I thought I'd feature some photos of Fall today as the temperatures drop, the trees start to turn those magnificent colors, and the waves come crashing in to the shores of our Great Lakes.

copper country explorer shows us the turning leaves in the U.P.

(Today) we take a look at the Cliffs from an early morning vantage point. This photo was taken just yesterday, so it is about as up to date as you can get. While the colors are out and flourishing, peak is still probably a good week away.

As for where we took this unique view of the Cliffs, I think I'll let that be a secret for now. Lets see if anyone out there can figure it out.

Do you know the location? And, will you tell us too? Be sure to click on the photo to view the full size image.

Jolli Lodge features a photo of the big waves rolling in on Lake Michigan over the past few days, a sure sign of Fall in Northern Michigan.

The wind gods have been good to all kiteboarders and windsurfers lately:-) The wind was 30-40 out of the NW the other day. The waves were huge by the harbor in Leland with 6 kiteboarders and 6 surfers out.

And Giancarlo Rinna highlights the deep blue sky in his pick for yesterday.

I think the most striking image is this last one from Michigan in Pictures. It's entitled Chapel River Scene by photographer jsorbieus. michpics writes:

This photo is part of a set of photos that show the beginnings of fall color on the UP’s rivers & waterfalls.

The color is coming people!

Read The Cliffs in Fall and take a look at the emerging fall colors in the photo by copper country explorer
Read Swimming Anyone? by Jolli Lodge and visualize yourself kiteboarding in those waves!
You'll also want to see A Very Blue Sky by Giancarlo's Photography
Take a look at Chapel River Scene by Michigan in Pictures and be sure to take view jsorbieus's set on Flickr as well

October is National Arts & Humanities Month and hundreds of organizations and communities across the nation will be celebrating. According to Wikipedia:

National Arts and Humanities Month's four primary goals are to:

* Create a national, state and local focus on the arts and humanities through the media.
* Encourage the active participation of individuals, as well as arts, humanities and other interested organizations nationwide.
* Provide an opportunity for federal, state and local business, government and civic leaders to declare their support for the arts and humanities.
* Establish a highly visible vehicle for raising public awareness about the arts and humanities.

Muskegon is one such community that will be hosting a festival. The Muskegon Area Arts & Humanities Festival, in it's sixth year, features events all through the month and all over the area.

Read Wikipedia's National Arts & Humanities Month
Listen to Inside Muskegon as Jason talks with Muskegon Area Arts & Humanities Festival Coordinator, Sheila Wahamaki
Also listen to Arts & Humanities Radio on Michigan Radio
Link to Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs

FTR reports on the latest sport to impose drug testing - fishing. Yes, you read that right, championship angling judges are testing competitor's urine for stimulants. FTR writes:

Competition is getting out of control in organized fishing tournaments. The U.K.'s Daily Mirror reports that

TOP championship anglers were left shocked... after being asked to submit to drug tests.

Competitors at last week's World Angling Championships were told to give urine samples or face losing their prizes.

Read Flies? Check. Sunblock? Check. Meth? Checkcheckcheck! What'sthematterwithyouman? CHECK!by Find The River

michpics writes:

Of his set of 50-odd photos titled Michigan Landmarks, Larry the Biker writes: Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice - "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you."

Take a look at Michigan State Capitol & other Michigan landmarks by Michigan in Pictures
View other Michigan in Pictures posts with tag 'landmark'

Y. writes about the invention of the typewriter by a "young American in the vicinity of Detroit". She writes:

YPSIDIXIT was cooling down from the excitement of her nasal cleaning pot experience by quietly reading Ralph Stein's The Great Inventions when she happened upon this alarming passage:

"The first American typewriter was invented by a thirty-seven-year-old Massachusetts Yankee named William Austin Burt. Like many another young American, he headed west after serving in the War of 1812 and settled his family in the vicinity of Detroit [what vicinity? -ed.]. He was a sort of backwoods mechanical genius, a surveyor, a builder of flour mills and sawmills."

In her subsequent comments she notes:

Burt Lake in Cheboygan County is also named for him. Poor guy. Slave away at one of the key inventions of the 19th century, one which sleepy bloggers will be typing away on on fall mornings one hundred and eighty years later, and get not worldwide acclaim but naming rights to a swamp in Godforsaken Michigan. Oh, and the Patent Office also lost his 1829 prototype in a fire. Such is the fate of geniuses.

While I disagree that Burt Lake is a "swamp", I do feel sorry for him that the prototype burned.

Read Typewriter invented in Ypsilanti? by ypsi~dixit

Here's a nice fall treat - warm apple pie cake topped with vanilla ice cream (see photo). Yummy!

Kitchen Chick writes:

Years ago Joe picked up The New York Times Heritage Cookbook from a remainder book sale. It sat on the shelves untouched for a very long time, until one night, searching for a simple dessert, I cracked it open and discovered a whole world of American comfort food and heirloom recipes.

She continues:

The author interviewed hundreds of home cooks over some five years and out of the enormous collection of recipes that resulted, choose what she felt were the best of the best. If you have the impression that American food is all the same, this book quickly dispells that notion.

Read Apple Pie Cake (including recipe) by Kitchen Chick

Development of agricultural areas in Michigan remains controversial, for both farmers and area residents. GLRC's Lester Graham reports:

(s)ome counties that want to preserve the rural character of their area are putting together a program that helps farmers by paying them some of that difference between farmland value and development value. It's called the purchase of development rights.

He concludes:

Scott Everette with American Farmland Trust says successful purchase of development rights start out slowly, but gain popularity after everyone sees how it works:

"It's one of these programs where once one farmer does it, the other farmers next door and the neighboring farmers really start taking a look at it and saying to themselves 'You know, if they're going to make the commitment, I will, too.'"

As reported in the Planning Commission Journal:

Until 1994, when Peninsula Township north of Traverse City, Michigan established the Midwest's first local program, the idea of buying and selling such rights, and drawing up conservation easements, was considered a wacky idea, appropriate for the coasts, but not considered palatable or needed in the Heartland.

Twelve years later, organizations across the state continue promoting farmland preservation, some in preparation for a November 7th ballot issue. One such organization is Save Leelanau Farmland!, Inc. They describe their organization as:

a ballot question committee comprised of concerned citizens that want to preserve the working farms, orchards, and vineyards of Leelanau County.

Another group, The Partnership for Change, is a State wide organization developed by the Land Information Access Association (LIAA), Michigan Municipal League (MML), the Michigan Townships Association (MTA), Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), and Michigan Association of Planning (MAP).

Read or listen to SAVING FARMLAND FROM SPRAWL
Read Farmland Protection: What's behind the growing interest? by The Planning Commission Journal
Visit SaveLeelanauFarmland.com
Visit Partnership for Change
Visit Michigan Department of Agriculture, Farmland Preservation website
Also take a look at a Michigan map of Qualified Local PDR Programs from the MDA