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Photo Friday: Michigan Balloonfest lights up the night

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The recent 28th annual Michigan Challenge Balloonfest  in Howell, Mich., provided a fun-filled weekend for attendees to play games, watch fireworks and enjoy the launch of several hot air balloons! The hot air balloon ‘glow’, in which pilots and their crew gather in the Landing Zone and fire up their balloons as darkness falls is a highlight of the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest. With 44 participants this year, the “glow” featured more than a dozen balloonists and their crew during the glow.  

 

 

 

The crew of the Sullair balloon, piloted by Shawn Raya, of Oxford, Michigan, launches the balloon for the “glow”.  

Above, Airwaves One (WHMI), PNC Bank, Michigan CAT, SullAir and “Andy”, sponsored by Paulsen’s Construction, show their colors.

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Photo Friday: The gulls of Lake Erie

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On the shores of Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, adjacent to an industrial area housing the Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, and the Great Lakes Science Center, is home to a large colony of ring-billed gulls. The gulls build their nests on the ground and line it with grass, reeds and rushes and typically hatch 2-4 eggs at a time. Mom and Dad share the sitting duties. These photos show the colony, the nest sitters, a nest and the “guards” who line the fence to warn the parents-to-be of impending intruders.  

 

 

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Photo Friday: I Love the Great Lakes

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You don’t have to be from a Great Lake state to appreciate the lakes’ many attributes. Whether you’re just visiting or a long-time local, their beauty is mesmerizing. A lot of us love them. How much? Sierra Club launched the “I love the Great Lakes” project two years ago to visually illustrate the love people share for the lakes.