Baby Animals: Let's Relate

Fry Lake was one of my favourite places to explore as a youth. My Dad and I heard fairly early that their were alligator lizards on the Island but we had a hard time finding them. We quite accidentally ran into them at a family camp on Roberts Lake, north of Campbell River when my brother nearly stepped on one coming back from loading our luggage into a boat the final day of the camp. It bit him on the hand and I commandeered. Since then, I searched high and low for any hint of the elusive lizard. I had heard from my mother's cousins that one had been found crossing the road near the Campbell Lakes but days of driving around the lakes revealed no sign of them. Finally, we found Fry Lake. It is a beautiful place, an unnatural lake created for the loggers, so there is a stand of drowned trees, illuminated by evening light as scraggly, black shapes jutting from the shimmering glass of the lake. Loons and frogs sing across the darkening water before dawn breaks over the evergreens lining the lake's shores. In the morning, the dead trees glitter with the webs of orb-weavers, the silver dew hanging off the elaborate tapestries. There is a lovely pair of geese that nest their each summer as well, but that is for another story. Back to the lizards. I have since returned to the lake multiple times and have never been disappointed. the best time to find them is after a rain, or at the first light of day, as the earth and black rocks begin to warm. I've heard that the  fat-cat logging company that was given the land has now closed the land to the public. Timber-west and other corrupt companies have only one thing on their minds: $. Go figure what they will do with the rocky outcrop that the lizards used for refuge. Probably grind it all up for road fill, I suppose. Such is life. Anything unprotected will fall into the hands of greedy humanity. This is probably the fate of every wild place that I ever cherished as a child. Elgaria coerulea principis. Fry Lake, near Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 18, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430, ISO 100, 5.4mm, EV 0, f/2.8, 1/60.

I have to confess. This horrid photo is my biggest fish story EVER. Like Sasquatch, if you know what I mean. Well, here's the true story, if you can believe me. I used to track bears through the forests, driven by curiosity and the desire for a thrill. My second encounter, the day after I saw my first local bear digging up skunk cabbage in the creek bed, has this blurry, useless photo to show for it. I started my search right where I saw my first bear the day before. Sure enough, right up on the hillside where the I had seen the bear running, was a fairly well-trodden path. I noticed among the droppings on the path that some were quite small and others were large. I guessed there must be cubs. I followed the path across the pipe road bisecting the forest and soon found myself in a thick patch of wood. In the center of a small clearing, the bones of a fawn were strewn about. Some had been drug up onto a giant stump. This made the hair on the back of my neck raise, and I realized that the bear could be only a few meters away in the underbrush and I wouldn't be able to see it. My better judgement pushed me back out onto the trail but curiosity hadn't finished with me. I walked the path as close to where I had left the trail as I could and, sure enough, as I neared the curve of the path that would have lead me out to the road, I heard something moving down in the creek bed. I stepped off the trail and, with ravens screaming in anticipation, these two cubs shot up this tree. I snapped the photo, but I was shaking like a leaf, overdosed on adrenalin. Though I couldn't see it, there seemed to be something moving in the salmonberry bushes below. I was scared, but every time I stepped away, it seemed to move closer. And every time I moved closer, it seemed to move quickly away. I almost felt like I was dancing with a mother bear, or whatever was down there. Needless to say, I soon felt like my life might be in jeopardy if I got any closer, so I backed out. More embellished versions of the story describe my movements as deliberate attempts to intimidate the immediate danger of a charging mother bear. That story is certainly more exciting than this one, and paints me to be more of an expert in bear behavioural psychology, but this is the way it really happened. Ursus americanus. Woods Creek, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430, ISO 0, 21.6mm, 0 EV, f/5.8, 1/5.

Memory Lane: The Undergrowth

The following collection of photographs are among the most familiar faces of my childhood. I grew up with these ectothermic personalities! The first time I found one of these salamanders, in a patch of wood in suburban Campbell River, I thought it was a clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus) and I nicknamed them "the escape artists" because of their uncanny ability to disappear from the terrariums I put them in overnight. Both the clouded and the wandering salamander truly are survival experts. They can survive major disturbances to their environment and I often find them in clearcut or woodpiles. They have even been known to survive massive forest fires where the entire stand of trees is burnt to the ground. Aneides vagrans. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/40.

Dragonflies are among the more endearing of insects because of their helpful ecological niche (they eat a tonne of mosquitos). This one was getting along in months and didn't have much gumption. Hence why I was able to pick it up. Many people don't realize that the majority of a dragonflies life, sometimes several years, are spent in the previous aquatic stage of their development in ponds as top predator of the submerged micro-ecosystem. The large, sometimes blue dragonflies, like this one, are called darners. Female Ashna sp. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 19, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/200.

The diversity among Thamnophis is astounding. The northwestern garter snake is probably the most common member of the genus in suburban or disturbed areas. This particular individual had a nice orange stripe down her back. But not all have that feature (scroll down). The only way to really tell if it is a T. ordinoides is to count the number of upper labial (lip) scales. There are seven on this one, so it must be either T. ordinoides or T. sirtalis. Since sirtalis have a black base colour and this one is brown, it must be T. ordinoides. Thamnophis ordinoides. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 19, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/640.

This one is a little trickier. There are actually eight upper labial scales which means it must be T. elegans. However, the colour pattern is not typical of that species and the head is far more T. ordinoides in shape. It might be a hybrid because the mottled look to the upper labials was also found on some T. ordinoides I found about a kilometre from this individual (see bellow). Thamnophis elegans vagrans. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 19, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/640.

I used to wander into the forest near my Campbell River home as a kid and spend hours catching this species in the ditches and streams that ran through the forest. I would wear gumboots and wield a cheep net. I could see dozens in a day of  free-spirited exploration. Nowadays, these frogs aren't nearly as common. It might have to do with climate change, or habitat degradation, but the introduced bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is certainly playing a part as they literally eat the red-legged frog out of its range. Cannibal. Rana aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/80.

The pale swallowtail is a nice butterfly. Once again, the only reason I got as close as I did is because this one has old and had damaged wings. Papilio eurymedon. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/400.

This is one of my all-time favourite insect shots. See the coiled proboscis. Papilio eurymedon. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/320.

Rana aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/80.

Rana aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/60.

This is a newly metamorphosed Pacific treefrog. They're as cute as little bugs! Sometimes, if you visit an ephemeral pond the right time of year, these little boogers are jumping all over the tall grass. As the water gets more shallow, it warms, speeding up the development of the tadpoles. Once the pond is dry, the little froglets appear in droves. Juvenile Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/25.6, 1/250.

Rana aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 21, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/100.

Here's another species of Thamnophis (that makes three for this post). T. sirtalis is the only snake on Vancouver Island that normally occurs with a black base colour. Sometimes T. elegans appears jet black because of a melanistic mutation common with that species. However, the yellow stripes and orange side spots are a dead give away for T. sirtalis. The common name is "common garter snake" in case you were wondering. It is a subspecies of the common garter snake called the Puget Sound garter snake. I took this shot without disturbing the basking snake. Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 25, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 14.41mm, 0 EV, f/4.5, 1/250.

Unlike other reptiles, snakes shed their skins in one shot. The transparent scale over their eyes is also shed so, when the skin gets old and starts to separate from the snakes body, it gets hazy blue or grey. It gives the snake's eye an eery glazed look until it is shed. Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii in ecdysis. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 26, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/640.

For about ten years of my life I new no other Plethodontidae salamanders except A. vagrans. When I found my first red-backed salamander one thanksgiving at a park in suburban Campbell River, I was ecstatic. I didn't know anything so beautiful existed outside of eternity. Just look at that contrasting orange with the dark brown! Juvenile Plethodon vehiculum. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 25, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/60.

One thing about reptiles that humans find hard to relate to is the fixed expression on their faces. Emotions are expressed with body language in reptiles. This fellow looks completely disturbed; furrowed eyes and vacant stare. Is he crying? No. In fact, he's just enjoying the rays of the sun. You'd never guess it from his face, but he is saying, Aaaaah! Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 25, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/640.

Juvenile Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 26, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/160.

Here's an interesting individual. It has seven upper labials, so it must be either T. sirtalis or T. ordinoides but the colour isn't characteristic of either of those species. I think it must be T. ordinoides because, besides the colour, it is most like that species. Like one of the above photographs, it could easily be a T. ordinoides/T. elegans hybrid. Hybrids are not at all uncommon among Thamnophis that would explain the rather melanistic tint to the skin. The blue sheen on its underside is actually reminiscent of T. sirtalis pickeringii so, really, who knows what kind of hybrid species this is. Probably got teased as a kid. Thamnophis ordinoides. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/80.

While many Plethodontidae can be found under logs after a rain, Aneides is not usually. They are very active species that climb trees and jump to branches. I've heard them called more lizard than salamander. I typically find them by pealing back the bark of dead trees, standing or leaning: they prefer to be off the ground it seams. Aneides vagrans. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/125.

They call this the "big dingy beetle." Not real becoming. Notice the mite on the beetles left mandible. Mites often hitch rides on beetles to get around more quickly. They don't harm the beetles, it's more like the insects way to hitchhike. Harpalus pennsylvanicus. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/6.

An adult western red-backed salamander. The silver speckles on the underside are stunning. Plethodon vehiculum. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/40.

Okay. Lets have another look at a hard to ID Thamnophis. Seven labials, orange stripe--must be T. ordinoides. But watch out. The dark underside and mottled look to the labial scales is a T. elegans feature. Maybe this is another hybrid. Thamnophis ordinoides. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/320.

Unlike many of the other Puget Sound garter snakes on the Island, this one has no orange side spots. Rather, they are faint and yellow. The beautiful diversity of Thamnophis blows my mind! Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/40.

Plethodon vehiculum. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/13.

Plethodon vehiculum. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/40.

The golden netwing is a brilliant relative of the firefly. Dictyopterus aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 14, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/20.

Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/200.

These treefrogs might be brown (with a yellowish green tint to the underside and side of face, but the species as a whole, like most ectotherms of the northwest, are extremely variable. Think of the juveniles pictured above, which were grey or uniform brown. I have a few more shots of this species bellow. Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

Hybrid or weirdo? I guess either way he's a weirdo. Thamnophis ordinoides. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/60.

Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

Look at that golden face and bronze armpit! Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/320.

Every king enjoys surveying his kingdom. Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/500.

Close up of those enigmatic mottled labials. Thamnophis ordinoides. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/50.

This picture demonstrates the variability of the Pacific treefrog well. Sparsely spotted brown and brilliant green. Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/50.

I think this picture is beautiful, but the snake is wet, possibly giving the false impression that it might be slimy. Of course, that is not the case and I trust you are discerning enough to know that. The common garter snake, especially the northwest subspecies, can probably be called semiaquatic. In the spring especially, they eat nearly every meal in the water--frogs and pollywogs are their favourite. Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/100.

This is an artistic picture of a common garter snake in a defensive posture. Garter snakes in the northwest do not bite. They may musk (stink) but usually they just try to get away or curl up in a frightened little ball like this and try to keep their vulnerable head under their coils. Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/10.

Here's the green spotted variety. Beautiful silver sides. Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

I confess. I'm a pro. Clearly this is one of my favourites. I increased the shutter speed and snapped the photo just as the golden netwing spread its carapace for flight. The folded wings are opening and the first thrust lifts the insect of the twig. Dictyopterus aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 14, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/640.

Dictyopterus aurora. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 14, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

Is this the inspiration for Kermit? Pseudacris regilla. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/40.

Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 3, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/30.

Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 3, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/320.

Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 3, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii. Near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. May 3, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/320.

Memory Lane: Welcome to My New Backyard

Spring time on northern Vancouver Island can be described with one word: green. And the greens are so bright that, after a long grey winter, I feel like my own soul is sprouting new hope for the world. Beaver pond, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. June 19, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/100.

The story behind this photo is interesting. I was actually looking for bears (a thrilling spring pastime) as I balanced my way along the natural path of the beaver's dam. As I neared about the center of the dam, I stopped to snap some pictures of these pink grass flowers. Following the picture, I suddenly lost my balance and went flailing all over the dam, ending with part of my body hanging over the back side of the dam and my feet kicking around in the water. Needless to say, I began to think what the local bear (which liked to hang on the other side of the pond) would have thought had he seen me (and he might have). I must have looked ridiculously vulnerable. Tempting, perhaps. I jumped back to my feet, posturing and brushing mud off my chest, and then strutted on as if I were the epitome of fitness. Grass, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. June 19, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/500.

Red alder, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/80.

The forests of the northwest are characterized by a reddish brown colour that contrasts with the yellow-green of the new growth and mosses. Even the water is reddish brown, tainted by the decomposing leaf litter. Woods Creek, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/30.

Droplet, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/125.

Salmonberry flower, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/100.

I didn't realize that these plants are actually sold as garden flowers in other parts of the world. Not surprising, realy, considering how beautiful they are. Bleeding heart flowers, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/25.

Bleeding heart seeds, which are encased in small been-like pods when the flowers mature, don't have any frills, propellers, or fronds to help them blow through the breeze. Neither are they spiked, prickled, or burred to attach to passing animals for transportation. You might think the bleeding heart never spreads anywhere and, indeed, they are usually found in little clumps. But that is not because they cannot spread their seeds effectively (it is because they also reproduce asexually by sending out shoots from the parent flower). Rather, they have a rather unconventional way of distributing their progeny. At the end of each seed pod is a dark, fleshing blob on the end of an extension. Amazingly, ants find this tasty little blip irresistible. It is the ants that the flower depends on to spread its seeds as they drag the pods to their colonies. Bleeding heart flowers, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/40.

Bleeding heart flowers, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 135. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/60.

This is one of my favourite pictures. Interestingly, this flower is protected by law in BC because of its relative rarity. Western trillium flower, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/160.

It's an unfortunate name for such a beautiful plant. I've never thought they smelled anything like a skunk, which I have had the opportunity to smell--for hours. I rather like the smell of skunk cabbage, though. Skunk cabbage, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/100.

The white trunks of the hemlock contrast well with the yellow-green moss and the sword fern. The huckleberry and salmonberry which normal grow thick here haven't got their leaves back yet, hence why the forest looks so open. Western hemlock, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/80.

Here, the hemlock bark is nearly completely covered in moss. It is a different sort of beautiful from the above photograph. Western hemlock, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/25.

Willow buds, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/80.

The roots of skunk cabbage are edible and actually quite good, from what I hear. And it's not just people who eat them. Once, while wandering around the creek bed looking for red-legged frogs, I noticed a skunk cabbage plant that had been pulled up and the roots devoured, leaving only the large green leaves. It was quite a hole that the devourer had left in the ground but I couldn't imagine what had done it. Beaver was a thought. But I wasn't sure how an animal like that would scoop out so much soil. Not to mention I'd never heard of beavers eating skunk cabbage. I walked farther and soon found another hole. Then another. Every plant on the bar had been dug up and devoured. Suddenly, a crashing sound in the salmonberries ahead notified me to something big near by. Movement up on the ridge across the stream got my attention. At first I thought it was a dog, but the galloping hulk was too large for that. It was the first black bear I'd seen at Woods/Stories Creek trails and the combined sensation of fear and enthral gripped my mind. It wasn't running away from me, it was just running by, along the ridge. Why was an animal, that could probably kill me if it wanted to, afraid of me? For the rest of the summer, I would spend much of my spare time and dreams chasing bears through the underbrush. Kind of a foolhardy pastime, but the thrill was too much to pass up. Skunk cabbage, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 5, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/100.

Compare this photo to the one above. That's just five days difference, but the leaves have really started to grow. Skunk cabbage, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/160.

Moss on western hemlock, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 10, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/40.

Willow bud, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. April 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 100. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/80.

Sometimes when I type titles like "Woods Creek Trail," I look into the future for the places that I loved as a child. This is where I spent my teen years. It was a place of escape and solitude during one of the darkest times of my life. The moments when I've felt closest to God have been right here. But a decade or so down the road, this will be suburban. Houses and humans, and few of them will have any interest in maintaining harmony with nature. Every wild place, near to human habitation and unprotected, will one day be only a memory. Woods Creek Trail, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. June 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/20.

I don't know what species of flower this is off hand. Perhaps some kind of lilly. If you know, please leave a comment. Flower, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. June 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/60.

Fungus on a red alder, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. June 16, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 11.84mm. 0 EV. f/4. 1/50.

All these leaves may belong to the same plant. The stem runs under the leaf litter. They are only 10 or 12 inches tall and often go unnoticed. However, they were of some importance to the first natives of the forest who would dry the leaves out and hang them in their huts to ward off the mosquitos. The English name was suggested because the leaves apparently smell like vanilla. Vanilla leaf, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, BC. May 2, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0. 5.4mm. 0 EV. f/2.8. 1/30.