The Salmon Are Here - By Artist Julie Deans

Photo courtesy of Mel who joined the little dog, child, and I on day one.

I finally did it! I made it to Lowville Park in time for the salmon run ... so very proud of myself. Yes, I suppose that's kind of sad, but small things amuse ... well, you know. Be warned, this post is picture heavy, so I won't bore you with too many words, just visions of salmon spawning (love is in the air, or water actually) and fall images taken over the course of two days. Enjoy!

Little dog and child who joined me on day two.

The salmon swimming upstream to spawn.

The inevitable death after the spawn - what an odd way to live.

One of a few mysterious Lowville Woods Teepees.

Mourn the trees...

Brandy in nature - Burns Creek Conservation Area

Perhaps I'm sentimental, just a regular nature lover, or plain crazy (could be all of the above, though I think I've been called crazy the most), but it really bothers me to see someone uproot and discard of a perfectly healthy plant, especially a tree.

Trees do so much for our environment and health, really they do, and to see them killed for no other reason than because they are in the way, not the right colour, or some other useless reason, well, it makes me sick. 

Which brings me to the reason why I have not gone near my "recently old" house. I can't do it. Our gorgeous weeping pea and Japanese maple in the front garden were thoughtlessly ripped out. Why? You ask, why?  I really have no idea. The trees were extraordinarily healthy, well looked after and thriving. Both rescue trees I might add, which just makes their deaths worse.

So I put together a little collection of just a small portion of my nature photos that I've taken over the past few years ... to make me feel better. Sentimental? ... yup, I guess so ... crazy? sure why not.

Poor babies, these are the guys that got ripped out - how could you?

Valens Conservation Area - Fall

Valens Conservation Area - Fall

Chameleon in the weeping pea - out front of our old house

Wild flowers one year in our back garden

Fall maple leaves - Lowville

Marigold (yikes I'm really not sure now) in the front garden of our old house

To see more of my photography (canines for now) visit: www.juliesillustration.com/photography

Lowville

Lowville - A little village down Guelph Line between Campbellville and Burlington is one of my favorite places to go and get "photographic". Normally, at this time of year, the trees are in full fall foliage, instead I suppose, due to the rather odd weather we've been experiencing, there is still a lot of green growth especially through the underside of the forests.


A brisk Sunday, with a cold wind blowing and no salmon running yet (will this be the third year in a row that I miss them?!) turned out to be a great day for photos. The little dog played along, and I brought my personal photographer with me. Well, once again, she's not really mine but she does accompany me quite a bit on my photo excursions, so I figure I can say she's mine while I have her here - what else are little sisters for?

Some results of the day are posted below. And once again, HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING everyone!

I guess everywhere we go grass tastes good. She's not picky.