Leelanau Sport Guy's World writes:

"The hero was Craig Monroe. In arguably the biggest game of the year for the Tigers, Monroe came up with his biggest hit, a 6th inning grand slam to help give the Tigers 5-2 win and move back to 4 1/2 games ahead of the White Sox. I know it's only July, but the Tigers needed this win in the worst way. They needed to beat the White Sox at home, and now have a chance to win the series with Kenny Rogers taking the mound tonight."

Read Yeah, Tigers win!

Check out photos with tag 'tigers' from Michigan in Pictures plus this one of The Ol' Ballpark

Dave Stone writes:

"Elijah Myers was the brains behind the architectural beauty of state capitol buildings in Michigan, Texas and Colorado.

The cathedrals, courthouses and other structures he designed sweeten the skyline from Michigan to Mexico.

But his own Detroit grave is marked only by a simple stone, with no indication that one of the most influential architects of the late 1800s is buried beneath."

Read Myers Memorial Commission

Also read Effort Started to Honor Architect of Michigan's Capitol by Absolute Michigan.

The GLRC's Stephanie Hemphill writes:

"Foreign, invasive species often get into US waters by hitching a ride in the ballast water of ocean going ships. Now, a new research center will work to stop the spread of these invasive species. The research center hopes to develop new treatment systems aimed at catching the critters before they get out."

Read or listen to NEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR BALLAST TREATMENT by GLRC Environment Report

Read the Press Release announcing the "Great Ships Initiative"

Visit the DEQ Ballast Water Reporting Program

Also visit Invasive Species in the Great Lakes Region on Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) site to learn more.

dfUNK writes:

"The word "Gargoyle" shares a root with the word "Gargle"; they come from "gargouille," an old French word for "Throat." A true gargoyle is a waterspout. An unusual carved creature that does not serve that purpose is properly called a "Grotesque."

Thanks for educating us, dfUNK!

Take a look at these Grotesques and Gargoyles.

There is an ongoing debate in this country (and in Michigan) about the benefits of wind turbines vs. their impact on wildlife. The GLRC Environment Report's Dustin Dwyer writes:

"Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources of new electricity in the United States. For some environmentalists, that's good news. Wind turbines don't spew smoke into the air. There's no nuclear byproduct. But there is an environmental risk. To see it, you have to view the wind turbines through the eyes of a bird."

He continues:

"Chandler Robbins says better technology could also limit damage. He says turbine blades could be equipped with sensors:

"If a bird or a bat collided with that blade, it would set up enough vibration so that the blade could be feathered temporarily to avoid other birds striking until the immediate problem is over."

Feathering essentially means that you twist the angle of the blade so that wind passes over it, rather than pushing the blade into a spin. That way, birds aren't sucked into it. It's basically the turbine's braking system. Some say you don't even need a sensor on the turbine. They say engineers could monitor radar and thermal imaging. That would tell them if any migrating birds are in the area, and if they are, feather the blades."

Read or listen to WIND ENERGY SWEEPING AWAY WILDLIFE? OR
Read or listen to WIND ENERGY SWEEPING AWAY WILDLIFE? (short version)

The US Fish & Wildlife Service - Migratory Bird Mortality report concludes:

"Cars may kill 60 million or more birds; private and commercial aircraft far fewer, while wind turbine rotors killed an estimated 33,000 birds annually."

Click here to view the document. (adobe pdf)

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) document entitled Wind Energy and Wildlife: Frequently Asked Questions,

"The wind energy industry has worked hard over the past decade to reduce the impact of wind turbines on birds. Those efforts have largely been very successful -- wind turbines and birds can and do coexist successfully. The wind industry is now beginning a similar effort to understand and reduce the regional impact of wind turbines on bats in Appalachia.

Click here to view the document. (adobe pdf)

Spin on over to Absolute Michigan keyword 'wind turbine' (type any word into that top right box: food, hiking, boat, etc.)

Last night was a busy night for Meterologists in Michigan. WOOD TV (Grand Rapids) Meterologist, Bill Steffen writes:

"Consumers Energy (and that's just one company) had over 203,000 customers without power (most due to lightning), and +290,000 statewide. There were DOZENS of fires started by lightning including one that destroyed 2 buildings in Wayland (Baker Equipment Design). Numerous trees were toppled by winds as high as 70 mph. There were injuries in Dorr and also up in the Hart/Silver Lake area in Oceana County as people were hit by falling tree branches. Hail was reported in dozens of towns, the biggest being golfball-sized hail in Coopersville."

Read Tuesday Storm Wrap-up . Also read More Severe Weather Weds. & Thurs.? and Lightning hits Cruise Boat both posted on Bill's Blog. And, take a look at apocalyptic and storm over lake, two of many photos by there is not happy here.

In his post, Michigan's Musical Connection, My Michigan Connection writes about his new feature. He says:

"Each chapter will feature an artist that has roots to the Great Lake State. Artist profiles will vary from currently performing musicians and/or bands to those that have long since passed. Big Band to Hip Hop to Motown and all genres in between."

Dave Stone's first featured artist is Berkley native, Marshall Crenshaw.

clever titles are so last summer is featurting women in music. She writes (in her kick-off post from July 12th):

"In addition to the current bands I've featured, I've decided to showcase songs from influential female-fronted/all-female bands."

Click here to read Sunday's post theme week!: girl power!. Be sure to read bethanne's previous girl power! posts.

according to the Michigan.org website:

"Surrounded by Great Lakes and rich in natural attributes, Michigan's two peninsulas are dotted with 97 state parks, four national and numerous municipal parks. In addition, six state forests plus nature preserves and refuges, gardens and arboretums provide plenty of opportunity for four season recreation and relaxation. Scuba divers can explore underwater preserves that protect numerous Great Lakes shipwrecks. Hike, bike, camp, fish, hunt, snowmobile, skate, swim and picnic. By land or sea, Michigan is good for you, naturally."

"Each summer, state park explorer programs are offered to campers and day visitors at 41 of Michigan's 97 state parks.

Armed with field guides, animal skins, bug boxes and other hands-on materials, state park explorer guides lead informal programs and hikes that feature each location's unique natural, cultural and historic resources."

Visit Michigan Parks and Preserves for information on individual State Parks.

Visit photos with tag 'park' at Michigan in Pictures to see more of Michigan's great natural beauty. Then, Send An E-Postcard to Remember Your Visit courtesy of the DNR.