Archives
“The places of quiet are going away, the churches, the woods, the libraries. And it is only in silence we can hear the voice inside of us which gives us true peace.” ― James Rozoff There is peace in the forest, a peace that I dearly need in this busy world. In the forest, I can participate in the natural cycles, I can anticipate the next species of wildflower to bloom, or to… Read More
“Are you tired? Are you feeling that you will not be able to reach your destination? Then all you have to remember is that those who reached their far and hard destinations also felt the same way on their way! Knowing what others felt will give you a great power to complete your journey!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan I was looking for a suitable quote for this image and Mehmet always seems to… Read More
“The flower that wilted last year is gone. Petals once fallen are fallen forever. Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid. And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us.” ― Daniel Abraham Several days ago, I posted an image of a plant known as “Dutchman’s Breeches” and mentioned… Read More
“A picture held us captive. And we could not get outside it, for it lay in our language and language seemed to repeat it to us inexorably.” ― Ludwig Wittgenstein I was hoping to get a few more images before the bloodroot stopped blooming and was happy to see I had not missed my chance. I took my portable studio with me in hopes of being able to find a few specimens that lent… Read More
“It’s an odd thing, happiness. Some people take happiness from gold. Or black pearls. And some of us, far more fortunate, take their happiness from periwinkles.” – Patricia A. McKillip While hiking into the forest this past weekend, I came across a patch of periwinkle, still green even after the winter snows, though showing some wear. As I looked closer, I noticed a few blossoms had already opened. That’s a bit earlier than… Read More
“Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll buy a funny hat. Talk to a hungry man about fish, and you’re a consultant.” ― Scott Adams With vegetation emerging and the ground warming, all the elements are aligned for the beginning of the annual Rainbow Trout on Duffins Creek. It has started, ever so slowly, the water a bit murky with spring runoff, but… Read More
“When I see a dancing butterfly, When I see a half blooming flower, Their eager wish to make this world happy, My mind dances with joy, My soul emerges in happiness.” ― Debasish Mridha The temperatures continue to warm, rain falls, off and on, and the cycle continues. New growth seems to accelerate. What was a mere bud a few days ago, now begins to show hints of its future form. This… Read More
“It would seem from this fact, that man is naturally a wild animal, and that when taken from the woods, he is never happy in his natural state, ’till he returns to them again.” ― Benjamin Rush A brief post today of a digital painting I recently made of the cedar forest near Whitevale, Ontario. Despite the cold temperatures, warm sunlight glows from within the forest.
“It is strange how new and unexpected conditions bring out unguessed ability to meet them.” ― Edgar Rice Burroughs I did not set out to photograph flowers or butterflies this day. I was hoping to catch the Atlantic Salmon run at the Whitevale dam. I’ve gone there in the spring many times and have had good success with photographing the rainbow trout migration. However, I have yet to witness the salmon run… Read More
I have several interpretations to the OPEN theme. It could be open to any category of post or it could be the ‘opening’ of something, like a door. In this case, it’s the opening of the natural spring cycle in my area of Canada. Throughout the winter, this large creek lies frozen. Within a few short weeks it transforms from ice to a living place once more (another opening of sorts), as the… Read More
“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” ― Robert A. Heinlein Butterflies are summer to me and I just love the Robert Heinlein quote above. As the air warms, I see more and more of them darting around on the air. They seem to come in all sizes and colours and tend to be a bit elusive when it comes time to photograph them. They sit wonderfully still, till it’s time to release the… Read More
“Daisies, simple and sweet. Daisies are the way to win my heart.” ― Patrick Rothfuss As the quote above says, “Daisies, simple and sweet”. Daisies abound at this time of year. They seem as commonplace as dandelions, yet there is a beautiful simplicity to them that sets them apart from their meadow companions. Perhaps hearkening back to childhood, when I would pick bunches for my grandmother on my way home from school. They… Read More
“Despite its dark veins, the transparency of dragonfly’s wings assures me of a pure, innocent world” ― Munia Khan Ah, warm weather walks. As plants grow taller and spread across the forest floors, their insect companions abound and show in ever increasing displays of colour and variety. Some are tougher to photograph than others. This female emerald jewelwing, with her distinctive black body and white wing spots, is fairly common around here, but they… Read More
“The most fulfilling adventures happen when you start your journey without knowing where you’re going, because only then are you free to experience the unexpected detours you’re meant to take.” ― A.J. Darkholme Ah, yes, the unexpected, one of my greatest delights. I set out to make photos of fish spawning in a local creek and come across a large, beautiful cluster of spring flowers I have never encountered before. They looked a… Read More
“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.” ― David Brower Amidst the exciting rainbow trout run at Duffins Creek, other species of native fish are also in the spawn, including the White Suckers, pictured above, which are mixed among the trout as they work their way upstream. As I was walking the shore, enjoying and photographing the trout, I came… Read More
“When you do or think or feel something, do it with passion. Let it come from the heart. Put your heart and soul in it. And when you do, you will feel a river flowing sweetly through you and especially through your entire life. Life has much more meaning that way. ” ― Angie Karan A painterly image I made yesterday, based on a photo of two trout swimming upstream at the Whitevale… Read More
With the weather turning warmer in Ontario, I thought today would be a nice day to take a walk along Duffins Creek, near Whitevale, Ontario. It’s spring, the snow is gone, and the Coltsfoot is blooming, so it’s also time for the annual rainbow trout run up Duffins Creek to the Whitevale Dam. The dam was built several years ago to prevent the rainbow trout, which are an introduced species, from eating the native brown trout… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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