Upper Peninsula Upventure: Canyon Falls

Near Alberta, Michigan in Baraga County is Canyon Falls. Like Agate Falls to the west, these falls are adjacent to a roadside rest area--in this case on US Route 41.

Besides some rapids, there are two falls, a lower, on the left, and an upper falls.

By the way, situating rest areas next to natural attractions is a great idea.

The falls are on the Sturgeon River.

Baraga County is named for Bishop Frederic Baraga, "the Snowshoe Priest." More on Baraga tomorrow.

Technorati tags: michigan upper peninsula photography photos byways travel travel blog geology waterfall rivers nature

Vatican denounces Halloween

Perhaps Europe needs more Halloween celebrations. Considering the United States has much higher levels of church attendance, I'm going to have to say that the Vatican needs to lighten up a bit about Halloween. The Scotsman explains what I'm talking about.

The Catholic Church has swung its crook at celebrants of Halloween, warning parents to forbid children to dress up as ghosts and ghouls, and dismissing the celebrations as a pagan night of "terror, fear and death."

In an effort to take a sharp pin to the ballooning success of Halloween, which has spread from America to Italy in recent years, the Vatican has issued a stern warning through the pages of its official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, with an article headlined "Halloween's Dangerous Messages."

What millions around the world consider a harmless tradition bound by unconvincing costumes and mountains of teeth-rotting sweets is, according to the Catholic Church, riddled with a dark undercurrent of occultism and is "absolutely anti-Christian".

Father Joan Maria Canal, a Spanish priest and liturgical expert, was quoted in the paper as saying that parents should "direct the meaning of the feast towards wholesomeness and beauty, rather than terror, fear and death."

It's just a big costume party. Ease up, padres.

UPDATE 11:15pm: The Catholic Key blog views this story as sensationalism.

Technorati tags: halloween culture faith religion catholic

Underfunded pensions: SEIU this time

Here's a story that just isn't getting reported on much. Underfunded union pensions.

If you are wondering what's in it for union members--who for the most part have pretty good health care plans--foist ObamaCare on the nation, it involves those pensions.

Doug Ross goes into great detail to explain SEIU's pension problems. This is a complicated subject. I know--some of the most ardous posts I've written have been about the same issue involving other unions.

This is something you need to know about.

Related posts:

Union pensions might be bailed out by Dems' health care reform plan

Report from the bloggers' conference call about EFCA with Rep. Tom Price

Multi-employer pension blues

Report from the bloggers' conference call on EFCA and under-funded pensions

Financially ailing AFL-CIO funding push for Obama's health care plan

Technorati tags: labor politics unions news pensions health universal health care obamacare seiu

Bunker Hill Woods in fall

It's great to run when there is natural scenery such as what I saw yesterday afternoon in Niles' Bunker Hill Woods, just one mile north of Chicago's city limits.

The yellow leaves are from Sugar Maples, the red comes from a Red Oak.

Sometimes you can't tell the leaves from the forest, there is an asphalt trail partially obscured.

Technorati tags: Chicago Illinois photography photos Niles trees fall colors autumn nature

Uncovered 2008 video: Obama boasts "We are going to paint the nation purple with SEIU"

When the ACORN controversy first heated up last fall, the Barack Obama campaign claimed that the candidate never organized for ACORN. Of course that was a lie, Obama was a trainer for ACORN's Project VOTE in 1992.

ACORN founded SEIU Local 880, and it still lists the tainted group as "Our sister organization and close ally."

Watch as Obama boasts, "SEIU Local 880 and myself, we organized people."

He goes on, "That's how we built political power on the South Side of Chicago."

And finally, "We are going to paint the nation purple with SEIU."



Hat tip to Chicago News Bench.

Related post:

SEIU prez: Union spent $60.7 million to elect Obama

Technorati tags: politics Democrats liberal labor unions seiu ACORN

Upper Peninsula Upventure: Agate Falls

The Upper Peninsula Upventure now turns to waterfalls. My first one is one of the best, Agate Falls near Paynesville. The Ontonagon River reaches erosion resistant sandstone near Michigan State Route 28. It's quite accessible, there is a rest area next to the park, and above the falls is a trail bridge, which was once a railroad.

But to get the best view of the falls, patience and agility are required. After 31 marathons, the latter is not my strong suit, but I made it down to the bottom of what can only loosely called a trail. There are no directions to this spot, and I'm sure the Michigan Department of Natural Resources strongly discourages what I did.

But I wasn't the only one.

Next: Canyon Falls

Related posts:

Yosemite Falls

Bridalveil Fall

Technorati tags: michigan upper peninsula photography photos byways travel travel blog geology waterfall rivers nature