Following so hard on a heat wave, this weekend has given us absolutely superb weather. Sunny, breezy and slightly on the cool-warm side, how could we not take full advantage of it? Of course that also means attention to the fact that the grass in the backyard has grown to epic proportions. But all in due time. First off, far more important things to take our attention. It suddenly occurred to Irving that we haven't had waffles for breakfast in ages. The waffle iron is wedged deep behind kitchen pots and pans and it wasn't difficult to call it to duty.

 

Nor was it difficult to mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, vanilla essence and milk to produce a waffle batter. Butter has its important role in the process, too. But it's the waffle iron that does all the work, producing the finished product -- its fragrance promising a delicious breakfast. Jackie and Jillie know all about delicious breakfasts; they get two, their own and a share of ours.

 

Only then, when everyone's appetite has been sated and the kitchen cleaned up do other issues claim attention. And Irving responded by finally getting around to mowing the backyard lawn. The gardens are a credit to themselves  this year, the irises and mountain bluet taking centre stage, with the various clematis vines and roses rushing to catch up, their flower buds exclaiming: we're next!.

 

There's always lots to do in the house to prepare for Monday cleaning day, and the bathrooms and kitchen get their turn on Sundays, along with the bathroom towels taking a spin in the laundry room. We already knew what dinner would consist of, since Irving planned to barbecue steaks and we'd have corn-on-the-cob with them. And because I thought some piquant coleslaw would be perfect with the steaks, that's what I prepared and refrigerated.

 

About that time, Jackie and Jillie came along to fetch us, planning to take us out for our afternoon trip through the forest trails on this beautiful spring day. A day different than what we see in the winter when no one in the neighbourhood is out-of-doors, just as everyone was sequestered behind their house doors through the heat wave. Today, people were out, washing cars, gardening, puttering about their homes and everyone had a smile for everyone else.

 

Days of such weather perfection demand that the trek through forest trails be long and langorous. All of us agreed, taking our time meandering along, occasionally coming across others affected by the same feelings of leisure and pleasure. Dogs we haven't seen in awhile picked up speed to approach Mr. Cookie Man, reliving their own kind of pleasures. 

And today there were others in the forest whose purpose we know well; mosquitoes abounded. But then, so did dragonflies; everywhere we looked there were dragonflies flitting about, of all sizes, immersed in their own business of ridding the forest of the presence of mosquitoes. We thoroughly approve of their preferred diet. 

 

Because we had missed going through the upper-flats of the forest trails for weeks, we also missed the blossoming of the wild apple trees. But on close inspection we could see they had bloomed. Already the formation of tiny apples was taking place. And to our surprise, the thimbleberry shrubs growing everywhere on the forest floor are already sporting flowerbuds, their bright pink flowers will soon be in competition with the white flowers of the blossoming raspberry and blackberry canes.

 

Back home again, we visited the front garden, and though we had done a bit of cursory watering yesterday, more irrigation would likely have pleased the flowering plants. But on the near horizon, encompassing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ample rain is being forecasted. Nature fulfilling all her important functions here, where we live.

In sharp contrast to the natural world ablaze in just about every province of this country; Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Ontario are all experiencing forest fires, where people are being evacuated from forest-fire-threatened areas thanks to a combination of conditions; heat, dryness, insufficient winter snow runoff and follow-up spring rain making for incendiary circumstances.