Journey's End

This morning I went for a short walk along Willits Creek. I spotted two female Chinook Salmon still digging out their redds (nests) in the gravel of the creek. Though there were no male salmon in sight in which to fertilize them.There was also one nice sized dead salmon lying in the creek bottom.It's amazing to think what that salmon survived in its journey make it this far in order to spawn. The Chinook Salmon that spawn in Willits Creek typically spend three to five years or sometimes longer living in the Pacific Ocean before they head upriver to spawn.They travel south up the Eel River a distance of over 130 miles up the river. When they reach Outlet Creek they hang a right and go another 20 miles or so. Upon reaching the confluence of Willits Creek they head southwest another five miles.By the time they have reached this point in their journey they are pretty beat up and bruised from all of the rocks and rapids they have fought their way up.The females find a spot in the creek gravel that meets their liking. They turn sideways and dig a hole in the gravel in which to lay their eggs. The male then goes over the top of the nest and fertilizes the whole nest. The female then moves upstream of the nest and covers it in gravel. She will guard the nest for a few days and then all the adult salmon die.Leaving behind another generation waiting to hatch,go down river to the ocean and start the cycle all over again. The end of a long journey God's blessings to all, chris

Sad Reality

I spent most of the morning uploading stock images to PhotoMission's website. Later in the afternoon Lenore and I went downtown to do some shopping. As I was getting into the car I noticed a mouse nest next to the driveway. At least I thought it was a mouse nest. When I went to pick it up I noticed it was really, really soft. When I turned it over I noticed there were some limbs sticking out of it. It shocked me just a little. Then I realized I was holding a dead mole. I wonder what happened to the poor creature to cause it's demise?

Good's light and love to all,

chris

Fallen Warrior

Today it was hot. After sleeping in by the time I crawled out of bed around eight thirty or so it was already in the mid seventies. Lenore and I had great breakfast out on the patio before we went and worked out together at the gym. Then we just puttered around the house until I went out and photographed some dragonflies late in the evening out on the Burris Ranch pond.



Did you know dragonflies are fierce? If you sit and watch them they are constantly battling for territories and mates. It seems like it never ends. Today I watched two dragonflies grapple in mid air. The smaller one was beaten rather badly. It had its wing ripped off and it was tossed downward onto its back into the pond. Where it struggled to rise its wings holding it to the waters surface like a suction cup.



I stretched out my tripod legs and rescued it from the water and then I placed it on a plant beside the pond to dry off. While its wings were drying I took the opportunity to photograph it from a variety of different angles. Its wings were battered and you could see a stub of what was left from the one that was torn off.



After about five minutes or so it took off and within less than a minute it got into the thick of battle and was tossed downward onto the surface of the pond clear out near the middle of the pond. Not long after a swallow came swooping through and plucked it from the pond never missing a beat in its flight. It was a fitting death for the battered warrior.

God bless,

chris