friezes to the side of the building.

Looking at the side of the arch.

In 1998, the building was transferred to the State of Michigan as GM moved its headquarters to the Renaissance Building. In 2002, renovation began on the building and it was renamed the Cadillac Place after the founder of Detroit. Albert Kahn's company was in charge of the renovations.

This picture was taken in one of the windows of the Fisher building. I love reflections.

Another shot from the Fisher Building.

I tried to get a shot of the whole complex but unfortunately, I couldn't get the right angle for it.

This was probably about the closest I could get.

The Continuity Tower

2012-01-31T18:56:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to take a picture of a ship tonight as there was on the tracker but it headed further downriver. Since I was heading to Detroit anyway I decided to stop by the Fisher Building since it's been a while since I've taken a picture of it. It was a pretty nice day today but a little on the windy side and I almost thought there would be a Michigan hat blowing down Grand Boulevard for a while. Luckily it didn't.

I'm not really sure I like this picture because the background for it is too busy. But at any rate, it is a sculpture called "Continuity Tower" by Robert Sestok.

It was built in 1990 out of steel found in Detroit. The artist is from Detroit and studied at the College for Creative Studies.

Random Shots Around Belle Isle

2012-01-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

Just some shots from around Belle Isle.

I kind of liked the look of the Belle Isle Conservatory, especially with the snow on the trees.

A picture of one of the ice floes going down the Detroit River.

This ice was piling up against the river wall in front of the Dossin Museum.

I really liked the way the snow was sticking to the trees.

I think I like this one a little better especially with the snow sticking to the trunks.

The ice tree with a little more ice than last time. Unfortunately, it doesn't stand out against a grey sky.

Another snow covered tree.

And a few more trees.

Some Geese

2012-01-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

As I was taking a picture of the ship, some geese flew over. As I can't resist things that fly....

They were almost straight overhead for this shot.

You can almost see them forming the V.

The Manistee Again....

2012-01-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

The sad part about boatwatching during the winter is that you are likely only to have one ship at a time. Generally the Lakes are pretty frozen over and the shipping companies use that as their opportunity to do maintenence. Also the Locks are closed for pretty much the same reason as the shipping season tends to take a toll on them.

I do have to admit that when you do see a ship at this time of year, it is a treat because you have the ice in the foreground and sometimes the ship trying to break through the ice. It makes for a fairly dramatic picture. It is even more dramatic if the ship is covered with ice.

At any rate, this is only the second time that the Manistee has appeared on this blog. And the first time didn't really count because I only got a picture of her backside.

Of all the ships that sail the Lakes, I think I like the classic freighter look the best. And I'm glad that this company is trying to maintain a fleet of those.

A shot where the lens is pulled back a bit so that you can see the ice on the Detroit River. It's amazing that it keeps it's odd blue color.

A closeup of the pilothouse. You can see a little ice on the bow and around the Manistee name on the front.

I tried to get a little closer shot but I didn't want to get too close.

Another shot as she plows through the river.

My favorite shot, where she is almost straight on. Unfortunately, this isn't the best spot for that shot.

A closeup of the pilothouse.

A little more straight on shot.

As she passed by, the snow started to pick up. You can almost see it going straight back.

And one of the interesting phenomena where you get a little bit of sun with your snow.

As she moves a little further down the river.

One more shot before she slipped behind the Dossin pilothouse.

The Dossin Museum Again

2012-01-29T15:19:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a look at the website that tracks shipping on the Great Lakes and I saw that a ship was just coming into Lake St. Clair. That generally means I have about 2 hours to get to Belle Isle, so I figured I would take a trip today. I was still feeling a little under the weather and the weather was looking a little under the weather so I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. In the end, I'm glad I went.

I thought I would try to take pictures of the ship from the Dossin Museum's pilothouse. As I got in, it didn't look good.

This is the anchor from the Edmund Fitzgerald. I think I've taken pictures of it before but I'm pretty sure I didn't like something about them.

A flag pole. It looks like it may come from a ship, but I'm not sure.

A propellor from a ship. I'm not sure what one.

Another angle of the anchor from the Edmund Fitzgerald.

This is a speed boat from the 30's. I think it was used in racing along the Detroit River.

Another angle. Unfortunately, it is not really is a good spot for picture taking. Shame because it's a beautiful boat.

This was a stained glass window from the cruise ship City of Detroit. Unfortunately, the ship is no longer in service and I don't believe there are currently any ships that cruise the lakes. Shame really.

Looking at Windsor from the pilothouse. I guess it wouldn't have been too bad but the windows were dirty.

Looking upriver from the pilothouse.

EMU Basketball Vs. Bowling Green

2012-01-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

I wasn't feeling too well today, so I wasn't sure if I was going to go to the basketball game or not. As it turned out, I decided to stop by for the second half. When I started the game it was tied at 29-29. I'm not sure what got us to that point though. Since I wasn't at the whole game, I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I normally would.

Anthony Strickland going for a dunk.

Darrell Lampley charging towards the basket. He had a pretty good game by scoring 20 points.

Lampley taking his shot.

J.R. Sims going for a three pointer (I think). EMU made quite a few of those.

Antonio Green going for a layup.

The post game hand shake.

EMU ended up winning the game 55-50. It came on the heels of some pretty decent three point shooting and really good defense. If this team isn't real this year, I think they will be primed for next year.

Lazing on a Saturday Afternoon

2012-01-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

I know the title of the Kinks song is Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon, but the title seems to work for me today. I was thinking of going somewhere today but I'm not feeling all that well. So I figured I would take the cop out and post pictures of Zappa.

I had been meaning to post pictures of him for a while but I've been keeping myself fairly busy taking pictures of other things. Here he is looking all regal.

Something caught his attention outside.

I was hoping to get the shot the second before this because it summed up everything perfectly. And I'm not 100% sold on this picture anyway. Oh well.

Enjoy.

Shots of Detroit From Cobo

2012-01-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually at the Cobo Hall end of Jefferson Avenue. As I was leaving the Hall, I saw a view that I don't often see.

This is looking up Jefferson Avenue towards the Ren Cen.

I think this is the Penobscot Building. It was designed by the same person that designed the Guardian Building.

The 150 W. Jefferson Building.

While this one was not from Cobo Hall, it is a view that I've been wanting to get for a while. It is from the Greektown Casino.

A Mystery Solved

2012-01-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

So the investigative department of Michigan Exposures figured that it would use the Auto Show as an opportunity to answer a question. Since most of the car companies will let you get in the cars to feel them out, I figured I could use that opportunity to answer a question I've had for a while.

Does a BMW in fact have a turn signal? It seems like it is rare that I will see one used in a BMW, so I thought that perhaps it was not included in them.

Well, judging by this BMW, there is in fact a turn signal. Of course, this could be a ruse....

The Detroit Auto Show

2012-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

These are my pictures from the Auto Show itself. As I said in one of my other posts, I really should have taken one of the days off and went during the week. It wasn't too bad as we first got there but as the day carried on, there were more and more people around the exhibits. I'm glad that some of the exhibits had cars that were cordoned off.

The first place we stopped at was the BMW exhibit. This was one of their concept cars. I think that BMW makes some pretty cool looking cars.

One of the Bentley Cars. This exhibit was completely roped off but I can't say that I blame them.

The Smart Car is one of my least favorite cars. For its size, it should get much better gas mileage. If I remember correctly, it is in the mid-30's. It should be in the mid-40's at least. Not to mention, I think it is a butt ugly car.

One of the Mercedes cars. You can see the crown around it.

I thought this one was pretty cool. I think it is a Nissan concept car. I tried to get a picture from the front but there were too many people for me.

The Ford Mustang. This is probably one of my favorite sports cars.

The Ford Fusion. I think Ford had one of the bigger exhibits in the show. They didn't have any concept cars but they did have a bunch of new product to show.

The Shelby Logo.

Another angle of the Mustang logo. I kind of like how the different things reflect off it.

This was a Ford Roadster from the 30's. This was at the Lincoln exhibit.

One of the Shelby Cars. This was pretty cool too.

I forget which Car company this race car belongs to.

The Chey M-Ray. I think this was a concept car as well. I really like the looks of this one. I think it is supposed to be a hybrid. And it doesn't look like one.

The M-Ray from the Front.

I forget what car this was.

A shot from the front.

Chevy's other concept car. I think this is also a hybrid.

The Camaro Hot Wheels version.

One of the Mazda cars.

A Dodge Challenger. Originally, I had said Charger but another alert reader pointed out my mistake. I really like the fact that many of the auto companies are going back to the look of cars from the early 70's.

I'm not sure what car this was but it was one of the Dodges. And thanks to an alert reader, I now know this is a Dart.

One of the Porsche cars. If I could afford one.

The Porsche from the front.

The Porsche logo.

The Mini. This is another car that I kind of like.

Another of the BMW concept cars. I think this one is supposed to be plug in.

A Tata car.

I think this is a Renault concept car. It looks like it might have a solar roof which is a really cool idea.

Well, I had fun at the auto show but the number of people there got in the way of my photography. If I decide to go next year, I'll have to pick a day during the week.

A Joe Louis Statue

2012-01-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

Just outside of the Auto Show was a statue of Joe Louis. I kind of wish I could have posted the other shot I took but there were too many people around it.

They also had a bronzed glove. They say it was the one used to beat Max Schmeling.

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

2012-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Before we went into the Auto Show, we grabbed lunch and then I noticed the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame down one of the hallways in Cobo. It was kind of cool to see of the more influential figures in Michigan sports but it seems like it should be more than just a hallway. But I guess since it's mostly plaques, that is okay.

It seems to be dominated by figures from the University of Michigan (not that I mind). Here is the plaque for Fritz Crisler.

Eastern Michigan's lone representative. It seems like there should be a couple more but oh well.

One of my favorite broadcasters.

And one of my favorite coaches.

The Detroit People Mover

2012-01-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

As I said in my teaser post, I went down to the Auto Show today. It has been at least 10 years since I've been there. I'm thinking that I probably should have taken a day off and went during the week but I guess this will do.

I decided to park at Greektown and take the People Mover over. It has been even longer since I've ridden the People Mover but it is something I've wanted to do.

Just a shot of the Greektown Station.

One of the People Mover Trains. The People Mover has been in the works since 1975 but never opened until 1987. When it did open, it was scaled back considerably. It was going to cover more area of Detroit but instead covers an area that can almost be walked. Although on a day like today, it was nice to not have to walk it.

A shot from inside the car. I don't think the People Mover has ever broken even. Maybe if it connects up with a train that goes elsewhere, that might change.

Many of the stations have artwork in them.

This is one of the mosaics from the Cobo Station. I think these are the cooler looking ones.

Some of the rest of the cars.

I don't remember what station this was. I think it was the one right after the Cobo Hall Station. I kind of liked the artwork. I guess the People Mover is not too bad. It's a shame it doesn't cover a wider area though.

Teaser Pic From the Detroit Auto Show

2012-01-22T12:04:00.001-08:00

I went down to the Auto Show today. It has been a while since I've been to the Auto Show, so it was an experience.

So for a teaser pic I will the Mustang logo.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Detroit, MI

And Of Course.....Eagles...

2012-01-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

If you've followed this blog long enough, you know that there is a group of eagles that are nesting near Bay City. I think they've been there for as long as I've been doing this blog or possibly longer. I also remember when I first saw the eagle flying over Fish Point. Little did I realize when I took that picture that I would be seeing many more eagles.

All I can say is that I am glad that we as a nation decided that the bald eagle needed to be protected. It is a pretty awesome sight to see one in flight or even just see one sitting on a branch. They are a proud bird.

As I was taking my pictures, I looked up in the sky and saw a juvenile eagle soaring around the area. Even the young eagles look impressive.

Here's another shot of him. I would have been happier if the branches weren't in the way.

A shot as he is flying off to somewhere.

One of the eagles just standing on his branch. As you can see it was a pretty nice day today although it was pretty cold.

After I took care of what I needed to take care of at my mom's, I decided to stop back at the eagles. She told me that there is usually a large group of them there around sunset. And sure enough, there was. Unfortunately, the sun was getting too low and I was losing light rapidly.

Another one of the eagles in a tree. There were bunches of them. Even though I saw the same thing last year, I am still amazed that the eagle has made such a strong comeback.

I think there are at least eight eagles in this picture. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent shot of all of them.

Some Deer

2012-01-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

As I was heading out from the spot where I see the eagles, I saw a couple deer crossing the road. So of course I started to look for where they were crossing to in hopes that I could get some pictures. And I was able to see where they were.

I was kind of surprised that they didn't bolt as soon as I stopped the car. They are usually pretty skittish. You can see the one looking in my direction.

I had to move the car up a little bit to get this shot. Mainly so I wasn't at an awkward angle.

For this last shot, I actually got out of the car and that's about when the deer started to run.

Michigan has many deer. So many that they named it the official game mammal of the State.

The Tug Jill Marie

2012-01-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

I was up at my mom's again today. Decided to wander to one of my usual spots and I happened across this tugboat.

She is the Jill Marie and I'm not sure about her origins other than she was built in 1891.

Given her condition, I presume she is still in use but I think I always see her laid up like this.

Her smokestack and the company the owns her.

And a slighly different angle.

How Cold Is It?

2012-01-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

We've been very lucky so far this winter. It has been pretty mild and we've even had days up in the 40's a few times. Well winter has decided to say, "I'm not quite dead yet".

And to answer the question, at least according to this crappy thermometer...about 20 degrees Fahreinheit.

And just a couple trees with a little snow.

EMU vs. WMU - Post Game

2012-01-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

This is just a shot of a hard won victory.

EMU won 62-59. This one kind of felt like the Western football game. It may very well be the catalyst that keeps them competitive for the rest of the season. It has been a while since I've seen EMU clamp down like that in a game. There was almost a sense of the inevitable to it. So we'll see.

EMU vs. WMU Basketball - The Game

2012-01-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures from the game. As I said, it was a pretty exciting game and it even went into overtime (although it shouldn't have). There is a better explanation here.

Here is Da'Shonte Riley going up for a basket. I think he may be one of the bigger guys that EMU needs.

Antonio Green at the free throw line. He seemed to have a pretty good night.

Antonio Green driving for the basket. I think the basketball team needs someone named White now.

Darrell Lampley dribbling towards the basket.

J.R. Sims in the process of making a layup.

J.R. Sims throwing a pass forward. I forget who got it but it went for three.

Riley taking another shot at the basket.

Lampley dribbling again.

Jamell Harris taking a shot at the basket.

Quitin Dailey shooting for a three pointer. I would have loved this shot alot more had I still had the ball in it. I don't remember if he made this one or not.

Antonio Green taking another shot.

Riley taking a shot from inside the paint.

Coach Murphy discussing strategy with the team.

Green dribbling setting up the play.

Dailey shooting towards the basket.

Antonio Green shooting for the basket. I don't think this one was a three pointer though.

Riley driving towards the basket.

Antonio Green shooting what would have been the game winner, had EMU prevented the countering WMU three pointer.

Riley taking a shot towards the basket in the overtime. EMU looked really good in the overtime. It was actually pretty cool to see them take it to overtime. I think Western led for most of regulation.

Austin Harper taking a shot towards the basket. I think he is becoming one of my favorite players.

Riley blocking a shot in the overtime. I think this was his 5th and final foul but he had a heck of game.

I'm not normally a basketball game but with taking pictures for the Eagle Totem blog and getting down on the court, it has been exciting. I think this has been the most excitement I've had towards Eastern sports in a long time. But then again, they are giving me something to be excited about. While the football team didn't go to a bowl game, they did manage to stay competitive. That is something that I haven't been able to say about them in a long time. I'm not sure about the basketball team but it seems like they are starting to gel, so they may end up being competitive as well. I think they still have a ways to go yet but maybe next year.

Eastern Michigan Vs. Western Michigan - Men's Basketball Pre Game

2012-01-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

I was at the EMU basketball game again last night. It was actually a pretty good game but I will post more on that a little bit later. I will admit, I have been a little remiss in taking pictures before the games. There is some stuff about pregames that I like.

The team lined up for the Star Spangled Banner.

This is the person playing the Star Spangled Banner. I believe they said he was an EMU student and he was pretty good.

While they were announcing the starters of the opposing team, the student section appeared to be reading the newspaper. I think this is something I've seen at Yost.

Michigan Exposures Joins the SOPA Protests

2012-01-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

...sort of. Many of the sites that are protest this potential law are completely blacking out. I don't see the point of that as one of my main functions on this blog is education.

But at any rate, I figured I would join the other users in a protest of this law. For me there are a few reasons for this. Number one, of the things that are facing the country at the moment, I don't think online piracy is one of the major things. So I don't understand why something like this gets fast tracked while so many more important issues are left to wallow.

Number two, I think this bill goes beyond what is necessary to protect our intellectual property. There are already a number of laws on the books that are designed to protect intellectual property. Rather than passing a completely new law that will probably end up being just as ineffective, they should look at the existing laws and figure out where to strengthen those. Besides that, I am going to guess that many of the sites that are involved in heavy piracy are situated outside of the United States and are probably untouchable.

Number three, I do not like the idea of blacking out sites. One of the biggest provisions of this law is the ability for someone to basically blacklist a website that is found to be violating the piracy laws. This seems like something that is prone to abuse for other purposes. History is full of examples of well intentioned laws getting abused. I mean what's to stop one politician from using this law to black out a rival politician's website?

Number four, I don't think this will work as intended. I get tons of spam...fortunately they go into a spam folder but I still have to deal with them at some level. I also get spam comments on this blog and have occasionally seen spam posts. Now if we can't stop that, what chance do we have against piracy? It just seems like one tool comes up and the spammers (or virus writers) are a step ahead and have already defeated it. I think the risk of collateral damage outweighs the "good" effects of this bill.

As I'm posting this, it seems like the momentum to get this bill passed has slowed down some. So maybe there is hope.

So this is my protest picture. I wanted to do something that was uniquely mine and aircraft seem to fill the bill. I was going to do a completely black picture but I don't think this bill will completely black out what it intends to black out. Instead, it will obscure it and make it change form and we'll be back to square one.

However, I can't do a post without doing a decent picture. So here it is.

Miscellaneous Shots of Detroit

2012-01-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

I couldn't figure out where to put these shots, so they will go here. After the museum, I didn't take too many other shots.

Another shot of the Belle Isle Conservatory. I think I like it a little better with a blue sky in the background.

I was hoping to get a picture of some of the skaters at Campus Martius but it looked like they were doing something to the ice, so there were no skaters as I passed by. Instead, I got a picture of this sculpture.

Just a shot looking down Michigan Avenue from where it meets with Lafayette Street.

More Shots of the Detroit Skyline....

2012-01-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I can't get enough of, it is pictures of the Detroit skyline. From either Belle Isle or Riverside Park, it looks pretty cool and has some fairly unique buildings.

As I said in an earlier post, the River was pretty calm and that meant I could get a pretty cool picture of the Detroit skyline.

I pulled the zoom back a bit to include the Ambassador Bridge.

Just another shot. I was trying to get more detail of the buildings.

I only took this one because of the helicopter flying by.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum Again

2012-01-15T19:23:00.000-08:00

Since I was down there, I figured that I would stop by the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. It's a pretty nice museum and currently free. I think they are going to be doing some renovations soon though. It gives a pretty good overview of the history of the Lakes.

I'm not sure if this is one of the cannons used in the Battle of Lake Erie but it is still pretty cool. I wonder if there is going to be something commerate this battle.

The front of a model of the Pere Marquette which was used to carry rail cars.

The front end.

This is from the City of Detroit, which was a steamliner that took passengers up and down the Detroit River. With the exception of the auto ferries, I do not think there is any passenger service on the Great Lakes which is kind of a shame.

One of the many models they have at the museum.

This is a flag for the Interlake Steamship Company out of Ohio. You can see many of its ships on the Detroit River.

This is a fresnel lens that was used in a lighthouse.

Probably one of the coolest exhibits at the museum is the pilothouse from the William Clay Ford. This is the part used to pilot the ship.

The engine room telegram. The Captain would move this to tell the engine room how fast he wanted to go.

Some of the dinner ware used on the ship.

A model of the William Clay Ford at one of the iron docks.

This is the anchor from the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The front of the museum. It is actually a pretty unassuming building.

A Coast Guard Helicopter

2012-01-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is the second time within a week that I've seen the Coast Guard helicopter. I'm hoping it was just a training exercise and not another rescue.

As I was taking a picture of the Great Republic, I heard the sound of a helicopter behind me and so I looked up and saw that it was the Coast Guard's Dolphin. Since it flies, I had to take a picture of it.

The orange of the helo stands out pretty well against the blue sky.

I think this one was as he was heading downriver.

I kind of like this view of the helicopter.

Then he went into a tight turn and headed downriver again.

Some Birds On or Around Belle Isle

2012-01-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

One of my primary loves is avition. By extension, I also like birds, so if it flies, I will try to take a picture of it.

This is a group of geese that was hanging out on the end of the island where I decided to go boatwatching.

I managed to get a picture of just one of them as he was heading away from me. I kind of like the snow in the background.

Hanging out by the water means that I will see seaguls. I am always trying to get that one picture in flight. This one wasn't quite it.

This one was a little closer.

I kind of like this one. I think he is searching for lunch.

Another seagull.

One of the geese swimming in the river.

The Adam Cornelius Again....

2012-01-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

My next ship was one that has appeared on this blog before. I saw her when I was up at the Point Iroquois Lighthouse with a friend. The ship is the Adam E. Cornelius.

I'm still not entirely sold on the modern looking ships. I think I still prefer the classic lake freighter look but a ship is a ship.

You can see a little bit of the ice in this picture. You can also see a little bit of the ice on the bow.

I think I kind of like this picture because of the clean background.

This one is not to bad either.

As you watch enough ships, you will notice that their smokestacks are distinctively painted. You can tell which company owns the ship by how the stacks are painted.

A closeup of the pilothouse.

The river was pretty calm today, so you could see some of the reflections in it.

As she starts to pull away.

A little bit of Windsor in the background.

I don't mind this end of the island for boatwatching but I think there are better parts with less distracting backgrounds.

A shot of one of the Ambassador Bridge towers.

One last shot fo the ship before she heads off to wherever she is heading. I'm not sure if she's heading for layup or will be one of the ships that will be used for a while longer.

The Great Republic

2012-01-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

So my next stop was Belle Isle for some more shipwatching. I saw that there would be two ships coming down the river in fairly rapid succession. As I said in my posts yesterday, I'm not sure how much longer the shipping season will last this year, so I figured I would head down.

It's probably a good thing because I noticed that ice is starting to form on the Detroit River. I could see some little sheets of ice floating down the River.

My first ship of the day was the Great Republic. She was constructed at the Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in 1981. She was built for the American Steamship Company and originally named the American Republic.

Her owners needed a ship that was designed to go into the winding Cuyahoga River. This ship with her eight rudders, twin diesels, bow and stern thrusters fit the bill pefectly.

Her name is derived from the mill she would serve, the Republic Steel Company. Many ways were devised to get the taconite pellets to her but it was decided the best way would be to go through the river.

You can see some of the ice that was forming on the bow.

She is 634 feet long and 68 feet wide. She is powered with 7,200 horsepower. Her capacity is almost 25,000 tons of cargo.

The Pilothouse is situated as far back as possible to give the deck officers the best view possible of the twists and turns of the river. There is not a blocked view from the pilothouse.

In 1996, she had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch from Detroit to Cleveland. A large cauldron was put on her deck and was lit. She departed from the Hart River Plaza Dock and arrived in Cleveland and docked at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2002, she started to carry other cargos as the mill she was servicing was sold to another company.

In 2011, her lease expired and she was picked up by the Great Lakes Fleet and given her current name.

As I've often said before, some of the ships that ply the lakes have pretty interesting histories.

St. Josaphat's Catholic Church

2012-01-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

Everytime I head down to Belle Isle, I pass by this church. I kind of like the looks of it, so I've been meaning to take pictures of it. I had a little time until one of the ships I was waiting for would pass Belle Isle, so I decided to stop and take pictures.

The Church is called St. Josaphat's Catholic Church and it is named after St. Josaphat Kuntsevych who was a Greek Catholic Priest that was appointed Archbishop of Polotsk, Poland in 1617. He was martyred 6 years later and canonized in 1867.

I think this is a picture of the rectory which is where the Priest lives.

The Parish was founded in 1889 and the first building was completed in 1890. Over the next 10 years, the parish found itself growing considerably and in 1901, the current church was constructed.

The Church was added to the national Register of Historic Places in 1982 and was designated a Michigan Historic Place 3 years later.

The tallest spire on the Church stands at 200 feet tall.

This is the main altar of five altars. The painting is of St. Josaphat himself.

There are a few stained glass windows on the side. All of which were built Detroit Stained Glass Works.

I'm not sure who they are depicting though.

The Church itself is of Victorian Romanesque style and was designed by Joseph Kastler and William Hunter. It was built by Jermolowicz Brothers and local carpenters.

I can imagine that in its day, it looked pretty good but has seen declining membership since many of its families have moved to the suburbs.

The Church is one of the few that still has a mass in Latin.

Scenes Of Detroit

2012-01-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

These are just miscellaneous shots of Detroit.

My normal shot of the Detroit Skyline. This one was a little more difficult as the snow was pretty thick at times.

Looking down Jefferson Avenue.

I think this shot may be a little too busy for my tastes but I didn't have much time to get it. This is the skate rink at Campus Martius. If I had back to Detroit in the near future, I may spend a little more time here.

Belle Isle in January

2012-01-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

So I decided on one of my 12 month projects for this year. I figured since I am at Belle Isle fairly often as it is, I would use it for my 12 month project this year.

Belle Isle is almost 1000 acres and is the largest city island park in the United States. In 1845, the island was given its current name. The design for the island was created in the 1880's by Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park Fame). The buildings started to come a little later. It is a fairly nice park but could probably use some love (like many things in Detroit).

One of the nice things about parks is that you can definitely pick scenes where you can see the effects of the different seasons. Here is a snow covered park bench.

Looking at the Scott Fountain through the walkway in the comfort station.

Looking at the Scott Fountain from across the pond.

This is the road that goes around the Island. It is called The Strand.

Another angle of the Scott Fountain.

Looking towards downtown Detroit from the fountain. The nice thing about a shot like this is that I can get buildings and still show the effects of the seasons.

One of the lion sculptures on the fountain. Come summer, there will be water coming out of his mouth.

This is the Belle Isle Casino which was built in 1908. It is not an actual gambling facility but a place that is used for various public events. Given that I see lights on inside at times, I presume it is still in use.

A closeup of some of the arches.

One of the towers on the Casino with a view of the sign in front of it.

The Casino from across a little river. I think it is a pretty nice looking building.

The Nancy Brown Peace Carillon and clock. As I was taking this picture, the chimes were going off.

Another shot of the Carillon. I kind of wanted to use this as another place to show the seasons.

The Belle Isle Conservatory. I've taken pictures of this before.

The Detroit Yacht Club. This is a building that I haven't taken a picture of before. It was built in 1904 after the original building burnt down. This one is not to be confused with the boat club which is no longer used.

They keep adding water to this tree to make it freeze over.

The Strand as you are heading off the island. In the background, you can see the faint outline of the Ren Cen.

The General Williams Statue.

This is a shot I've been meaning to get for a while. Since traffic was light today, I decided to stop so I could do it. This is the MacArthur Bridge which is the way to get on and off the island.

I'm not quite sure how I am going to approach this project in the coming months. I figured I would give a brief overview for this first set and in other months just work around a part of the island. We will see, I guess.

A Couple of Swans

2012-01-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

As I finished my pictures of the ships, I saw a pair of swans floating down the river.

I can't imagine how cold it is for them. But they've got down feathers, so it shouldn't be too bad for them.

I kind of like this shot a little better because his face is a little more in view.

And the pair of swans.

The CSL Niagara

2012-01-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

So my next ship was the CSL Niagara. I would like to say that she is making her debut on this blog but that is not true as I have a picture of her earlier. I wasn't sure what ship it was, so I didn't do the history of her at that time.

The CSL Niagara started off life as the J.W. McGiffin and was built for the Canadian Steamship Lines. She was constructed in 1971 at the Collingwood Shipyards in Collingwood, Ontario. She was the beginning of a new class of ships for the fleet.

As constructed, she was 730 feet long and could carry almost 34,000 tons of cargo. She was powered by two Pielstick engines with a total of 9,000 horsepower. She is equipped with a bow thruster.

At first, she was mostly carrying coal but later diversified. She's had a few accidents in her life.

She also distinguished herself when her crew answered the distress call of a pleasure craft on Lake Erie. Despite the rough sea conditions, they were able to rescue the three people on the boat.

In 1998, she was renovated to be 9 feet longer and could carry about 4,000 tons more of cargo. As a result of this, she was given her current name.

The Lee A. Tregurtha in the Snow

2012-01-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

Last night I found a website which had some other details on shipping of the Great Lakes. It belonged to the Maritime Carriers' Association (or something like that) and it had a pretty interesting blurb about the state of shipping on the Lakes. Anyway, in there it mentioned that the Soo Locks would be closing on January 15 and wouldn't open until March 25. So I knew that the shipping season would mostly be coming to a close soon.

This morning as I woke up, I looked at the site that tells where all the ships on the Great Lakes are and saw that there were a couple working their way up the river. So I decided to head down to Belle Isle. If there are no ships coming either up or down the Detroit River tomorrow, these are likely my last ship pictures for a couple months.

First up was the Lee A. Tregurtha. She has appeared on this blog before so I'm not going to go into her history but it is an interesting one. I would have to say she is probably another one of my favorite ships and is one of the more distinctive looking ships. I tried to take a couple pictures for this one but the ship was too obscured. I kind of like this shot a little bit though.

But I think I like this one a little more though because you can make out more of the details in this one. It's funny, before I took up this hobby, if someone would have told me that I would be standing out in the middle of snowing, I would have told them they are crazy. But here I was.

As she makies it up the river a little more. It's funny, this picture could almost pass off for black and white.

A closeup of the pilot house. You can see some of her battle ribbons here.

As she gets a little closer.

A better shot of the pilothouse.

The almost straight on shot.

As she passes by.

A little bit of the back of the pilothouse.

The funny thing about boatwatching is that it seems like it takes the ship forever to appear but it's gone in an instant.

And one last shot of her as she heads to wherever. I suspect she's heading for her winter layup.

Raindrops in the Trees

2012-01-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

As I was in the break room this afternoon getting a glass of water, I looked outside at the trees around the building. I liked how the raindrops were coming off the trees, so I grabbed my camera.

I kind of like the berry in the middle because you can see a tree in the drop.

I'm not sure about this picture.

I kind of like this picture.

I also like this one.

If the weaterman is to be believed, this is supposed to turn into snow tonight. I can't wait to drive in it tomorrw.

Eastern Michigan Men's Basketball Vs. Central Michigan

2012-01-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

So yesterday ended up being a pretty full photography day for me. After I finished at the park, it was off to the Convocation Center for the Eastern Michigan MAC opener. This was also the first time the men's team has played at home in over a month. So I was pretty anxious to the go to the game. The basketball team was 6 and 9 at this point but they beat Northern Illinois in DeKalb to be 1-0 in the MAC.

The team lining up for the national anthem.

The jump ball. I think EMU ended up winning it.

Jamell Harris in the process of a dunk. I don't know what EMU's shooting percentage was but as the game progressed it was looking pretty terrible.

During one of the time outs, the football team stepped on the court for a ceremony honoring their winning the Michigan MAC trophy. They also mentioned that Coach English was MAC coach of the year.

Jamell Harris taking a three pointer..I think.

Quintin Dailey with the ball.

Darrell Lampley charging the basket.

Antonio Greene with the ball. I think he was coming at the net.

Swoop mimicking me and the other photographers.

Austin Harper passing around the defender.

Austin Harper on a Layup.

I'm not sure who this is.

Another shot of Swoop. This was during one of the timeout contests.

Matt Balkema taking a shot.

Anthony Strickland after a layup.

I'm not sure who this is shooting.

I'm also not sure who this is.

Jamell Harris taking a shot towards the basket.

Austin Harper with the ball again.

Antonio Green with the ball again.

I'm not sure who this is.

Antonio Green taking a free throw.

Antonio Green making a layup.

Da'shonte Riley making a shot. He came here from Syracuse and I think this was his debut game.

Despite coming out with a strong start, EMU couldn't overcome the three point shooting of Central and lost 60-56. I think this team has the potential to be good next year but there is some work yet.

The Michipicoten Again...

2012-01-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

As I said in my last post, the Blough was followed fairly closely by the Michipicoten. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get a picture of her as it was starting to get dark out and I was getting cold. Yesterday was a fairly warm day except that it was raining off and on. The wind blowing off the River was pretty cold though.

This is a repeat appearance for this ship and if you're interested in the history...go here.

For the longest time, lake freighters had a pretty standard appearance. The pilothouse in the front and a deckhouse in the back. They have pretty much all looked like this from the first lake steamships until the 70's. This ship is probably a good example of some of the changes that have occurred.

One of the biggest improvements to the lake freighters was the addition of the self unloading boom. This enabled the ships to dock and unload anywhere. It also cut down on the manpower required to unload them.

Some of the other improvements were better radios and radars. Over the years, the navigation got better. Surprisingly, the Great Lakes were a pretty dangerous place for ships and the number of shipwrecks dotting the coast are a testament to that. But with the improvements in metallurgy and weather tracking, the last ship to sink in the Lakes was the Edmund Fitzgerald in the 70's. Although there have been a few deadly accidents with ships.

So this is a shot of the pilot house.

A shot of the profile.

The ship as she approaches the Ambassador Bridge.

Another shot with the Ambassador Bridge in the background.

As she heads a little further upriver.

And this is probably my favorite shot of the bunch.

My First Ship of the Year - the Roger Blough

2012-01-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

So this is what I came down to Riverside Park to see. As I said, I saw that the Roger Blough was coming upbound and I found a spot where it tells where she is heading and it turns out that she is heading back to Duluth for her winter lay up. Since this would be the last time I would see her for a while, I decided that I had to get pictures of her. As a bonus, the Michipicoten was following behind her fairly closely, so I figured I might have a chance to get a picture of her as well.

As she has appeared on this blog before, I'm not going to go into her history. And while I have taken a couple other ship pictures this year, they don't really count as this is my first with the ship in motion.

The Blough as she passes the island. You can see the Coast Guard boat in front of her and presumably it was conducting a search effort downriver. To the right, you can see the faint outline of the Michipicoten.

The Roger Blough as she gets a little closer. I don't know why I like this ship but I do. I think it might have to do with the way she sits in the water because she looks like a gator ready to pounce or something.

One of my favorite angles for ship pictures. You get a pretty good idea of how it looks.

The ship as she gets a little closer. There was a guy with a marine radio standing next to me and at this point the Blough was getting hailed by the Coast Guard informing the captain of the search efforts up ahead.

A shot of the pilot house.

I think this is one of my better profile shots of the Blough.

As she gets closer to the Ambassador Bridge.

A little more under the Ambassador Bridge.

An almost shot of her stern.

If you look closely at the people in the Police Boat, you can see they are hold up something. I am imagining they are taking a picture of the Blough....so boatnerds are everywhere I think.

An Eventful Evening at Riverside Park

2012-01-12T21:14:00.000-08:00

So yesterday, I decided to head over to Riverside Park after work. I saw that the Roger Blough would be coming upriver and apparently for the last time this season. Since the Blough is one my favorite ships, I didn't really want to miss her.

As I rounded the corner to get into the park, I saw a whole group of news vans. I was hoping they were there because parking for the Auto Show was tough. But then I thought, they wouldn't have to do that so something must have happened. Then I thought maybe it was a murder or something like that. But I wasn't going to let that deter me.

So I parked my car and got out and started to head towards the river and found someone to talk to and he said that someone had fell off the Ambassador Bridge. It was then that I noticed the police cars, helicopters and rescue boats. It was actually pretty impressive.

The story is here, if you are interested.

The grouping of news vans at the park. I'm curious why there would be two vans from Channel 7 news, unless one of them wasn't working properly. A little bit later, there was also a van from Fox News and a couple of the radio stations. I don't think I've ever seen this much activity in the park.

An HH-65 Dolphin Helicopter as it comes in. I'm not sure if it was assisting in the search at this point as it didn't stay in the area too long. I believe this one is based out of Selfridge.

Another shot of the Dolphin.

A State Police Helicopter assisting in the search. This one was definitely helping with the search it stayed for a while. I'm not sure what kind it is though.

One of the Detroit Police boats conducting the search. The wire coming out of the back is to a submersible craft they were using in the search effort. If they would have pulled a body up, I probably would have stopped taking pictures.

One of the news helicopters.

A Coast Guard boat. I'm not sure what kind this is but I have seen them around before. This was hanging out downriver for a while and then it headed back up. While I was taking this picture, it was assisting in the search effort.

The WTGB-105 Neah Bay multi-purpose cutter. This boat has mostly ice breaking duties but can also be used as a command platform during rescue operations. It is normally based in Cleveland but does wander around the other Great Lakes.

A shot of the cutter and the police boat.

The cutter as she starts to head away.

One more shot of the gaggle of news vans.

I feel bad for the circumstances that led to this picture and I hope that they find the body of the man that fell off the Bridge so that his family can have closure. I also hope that they find out what went wrong and are able to fix the issue. But I will have to admit that the amount of effort that goes into a rescue/search operation is pretty amazing and I have to tip my hat to the men and women of the Coast Guard and the Detroit Police.

The Polar Bear Expedition Memorial

2012-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

So as I said in the last post, my main purpose for going to the cemetery was because they had a memorial dedicated to the Polar Bear Expedition.

In 1918, the United States was asked by Britain and France to help the Counter-Revolutionary Forces in Russia. The United States obliged by sending a group of men to Archangel and another group to Vladivostok. The group that was sent to Archangel was mostly composed of men from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In September of 1918, the American troops arrived in Russia and were placed under a British commander. They were used to rescue stranded allie units among other things. The offensive went well at first but then the lines were stretched and supplies became difficult, so they changed to a defensive posture.

After the signing of the Armistice with Germany, families of the men stuck in Russia started to petition for their return. In the country, there were several mutinies. They were finally withdrawn in August of 1919, after which almost 200 men were killed. Several years after, the expedition it was called a mistake.

Eventually, the bodies of the dead were repatriated with 56 of them buried here. This sculpture was made by Leon Hermant.

The polar bear exhibit at the Detroit Zoo is also a memorial to these men.

White Chapel Cemetery

2012-01-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

Every so often, I find myself on I-75 just north of Troy. As I go that way, I pass this cemetery. I've seen the building in the milddle of it and have always been curious about it. About a week ago, I found out that they had a memorial to the Polar Bear Regiment there, so that piqued my interest a little more so I decided to stop there on lunch while I was at the Troy office.

As you enter the Cemetery, you are greeted by a fairly ornate gate and to the side of the gate are some pretty cool looking friezes. This one looks almost like a knight.

This one is an angel.

I kind of wish that I could have gotten a better angle for the gate but it is a fairly busy road and there's no place I could stand to get the right angle, so I'd have to be content with this shot.

The detail on one of the columns.

Looking towards the side of the gate.

There are quite a few statues in the park. This particular one is on the road as you leave the gate. I thought it was pretty neat. I think the figure in the front is supposed to be Odin.

Assuming the person in front is Odin, I'm guessing that these are ravens.

A closeup of his face.

This is the Chapel. I kind of liked the view from in front of the fountain and this makes me want to go back in the summer when the pond isn't frozen and the fountain is running.

Another one of the sculptures.

A detail on the sculpture.

A closeup of the Chapel.

This was a pretty neat cemetery. I'm not normally keen on going into cemeteries but they make for neat photographic opportunties. I'm definately going to have to come back when I have both the time and the weather is nicer.

Teaser Pic of Polar Bear Regiment Memorial

2012-01-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

When I take the odd way to Bay City from Ypsilanti, I will sometimes shoot over to Detroit to take a couple boat pictures and then head up using I-75. When I get just past Big Beaver Road, I see a place called White Chapel Cemetery with a huge chapel in the middle. I have always been meaning to go there.

About a week ago, I found out that they had a memorial to the Polar Bear Regiment there so I decided to see it at lunch while I was in Troy today.

Just a shot of the bear's face for now. I will have more pictures and more about the Polar Bear Regiment later tonight or tomorrow.

In the Days Before Digital Cameras

2012-01-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

One of the things I hate about the winter months is that I don't get as many opportunities go out photographing. Usually by the time I'm getting out of work it's getting dark or already dark and I generally don't have enough time to go out somewhere. So that leaves lots of night shots or indoor shots. I can only take so many pictures of my models and my desk, so that limits my opportunies.

Sometimes opportunities present themselves. We have an electronics recycling table at work (as part of our ISO-14001 efforts) and sometimes odd stuff finds it way to that table. Normally I would not take pictures of it but today I could not pass up that opportunity.

The item sitting on the table was an old Polaroid Instant Film camera. Well this one was not that old and probably came from the late 80's or early 90's. According to one of the people that used it on occasion, it probably still works if we can get film for it. At any rate it is a Polaroid Sun 600.

The Polaroid Company was founded in 1937 by Edwin Land. He used knowledge gained in polariztion to create sunglasses and was pretty successful at it. The company was pretty innovative but couldn't capitalize on much of that.

The instant film camera came about in 1948. This film contains all the chemicals need for developing and fixing the photo. Anyone who's taken a film photography class knows that the process for getting a picture is quite involved or it can be. The instant film camera put photography in the realm of amateurs and anyone could take a picture.
Polaroid had almost exclusivity to the market after suing and winning against Kodak in 1986 but that didn't help them when digital cameras came around. They were one of the early developers of digital technology but never really captured any of the market. This would eventually lead to their downfall.

In 2001, they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and most of their assets (including the name) was sold to Bank One. They went on to form a new company using the Polaroid name. In 2007, they stopped making cameras and later in 2009, they stopped making film. In 2008, they filed for Chapter 11 again after some shenanigans.

Now they are making digital cameras that are similar to the instant film cameras in that you can get a print right from the camera. Might be interesting. There is also a company that is making film for the old instant film cameras. So I am tempted.

At any rate, this was a pretty cool find and I'm almost tempted to see if I can find film for it.

A Couple Eagle Shots

2012-01-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

Since I was in Bay City, I had to stop by the eagles. My mom said that they have been showing up in large numbers around sunset. So I headed over there and sure enough....

One of the eagles in the tree.

A group of eagles. I think I counted over a dozen total but I'm pretty sure there were more because they were all over the place.

A few were flying but I couldn't quite get a decent shot of those because they kept staying near the trees. I kind of like the silhouette though.

Some Pictures of Detroit

2012-01-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

I didn't stay down at the park too long because it didn't look like there were going to be any more ships coming down in a timely fashion. So I packed it up and headed to Bay City.

Before I left, I had to get my favorite skyline shot.

My mom wanted me to stop at Utrecht, so I took Fort Street out of the park. I've always been meaning to take this shot because I've seen it a few times on my way out. I kind of like the view of the skyline.

A shot looking down Fort Street.

A little further down Fort.

Since Utrecht is on Woodward Avenue, I took that out of Downtown. This is a shot looking up Woodward.

Some Ships on the Detroit River

2012-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

I had to go up to my mom's today but before I left, I checked boatnerd to see what was coming down the Detroit River. I was excited to see that the John Munson was coming down but I wasn't sure I could make it. As I approached Riverside Park, I saw that the Munson passing by the park. I thought that maybe I could catch her a little further down, so I turned on Jefferson and tried to follow her. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a spot to pull into to get a good shot of her. It was all fenced in down that way.

So on the right is the John Munson and on the left is the American Century. Both ships have appeared on this blog before, so I'm not going to go into detail on either of them. I waited a bit because I thought the American Century was coming further up the river.

It turns out she wasn't. So I took this picture and called it good.

Docked at the Steel Mill was the American Integrity. This is another ship I have covered here.

I thought I would pull out a bit to get more of the steel works. I'll have to admit they look pretty cool. Although I think they look cooler on a day when there is more steam billowing.

Sadly, these weren't quite the pictures I was hoping for but I guess they'll do. While they are my first ship pictures of the year, I'm not going to count them.

The Water Tower

2012-01-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

No tour of Eastern's campus would be complete without the Water Tower. While it is not actually on campus it is close enough to campus that it is could be considered a part of the campus. I've covered this structure on this blog before, so I'm not going to go into much more detail here.

It is definitely a unique looking structure.

Just another angle of the tower.

Looking up at the tower. As you can see, I couldn't ask for a better day in January.

A Walk Around Eastern Michigan

2012-01-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

So my tour continued over to the main part of campus. In April it will be 20 years since I graduated from Eastern Michigan. It doesn't seem like it has been that long ago. A couple months ago, I took a brief tour of the campus and I wanted to do a more extensive walk around campus because there's quite a few buildings that have been added since I went there.

Eastern Michigan was established in 1849 by the State of Michigan as the Michigan State Normal School and it was the first teacher's college west of the Alleghenies. Classes started in 1853 and there were 122 students. In 1899, it became Michigan State Normal College as the College expanded towards a more broad based education. In 1956, it became Eastern Michigan College as it was covering more and more courses outside of teaching. In 1959, it became a University as the College of Education split from the College of Arts and Sciences. Currently there are approximately 20,000 students at EMU.

This is Boone Hall which was constructed in 1914 as an Administration and Classroom Building. It then housed the Arts Department for a while and currently houses the Department of Continuing Education among others.

Pierce Hall was constructed in 1948 to house classrooms and the Adminstration Offices. In 1988, the executive offices moved to Welch Hall and this building now houses Student Services, Registration and Student Accounting. I remember spending some time in this building chasing down financial aid.

The Bell Tower was built with funds donated by the people of Ypsilanti and is a dedication to the students that died in World War II.

Pease Auditorium was constructed in 1914 and has been renovated a few times since then. It is an example of Neoclassical Architecture. I think it is a pretty nice looking building.

Looking up at one of the columns but don't ask me what type of column this would be.

A detail of one of the windows.

Another angle of the Bell Tower. I kind of like the looks of this.

Looking up at the Bell Tower.

This is Roosevelt Hall which was constructed as a high school in 1925 to be used as a laboratory for student teachers at the college. There was a tiny staircase that went through the center of the building but it was used by the seniors of the school only. In 1969, it was closed as a high school and is now used the Military Science Department and a few others.

Looking up at the tower on Roosevelt.

Looking at the detail of the building.

This is Goddard Hall where I lived for three years. It was built in 1955 as a women's dorm. In 1964, the computer lab was added to the basement and from 1987 to 1990, I lived there. I'm not sure if it's in use now.

Some of the details on the building.

The placard in front of the building. Mary Goddard was a professor of Botany from 1900 to 1939.

This is Pray-Harrold, one of the main classroom buildings on campus. When it opened in 1969, it was said to be one of the largest classroom buildings in the country. It is used by many departments on campus and I spent a fair amount of time here when I was a student. It was nice living in Goddard because it was right across the street from this building.

The main entrance.

This is the Quirk-Sponberg Theater and it was constructed in 1959. It houses the dramatic arts department and theater.

A statue of Icarus in front of the building.

This was added after I was student at EMU. It is part of a park that is behind the Rec-IM building. It was completed in 1993, so just after I was student. It actually looks pretty nice and relaxing.

This is the Pond House and during the warmer months, you can rent paddleboats or rowboats. I kind of liked this shot with the bulding reflected in the water.

The Student Center which was added well after I graduated from EMU. It was intented to be a replacement for McKenny Union. I think this is the rear of the building but it looks much nicer than the front.

Some sort of sculpture.

The clock tower in front Halle Library. Construction on Halle Library was completed in 1998. It's actually a pretty nice looking building.

Looking up at the tower.

This is the Mark-Jefferson Science Building. As it houses Chemistry, I only had a couple classes here. It was constructed in 1969 and was extensively renovated in the past couple years. This is a shot looking through one of the arches at Halle. The building looks much nicer now than when I was a student here.

Sherzer Hall. Construction on this was completed in 1903. It was originally home to the Natural Science Department. In 1957, it was renovated and housed the field services. In 1989, there was a massive fire and it looked like they might have to tear it down but they were able to renovate it by 1992 after which it housed the Art Department.

A sculpture in front of Mark-Jefferson. Don't ask me what it is supposed to be.

This is Briggs Hall. It was constructed in 1937 as the field house and the EMU football field used to be near here. In 1960, it housed the Math Department. When I was first a student, it was the place where you went to register. They still used punch cards and it was a painful experience. I am glad that changed in my sophomore or junior year.

Another angle of Sherzer.

This is Starkweather Hall and was constructed in 1852 as the Student Christian Association Building. It housed them and various other religious organizations until 1976. At some point it housed the Graduate Offices and now houses the Honors Program.

Another angle of Starkweather. It is the oldest building on campus.

Another view of Sherzer.

McKenny Hall. It was constructed as the Student Union in 1931 and I believe it was the first (or one of the first) Union to be used by both male and female students.

A view of Welch Hall through the trees. Welch is the second oldest building on campus. When I first came to EMU, it looked like a burned out hulk but they managed to restored it and now it houses the Admistration.

One of the entrances to Welch.

A shot of the front from across the street.

Another angle of Welch Hall.

And this concludes my tour of Eastern Michigan. It is by no means complete but it is a pretty good representation of the campus. I think the campus looks alot better now than it did when I was student.

Downtown Ypsilanti

2012-01-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

After the College of Business, I decided to take a couple shots of downtown Ypsilanti. It looks like a pretty typical southern Michigan town.

I kind of like the color of the buildings.

A little more color on the other side of Michigan Avenue.

I kind of like this shot a little better.

And this is Abe's Coney Island. I know it's been around as long as I have been in Ypsilanti. I remember going here late at night. The food isn't too bad. There are definately different crowds night and day.

Another Version of Eastern Michigan's Seal

2012-01-06T18:04:00.000-08:00

As I was in front of the College of Business, I noticed this seal.

It actually looks more like a hybrid of Michigan and Eastern Michigan's seal. All the stuff from Michigan's seal is there but the shield is a little bit differently. I kind of like it.

The Eastern Michigan College of Business

2012-01-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

llIt was a nice day outside today. I think it might have reached the low 50's today. So I decided to take the afternoon off and do a walking tour of Eastern Michigan. But first I decided to stop in downtown Ypsilanti for some lunch at Abe's Coney Island.

After lunch, I decided to take some pictures of Eastern's College of Business. It is located Downtown and is a couple miles from the main campus.

Construction began in 1988 and was completed in 1990. I actually remember while they were building this because I lived a couple blocks down around the time they finished it. It was named after Gary Owen who was a speaker of the house.

EMU was the first business college to hold an ethos week. The building is an example of Michigan Modern Architecture.

A Hazy Moon

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

As I looked towards the other end, I saw the moon and a little bit of a haze ring around it. Unfortunately, I never have luck trying to capture the haze.

I think it might have been a little easier with the still bit of light in the sky. I didn't have to put the shutter speed where I normally put it. That let me catch the haze.

A Winter Sunset

2012-01-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

As I was heading out of the office tonight, I looked towards the west and saw the sunset. I kind of liked the looks of it but I needed something in the foreground, so I shot it through the trees.

I kind of liked the intense sunset but unfortunately the wires kind of cut into the picture.

The wires are a little less obvious here.

I really like this one. The sunset looks pretty cool I think.

As the sun is slipping beneath the horizon. I'm glad the days are starting to get longer because that gives me a little chance for photography in the evening.

Rynearson Stadium in the Winter

2012-01-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

As I said, it was pretty snowy out today and there was some snow on the field.

Rynearson will be peaceful again until the Eagles take the field in the fall.

An Overall Shot of the Convocation Center

2012-01-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

For years, Eastern Michigan played basketball in Bowen Field House which is on campus and within walking distance. In the 90's, they decided they needed to replace the Field House and construction on its replacement began in 1997. It is located right next to Rynearson Stadium.

Construction of the Convocation Center was completed in 1998 and it was opened with a game against the University of Michigan. It has a capacity of 8,884 and has a few suites. The Convocation Center is currently used by both EMU basketball teams and a few other sports. At other times it is used for local graduations and concerts. It's actually a pretty nice facility.

This is just an overall shot of the court.

One of the things I like about the Convocation Center is the fact they used glass on the north side. Because of that, I think the football stadium looks nicer.

EMU Women's Basketball Vs. Wyoming

2012-01-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

Today's was actually a first for me. I have never been to a woman's basketball game before until today. I'd been meaning to for a while but I never really could find the time or interest. Since there was a game today, I decided to head to the Convocation Center after taking pictures of flower.

The EMU Women's team is actually pretty competitive and were 7 and 5 before the game. In those five losses were a couple of overtime losses to some pretty good teams, so all in all not too bad.

Tavelyn James taking a layup.

Taylor Bird going for the basket.

Olivia Fouty going for a bakset.

I can't quite tell who this is but she is going for the basket. I kind of liked this shot.

Taylor Bird taking another shot at the basket.

India Hairston taking a shot at the basket.

Desyree Thomas on defense.

Taylor Bird taking a run at the basket.

I think this is India Hairston making a run at the basket.

Paige Redditt taking a shot.

I think this is Christina Smith about to pass.

Tavelyn James charging the basket.

A shot of Tavelyn James bringing the ball down the court.

Desyree Thomas taking a layup.

India Hairston taking another shot.

EMU ended up winning 65-43. This is a shot of the handshake after the game.