Every now and then I’m asked for permission to use one of my photos. This time the request was different. Instead of printing the photo I was asked if one of my photos could be used as a model for an illustration. This is the result:

Barking Frog – Illustration by Jack Unruh

I wanted to post the original photo with the drawing but both the illustrator and I deleted the original emails and I don’t have a clue which one it was. I know the photo used must be somewhere on the blog but thanks to my superior organization skills, I can’t find it. It is not in the frog category and I haven’t the patience to browse through 400 some posts. You’re welcome to try locating it.

Coincidentally, the day after I received the image the first frog of the year showed up in my pond. It’s incredibly early, frogs should still be hibernating under the frost line. But not this year, today was the 4th day in a row setting record high temps by double digits.

First Frog – March 21, 2012

OK, back to Jack.
I was given leave to post any illustrations from his web site that I wanted. I selected illustrations that could have been photographs I might have taken.

Jack Unruh – Illustrator

This looks like the woods I’m familiar with.

Some might say this is a mirror image of me.

This reminds me of the Adirondacks. Moose are moving back so it’s not out of the question.

I enjoy fishing so was drawn to Jack’s fish illustrations.

A regular Snook

A loud mouth snook

This looks like a small one I caught.

I’m pretty sure you’ll find something you’ll like if you visit Jack Unruh – Illustrator

Canoe the Little River

The Little River meanders through the southern section of the town of Canton. A car top boat launch by the wooden bridge on County RT 27 just outside the village limits of Canton is a good access point. From there you have the option of paddling upstream through the many oxbows or head downstream where it drains into the Grasse River.

The wooden bridge is just around the bend headed upstream from the boat launch. After taking a photo I turned around and headed to the Grasse River. The trip to the Grasse is short, it took me about 20 minutes of lazy paddling and drifting.

Why so slow? Spotting a Great Blue Heron pretty much stopped me in my ‘wake’.

These are pretty shy birds that don’t like anyone getting too close. I let the slight breeze push me slowly towards it.

I never did get close, thank goodness my camera has an 18x zoom.

Turtles are even more wary of big green logs floating by with a wiseacre on it. I don’t know why they’re so shy. They keep their shells on while sunbathing so it’s not like I’m going to see their naughty bits.

After disturbing the wildlife with my camera it only took a couple of minutes to sight the end of the ‘road’ where the Little River empties into the Grasse River.

Looking downstream on the Grasse River. The Miner Street bridge is just beyond the houses in the distance.

It was time to turn around and head back. Here’s a photo from the mouth of the Little river looking upstream.

I took my time going back too. There were a number of wildflowers to check out. Pickererweed, Arrowheads, Joe Pye-weed, Turtleheads, Cardinal Flowers, Swamp Milkweed and others lined the shore. Even drifts of Forget-Me-Nots had bloomed where the water had receded. But it was the Bullhead Lily I was after. They had yet to be added to my trophy list and I was determined to get some good photos of them.

Bullhead Lily – Nuphar variegatum

To really appreciate the flower you need a close look and a peek inside the cup like bloom.

A older flower has lost it’s yellow stamen like petals but has attracted a bug collection of some sort.

Anyone find my little excursion on the Little River ribbiting besides this guy? But then he’s sitting in muck ready to eat flies.

I only hope you’ve got better taste than that. If not you’re welcome to join him. Here’s a Google map to help you find the way:

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