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.

Ah, lovely summer day ... by Artist Julie Deans

The only picture not from the 50mm lens.

I can handle this - 24 degrees, no humidity, I'll take it!

So I finally got myself and the little dog out to one of the conservation areas today (Kelso Summit off of Steels Avenue), and though I knew I wasn't going to make it far, I thought I'd bring my new, cute little EF 50mm f/1.8II Canon lens with me to test her out (yes, I brought the camera too ... I'm not that dense).

This stumpy little Canon 50mm is touted as being the lens to have in every photographers kit, even though it's on the cheaper end as far as price comparison with other Canon lenses goes. Great for portraits and it's gaussian optics, I'm taken quite with this little bugger already.


Below is the results from a quick photo session in the woods, and though I didn't really take too much time on these photos, I am more than happy with the results from the 50mm. 


Photos aren't edited except for a few filter changes in Photoshop and a desaturation on three of them.

I have no idea - she just like to eat grass...

None-to-happy little dog on a bench hears someone coming and doesn't like it.

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

What a horrible weekend

Desperation has set in, "You put the damn harness on, is it time to go!?"

Since this weekend, weather-wise, has been an absolute failure in my books (with wind gusts up to 100km/hr, rain, sleet, thunderstorms and cold weather), I thought I'd post some pictures from just 2 weekend ago, when the weather was much more appropriate for outdoor activities.

April 24th - Spring time at Rattlesnake Point. This time of year attracts A LOT of people to the park - hikers, campers, groups and of course, climbers. Me, I wouldn't trust hanging off the edge of a jagged cliff being held by only a rope and a tree or rock. No, definitely not for me, I'll walk and take pictures  instead of repelling thank you.

So, once again, the little dog and I took to the woods on what was a lovely spring day in late April. A lovely spring day with too many frolicking wild raccoons. Well, of course they'd be wild wouldn't they, and possibly rabid? Great.  It's a little disconcerting to see these buggers (who I am definitely not a fan of) in the middle of the day, when there is lots of human activity going on nearby. Usually lots of human activity mean no wild animals, except squirrels, which are not to bright to begin with, and birds that couldn't care less how many people are around. If you can make out the one climbing the tree in the photos below, that guy was on the ground, about 20 feet away from us when we came upon him, and Brandy had a melt down. If you don't think dogs scream, you haven't met mine. I suppose she wanted to pick a fight, I mean, she is a Jack Russell and all, but she ended up scaring it up a tree instead, which is perfectly fine with me - I don't want that thing anywhere near me, they are nasty little critters. The little dog wasn't the least phased by it, and I guess she can be a nasty little critter too (good 'ole instincts).

Anyway, here are the results of our hike, on a nice sunny warm spring day, as opposed to the days we're having this weekend. Here's to good weather.

Too bad I didn't have my zoom lens with me, then you would have been able to see the look of disgust on his face as he eye-balled Brandy.

Trilliums emerging through last falls left-overs. 

Dogs of Moron amoung other things...

A week long stay at the Melia Cayo Coco in Cuba is just what is needed if you're looking for relaxation, a nice resort, good food, and if you're planning a wedding. I was looking for all four, and was pleasantly surprised when all four exceeded my expectations.
Throughout our stay, of course, I had my camera with me, and was able to capture some images of the island, as well as animals on our tour of the city of Moron on the main island of Cuba.

It was amazing for me to see the dogs of this city, and most likely it is similar throughout Cuba. I suppose that they could be classified as pariah-type dogs however, they don't seem to be feral, and quite a few that I saw seemed to belong to a person standing with them. They are all similar in size, shape and random breeding, resembling how our own dogs would look in North America if left to breed and live on their own.

This little guy was, unfortunately, mangy and didn't look to be in the greatest of health, but he strolled down the street, as did the other dogs, with no fear. I did not hear a single bark or whine while in the vicinity of any of the dogs. All of them seemed to carry an air of calmness, which a lot of our North American canines lack.

Hard to see here, this one was taken from the bus in the country-side, but a dog strolls up to his people on this homestead (highlighted). Looked to be black and tan, again, similar in size and shape to all the others.

This guy inhabited the crocodile farm that we visited on our trip, again, taken from the bus, this dog sported a brindle coat and had a slightly different head shape from the other dogs that I saw.

 This girl also inhabited the croc farm, dozing in front of a chicken pen just down from the workers who were taking a break in the shade. The temperament of these dogs surely has something to do with the fact that they are probably never bored, they are allowed to roam at will, and are constantly physically and mentally stimulated by their environment. All things that many of our pets lack throughout their pampered lives. Not saying it's bad that we pamper, my dogs are very spoiled...

This guy was neat, a Brahma I believe, also a resident of the croc farm.

And who could forget the main attraction of the farm. I was able to hold a baby. Never felt skin like that before, such amazing creatures!


My hubby and I were upgraded to one of the "cottages" built over a salt water lagoon in the resort. Mornings were fish feeding time, with some bread saved specifically for them the night before. Though the lagoon looked fresh, it was definitely salt, with jelly-fish, needle fish, small barracuda, and a whole assortment of other fish that I couldn't begin to name.

These fish were very bass-like in shape and structure, and the boldest when it came to eating the bread we threw in for them. This photo was enhanced to make the fish more visible.

Dragonfly, same as everywhere, on our cottage porch.

The ocean as seen from our resorts beach. Gorgeous water, very clear, and apparently perfect for snorkeling (of which I only partook in once, and made me even more sea-sick on a catamaran tour). 
Common tern I believe. These guys would fly low over the surf on the beach, watching for little molecules of any fish-like product in the shallow water for their breakfast.

This brown pelican was a ham. A young guy, posed on the beach for all the photographers and the ladies. Never thought they were that big until I stood right beside one.

And this guy, ah, he didn't fare so well, was merely a shell when we found him. A very stinky shell.

Overall, a great trip, with decent pictures, good weather, tasty food and a great wedding!!