The Flickr Uppermichigan Image Generatr

One of the most significant pieces of remaining infrastructure on the Houghton County Traction route is the substation at Laurium, MI. The stone entablature features the logo of the interurban. For a long time since the closure of the electric line, this building has been home to the Laurium Fire Department. My maternal grandfather served on this department for many years. September 22, 2024.

I've been quite busy lately. Neglecting my Photostream. It's still my outlet for relaxation to visit here and flip through the images of my contacts but time for uploading and captioning has gotten squeezed. Here's to getting back on the horse, I'm going to try and get back to regular posting, even if the captions end up shorter.

Anyway, in my chronology I'm back in September yet. The fledgling historical society I'm with coprhts.org hosted our second in person gathering in Michigan's Copper Country. It turned out to be a great long weekend event. On the last day we did a driving tour of the remnants of the Houghton County Traction Company an interubran that connected many of the cities and town on the Keweenaw Peninsula. The last cars ran in 1932 and the grades can be very hard to discern. Looking north at Electric Park the line is as evident as if it were only a few years since the wires and rails were removed. In its hayday this was an amusement park and dance venue in the countryside, a weekend destination for working folks.
September 22, 2024.

In downtown Marquette, Michigan, on the south shore of Lake Superior. Created by Hannah Milkie.

Taken on a really fine spring day in Marquette, Michigan. These ore docks have been here for many years, though no longer used.

A whimsical mural on 3rd Street in Marquette, Michigan. Created by Hannah Milkie.

After a pretty long winter, folks around Marquette were taking advantage of the warm weather (low 60s). Snow can still be seen along the shoreline, but it is melting fast. The break wall and the Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse is featured in the backgound.

I was up at camp where the dark sky is always enjoyable but there was also a partial lunar eclipse one night. I liked how it lined up with the trees so I set up the camera and after a lot of fooling with the manual controls got a couple exposures I was happy with. Blended into a short video. September 17, 2024.

We got hit with freezing rain, but not as bad as other regions near and far away. These berries hold their color and shape pretty well over the winter, and because they are not native to the area, the birds leave them alone.

Skiers jumping off the big Pine Moutain Ski Slide for the Continental Cup. Several skiers jumped over 400 feet, some over 140 meters.

Thousands of people come for the Pine Mountain Continental Cup ski jumping tournament. This was one of many areas where spectators enjoy the tournament, including friends, family and good food and drinks outside.

Skiers jumping off the big Pine Moutain Ski Slide for the Continental Cup.

I've never been much of a student of true roster shots and this one is probably a bit too "nosey" by those standards. However, if a shot is to be nosey what better model for it than an alligator.

At the top of my list for must sees was this RSD-15. Better late than never, this one was always a step ahead of me. It was part of LS&I's eclectic fleet that would catch my attention during visits to Marquette, MI as a kid. By the time I made it back with a camera and a visitor's pass, the ALCos had been off the property for 2 years. They had gone south to the Fox River Valley Railroad and saw limited use. After college I moved to Wisconsin for work. By then the FRV and GB&W were gone and the alligators long parked. Still looking, I went up to Green Bay only to find a pile of scrap with LS&I red on the pieces where the locomotives met their fate.

The old LS&I 2402 (renumbered by FRV to avoid a numbering conflict with an SD24) had escaped the torch and found safety here at IRM. It's a little amusing that on a roster as modest as that of the FRV they still ended up with number conflicts. The unit ended up with GBW reporting marks but didn't see service on that ALCo bastion.

2407 had been used for visitors who had paid to try their hand at running a locomotive that morning, so I got to enjoy the sights and sounds of this beast. It took the afternoon off and was here on display once the afternoon sun swung around for a proper picture, 35 years in the making. August 10, 2024.

On the north shore of Lake Michigan, off Aronson Island/Escanaba. The shoreline here was quite desolate, though there were ice fishing shacks off in the distance. The big blue chunks of ice from Lake Michigan presented some interesting color and shapes.

With a busy summer I was hard-pressed to get up north as often as I'd like. I was able to steal away for a few days in early July. It was mostly project time but I did get a few vignettes of the green northwoods during the long days of mid-summer.

If the mosquitos relentlessly hassling me were any indication, the builder of this web was well nourished by summer's bounty. The shallow focus web may be an old idea but it's still very eye-catching when you encounter them in the forest. July 6, 2024.

With a busy summer I was hard-pressed to get up north as often as I'd like. I was able to steal away for a few days in early July. It was mostly project time but I did get a few vignettes of the green northwoods during the long days of mid-summer.

A winter of minimal snow made for a good spring for does welcoming the next generation of whitetail deer. Despite the gentle weather of July, they never let their guard down, one looking at me, one looking straight ahead and mama looking left. July 6, 2024.

With a busy summer I was hard-pressed to get up north as often as I'd like. I was able to steal away for a few days in early July. It was mostly project time but I did get a few vignettes of the green northwoods during the long days of mid-summer.

I don't know my arachnids well enough to know the purpose of this silky orb in the forest but it sure looks neat. July 6, 2024.

This photo does not do justice to this impressive and LARGE display on a local building in South Escanaba. The jumbo components were put on the roof with a crane!