Random Shots

These next shots don't really fit anywhere else, so I'll put them here.

Milliken State Park is administered by the Department of Natural Resources.  I think it is the only Michigan State Park that is in an urban setting.  It is pretty nicely maintained and I think it is a harbinger of what could happen if Belle Isle fell under the jurisdiction of the state.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like Belle Isle but I think it could be alot nicer with some tender loving care.  There are bathrooms all over the island but instead of using those,  there are porta potties set up.  Maybe with a cash infusion from the state, the proper zoo could be opened again.  I think the potentials are limitless as the DNR is one of the few state entities that is fully funded.

 

Sadly, politics are getting in the way.  The City Council of Detroit doesn't really trust the State and vice versa.  They think that Lansing will get its hands on Belle Isle and sell it off to private developers.  I don't see that happening because I could only imagine the outrage.  I've said before, I don't like to discuss politics on this blog but I will when stuff affects me.

 

The private entities that are helping on Belle Isle are nice and they've made a bunch of progress but I think Belle Isle needs more.  It would be nice if those bathrooms were open year around like the ones in State Parks and I don't see that happening under the current situation.  It would also be nice if some of the deteriorating picnic areas were fixed but Detroit barely has enough money to keep the city afloat let alone fixing up a park.

 

So I wish the City Council would allow this to move forward......ranting off.

The Federal Rhine offloading stuff at Nicholson Dock.

 A border patrol boat speeding off.

 These next pictures are going to be sort of a springboard.

When I started this blog, I had intended to use it to highlight different aspects of Michigan.  I love to go over the history of certain things.  I especially like to find out the histories of things that I'm unfamiliar with.  As I was scanning the area, I saw this picture and since I've never taken pictures of the City Building from this angle, I had to take one.  I'm not sure what the bulding behind it is but I like the copper roof and stuff.

For the past year or so, I've been more focused with shipping.  As I've said in a prior post, I like shipping and I would love to focus on it but that's not all I want to focus on.  There is so much to see and do in this state that I should try to do that.  That being said, I'm not going to entirely lay off ships but I'm going to try to make more of an effort to take pictures of other subjects.

There are several projects that I have kicking around in my head.  I've driven down Michigan, Woodward and Jefferson Avenues.  I should try to continue with that idea and take Grand River.  I believe that will take me all the way to Grand Rapids.  Then I should try Gratiot.  I want to say that will take me up into the middle of the thumb but I'm not sure.  There are some nice old houses in Ypsilanti that I've been meaning to take pictures of because of their histories.  At one point I started with Albert Kahn buildings.  I got a nice sample of them but there are more of those as well.  There are histories of Jackson, Lansing and Marshall that I've not posted.

 I think I've said a few times that I've felt like I'm in a rut.  I kind of am.  Taking pictures of ships is comfortable (except when the wind is blowing hard).  There is something relaxing about watching a ship gracefully move up or down the river.  There is also something relaxing as I stand on a beach with only the sounds of the water lapping against it.  However, that was not my intention with this blog.

Heck, I've been spending some time in Port Huron lately....there's a ton of history there too.  However, the lure of the ships is great.

 As I'm posting those pictures, I feel like I'm riding the above Merry Go Round.  There are variations in the ships but they are still ships.

So with that, I'm going to try a new tack.