Category Archives: Great Lakes

Link to New Blog, Same Writer

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Joe Neely

I have started a new blog – http://www.theoccasionalpoem.com, also on WordPress – in order to share my poetry. Many of these poems have roots in The Great Isolation of COVID, when I set out to collect poems written 20 years … Continue reading →

Posted in canoe, Grand River, Great Lakes, Men, Michigan, nature, paddling, poetry, rivers, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Complete! Finished! Done!

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Joe Neely

August 8 – 10, 2020Grand Rapids to Lake Michigan Tom Writes . . .  Cranky Old Men with Stiff Legs and Sore RearsGlorious Michigan SummerTruly GRAND River We started at the southwest corner of Grand Rapids. The river loops south, … Continue reading →

Posted in canoe, family, Great Lakes, Michigan, paddling, rivers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Closing in on Our Goal: Halleluiah!

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Joe Neely

Joe Writes . . .  After starting in southern Jackson County during the summer of 2016 and paddling, in fits and starts, all the way to downtown Grand Rapids it is finally reasonable to contemplate the end of our journey. … Continue reading →

Posted in canoe, Environment, family, Grand River, Great Lakes, Men, Michigan, paddling, rivers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Our Quest Resumes on the 4th of July!

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Joe Neely

Just as our nation declared its independence from the tyrannical rule of George III on the 4th of July in 1776, we will declare our independence from the physical decline of advancing age – and our disdain for the despotic … Continue reading →

Posted in canoe, Environment, family, Grand River, Great Lakes, Michigan, nature, paddling, rivers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Official Grand River Expedition Cancelled; Neely Brothers Still Hope to Complete Their Quest This Year

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Joe Neely

Joe Reports . . .  Every ten years since 1990 an organized expedition to paddle the length of the Grand River has taken place, most recently under the auspices of Middle Grand River Organization of Watersheds.  That organization has announced … Continue reading →

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What Happened to the Perch?

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Joe Neely

Joe writes . . .  We have written about perch fishing and invasive species here on lengthofthegrand, both of which are addressed in an excellent blog post I read recently while following  ThumbWind, which reports on and celebrates life in … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Fishery, Great Lakes, Invasive Species, Michigan, Michigan Thumb, nature, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Speech I Meant to Give

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Joe Neely

November 3, 2018 Joe Writes . . .  Last night there was a great event – Ignite Ann Arbor 11 – at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. My speech didn’t go as planned but I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Great Lakes, Michigan, rivers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Perch Fishing and Foghorns

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Joe Neely

We’re going out on the river tomorrow: ending up in Ionia. I just asked a guy at an AA meeting if he knew where that was. “Yeah,” he said. “I was in prison there.” I expect we’ll be eating lunch … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Great Lakes, Michigan, rivers | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Invasive Mussels on the Grand River

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Joe Neely

Tom Writes . . . During our last trip on the river (Monday September 11 – we already wrote about it), I forgot to write about the mussel shells. When we portaged around Moore’s Dam, and put back in, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Great Lakes, Invasive Species, Michigan, rivers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment