:: W4B photography's companion blog ::

:: Sunday, April 30, 2006 ::

Found my deer
I ended up going to Westmount to see if I could get some pics of Matt Hughes - the UFC fighter - who was in town for the weekend. Turns out his flights were delayed so he was a no show. I went out of the city South then West and around Byron, Westelbourne, etc. I snapped a few pics here and there, found the church at the end of Little Church Side road (there had to be one, though I was hoping for an older structure).

Somehow as I was without a useful map - Newfoundland and Labrador's not helping - I found myself on the Oneida Indian reservation (after driving down Little Church west after it crosses Bodkin side road south of Littlewoods Rd). I had never been here before and likely won't go back. Crossing one side of the road to another the scenery was night and day. Normal farm land and rural scenes to large sections of property and streets looking like a war zone, with a bandoned cars rusting out, severely damaged buildings and children who should be in school playing and watching me drive by. It was a real third world like experience. And slightly unsettling as everyone who drove past me was checking me out. I did a loop through the reservation past the modern looking sports n community centre and back East out along Oneida rd, which turns into Littlewoods/ Hwy 35.

Later, I stopped at a small abandoned concrete bridge, and then kept on driving. I was going to go back for 7pm to find Matt Hughes (he didn't show then either), and had time to kill so I went South towards St. Thomas along Col. Talbot Rd past the Ford plant. I wasn't intending to go that far, but didn't see anything interesting.

I got some sick $$$ gas in St. Thomas, and thought I would check out the deer at that farm nearby. I pulled up to the fence line and parked and was watched by about 50 deer. They were quite distance away, and a few came within 100m but nothing closer. I drove up the fence line and saw another group of 25 much closer. I watched them for a bit from inside the CRV and shot some pics through the driver window. I decided that if they were going to run they would anyways, so I got out. Tails went up, but not much stirring. I just slowly walked up to the fence line. The shutter noise was quite loud out here and that caused them to jump now and then. At one point, when they were 30m away, all but two took off as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and rustled some dry grass.

The remaining two were much braver. The circled closer and closer till they were no more than 5-8m on the otherside of the fence. Eating grass and watching me with one eye. This went on for about 15 minutes or so. I think in the morning they would be better lit from the east, but a good effort. Was the highlight of the day. :)



Carpe Diem

:: Mike Wood 10:42 [+] :: 2 comments
...

2 Comments:

Hi Mike. I'm having a hard time deciding my favorite aspect of your site: your wonderful photography, or the way you share the background of a shoot.

I can only conclude both.

I think the two are complementary, and they represent different sides of your creativity.

By  carmilevy, at 6:49 PM  

Thanks for the thoughtful comment Carmi. :) I am glad there are one or two out there that still read and enjoy my blog - photos and prose. :)

Mike

By  Mike Wood, at 12:35 AM  

Post a Comment