And the race has begun. Itsa国际传媒 October and the fish are back, struggling to get up the creek or the channel and spawn. For me, this is the heralding of the end of summer and the beginning of a new season.听
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I know most say itsa国际传媒 autumn or fall, but I just know itsa国际传媒 the season where wildlife knows it is time to get ready for winter.听 For many of us we think of food preparation and stockpiling to prepare for winter.
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Canning and freezing food is a major activity in some homes. But for many animals Fall is the time for perpetuation of their species and making sure there is new life in spring.
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Although I usually allow my dog to swim in the creeks most of the summer, this is the time when we stop swimming in the creek altogether. There are areas that are great for dog swimming but in retrospect, that means they are also good spots for fish swimming. And considering the chore they are all attempting to perform, we don鈥檛 really need to add more challenges for those fish.
If the dog is enjoying a nice afternoon, and swimming looks like a great way to celebrate the warmth, then I say head to the lake.
I love watching the great blue herons. To me their presence also heralds the coming of fall or should I more aptly say, the end of summer.听 When they fly over me I am still in awe at their size and grace. They are beautiful to see.
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They love munching on those spawning fish.听 For me, and other people who love walking along the creek, watching things unfold daily and seeing the challenge each species encounters is a special part of the season.
I am concerned about the gravel bars that have developed since they worked on the creek and placed a lot of gravel on the banks.
When the water was high in the spring it washed a lot of that gravel down and made large gravel bars at the end of the creek where it enters into Okanagan Lake.
I don鈥檛 know if it affects the fish in a good way or bad, but itsa国际传媒 there. The ducks really love the extra space to sit on and rest without anything being able to disturb them. The heron can stand in the middle of the creek and watch both channels as the fish swim by. The owls love to perch themselves in the trees along the creek and watch for fish. It is awesome to watch them swoop down and fetch for themselves.
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There were quite a few visitors walking along the creek amazed at the beautiful wildlife and nature along a path that is right in town. No need to wander far away to see beauty at its best here in Penticton.
The beaver seem to be not as evident this year. Usually I spot one or two, but so far I have not seen any. Maybe they all decided to remain at the mouth of the channel collecting fish this year.听 I haven鈥檛 been over to that area, so I am not sure if thatsa国际传媒 where all of them are. I just know there was a family of beaver near the marina last year under the docks. Maybe they moved. I pay attention to these things so I can keep my dog away from threats that might hurt her, but also to keep her away from things that she may disturb or hurt just by being in the area.
I dont think itsa国际传媒 too much to ask to think about it; sometimes our dogs need to share. And I don鈥檛 mean share and use at the same time, but share by letting nature at a very important time before winter hits, have it all to themselves. A simple word of advice to respect nature preparing for winter; take your dog somewhere else to have fun. I really don鈥檛 think they will mind.
