January Almanac
December 31 - Welcoming the new year
On the last day of 2023, neighbors around Ottawa Street gathered for their 28th annual year-end event. This year it snowed, and on coat sleeves, hats, and hair, we could easily see snowflake designs, inspiring a little research. We learned snowflakes are formed when an extremely cold-water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky, creating an ice crystal that falls to the ground collecting water vapor and building a crystal. The temperature and humidity of the air ultimately determines the basic shape of the ice crystal. Because each has a different path from sky to ground, encountering different atmospheric conditions, the crystals will grow in different ways, each forming a six-sided snowflake that looks unique. _Ottawa Street neighbors
NOTE: The Dennos Museum is hosting an exhibition opening on February 3rd all about picture book illustrations, specifically Caldecott Award and honor books, called Young At Art. One of the featured books is Snowflake Bentley, all about Wilson Bentley who created his own microscope camera to take photographs of snowflakes back in the 1800s! You can view the photographs he made at this link and they will also be on view at the Museum. Thank you Liz Celeste, Dennos Museum, Education and Exhibitions; dennosmuseum.org/events
NOTE: The Dennos Museum is hosting an exhibition opening on February 3rd all about picture book illustrations, specifically Caldecott Award and honor books, called Young At Art. One of the featured books is Snowflake Bentley, all about Wilson Bentley who created his own microscope camera to take photographs of snowflakes back in the 1800s! You can view the photographs he made at this link and they will also be on view at the Museum. Thank you Liz Celeste, Dennos Museum, Education and Exhibitions; dennosmuseum.org/events
Microscopic view of snowflakes by Wilson Bentley. From the Annual Summary of the Monthly Weather Review for 1902. Bentley was a farmer whose hobby was photographing snow flakes
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The Science Behind Snowflakes
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January 12
A red fox is frequently spotted cruising on South Bayshore at dawn, most likely prowling for food. Many neighbors report seeing fewer foxes in recent years, following an outbreak of mange in the local fox population. _Howard Richter.
Note: Foxes have adapted to the changing environment. As natural habitats diminish, they are more frequently seen in urban areas, making their homes in vacant lots, old buildings, wooded lots. They eat rodents, rabbits, (and the occasional cat). According to the DNR, red and gray fox species can be found in all 83 counties in Michigan. Red foxes are more common in urban and semi-urban areas than gray foxes, due to their higher adaptability. Despite their color distinctions it can still be difficult to tell them apart from one another. Red foxes can also be gray, brown, or black. A similarity among all red foxes is their tails end in white fur, while gray foxes’ tails end in black fur. Red foxes also have black feet, and gray foxes do not. Another distinction is that red foxes have more pointed faces, while gray foxes have almost catlike faces. Red foxes generally grow to larger sizes than the grays, and do not share the gray foxes’ penchant for climbing trees. _ https://www.metroparks.com/wild-wednesday-the-fantastic-foxes-of-southeastern-michigan/
Note: An emerging area of research, “urban ecology”, addresses the role of animal life in urban areas, the relationship to infrastructure and city planning, and why animal habitat is important to human habitat.
Note: Foxes have adapted to the changing environment. As natural habitats diminish, they are more frequently seen in urban areas, making their homes in vacant lots, old buildings, wooded lots. They eat rodents, rabbits, (and the occasional cat). According to the DNR, red and gray fox species can be found in all 83 counties in Michigan. Red foxes are more common in urban and semi-urban areas than gray foxes, due to their higher adaptability. Despite their color distinctions it can still be difficult to tell them apart from one another. Red foxes can also be gray, brown, or black. A similarity among all red foxes is their tails end in white fur, while gray foxes’ tails end in black fur. Red foxes also have black feet, and gray foxes do not. Another distinction is that red foxes have more pointed faces, while gray foxes have almost catlike faces. Red foxes generally grow to larger sizes than the grays, and do not share the gray foxes’ penchant for climbing trees. _ https://www.metroparks.com/wild-wednesday-the-fantastic-foxes-of-southeastern-michigan/
Note: An emerging area of research, “urban ecology”, addresses the role of animal life in urban areas, the relationship to infrastructure and city planning, and why animal habitat is important to human habitat.
Red fox original artwork by Holly Wright - [email protected]
Fox through house front window on Chippewa Street in Elk Rapids
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Red fox in local trillium patch. Photo by Rick Kane.
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January 15
Provisional statistics show that Lake Michigan-Huron experienced below average precipitation in December. The prolonged warmer weather in December (in the Great Lakes basin) resulted in air temperatures approaching lake surface temperatures, which severely dampened evaporation from the lakes. Evaporation in fall and winter is largely driven by the extent air temperatures are below lake surface temperatures. We experienced below average evaporation according to EGLE and ACOE statistics. From November to December, all the lakes experienced a decline in lake levels except Lake Ontario. The monthly mean water level (average level) of Lake Michigan-Huron dropped 3 inches in December from the previous month.
Regarding animal life, not many critters seem to be running around this winter. At least I haven't seen the normal cast of characters like the mink and beavers. I think I may have seen two bald eagles and we did have 1 dead adult swan that washed up onto the rocks which DNR removed. _ Mike Singleton, Harbormaster, Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor
Regarding animal life, not many critters seem to be running around this winter. At least I haven't seen the normal cast of characters like the mink and beavers. I think I may have seen two bald eagles and we did have 1 dead adult swan that washed up onto the rocks which DNR removed. _ Mike Singleton, Harbormaster, Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor