The tranquility of the small but perfect forest lake invited us to linger on this most perfect of summer days. And so, we did.

We'd enjoyed seeing the brilliance of the bright red berries of honeysuckle, at the outset of our hike, at the promontory overlooking the farmland below Gatineau Park snuggling at its edges, and the long, rambling trek through the forest that followed, enclosed in the twilight ambiance of its interior. And the sparks of bright purple thistle flowers.

Tiny bright sparks of pink popped up now and again among the undergrowth geraniums interspersed between tree seedlings, wild ginger root, and the varied specimens of woodland plants that so intrigue us. The many and varied types of ferns ornamenting the bottom story of the forest floor. The proliferation of columbine foliage made me wish we'd come along earlier in the season when they would all have been in splendid floral bloom.

We made do with the peace and solitude of the forest trail, leading us over rocky outcroppings, the occasional glimpse of the forest marching down the hillside, and once in a while the sounds of woodpeckers searching out underbark insects of infected trees. We took our time, since there is always so much to see, from chipmunks hurrying about the forest floor, to the braille messages that nature and her creatures leave distinct upon the smooth, grey trunks of beech.

Here, a giant pine has fallen and is slowly crumbling into decay to further enrich the thickness of the moss-and-fungi, lichen-and-detritus-rich floor of the forest. It's curious to think that earthworms are alien to our forests, brought in centuries ago with settlers from Europe bringing with them their native plant specimens to plant their kitchen gardens. Now they are everywhere in urban areas across the continent, gradually and slowly moving into forest interiors and ultimately altering the composition of native soil.

In the process also displacing some native species; oven birds which make their homes on leafy nests on the ground find their nests being eaten by worms, and threatening their continued existence. Natural processes whereby fungi and insects once consumed fallen foliage transforming them into a different kind of forest compost have been challenged by the slow and steady incursion of earthworms originally native to Europe.

We've been in a brief dry spell, after copious rainfalls this summer. We were surprised still, at the low level of natural waterways spiralling through the portion of the forest we were trekking through, yesterday. Streams and ponds that we were accustomed to seeing well hydrated were almost dry. There were no minnows or other small fry to be seen other than lonely singles here and there.

It was an utterly delightful way to spend the afternoon which in the city was hot and humid, but where we were, in the forest with a fair breeze prevailing, the temperature was perfectly comfortable, aided by the growing cloud cover obscuring the heat of the sun and even more by by the effect of the protective leafy-green canopy above.

And our leisurely stroll through the forest, ending with an extended relaxed rest at the shore of Mulvihill Lake, put the finishing touches on a perfect summer's day.