The extraordinarily mild, sunny weather we had been gifted with in the last two weeks of September was quite wonderful. Everyone marvelled at the turn the weather had taken, the atmosphere benevolent beyond what can generally be expected for late September. The rain held off, the skies held to their truce between cloud and sun, and the atmosphere was warm beyond recollection reaching up into the mid 25-range at times.

Even where we were in the White Mountain range of New Hampshire where rain can be guaranteed, we experienced good-natured environments where we were fairly well guaranteed setting off on a long mountain hike that we had no need to haul along on our backs raingear for the eventuality of a downpour. The sun, complacent in a mostly clear blue sky, blessed our every mountain-hiking enterprise. And although we did on occasion encounter fog and mist dense enough to obliterate sight-lines, that was toward the very end of our stay, and minus rain.

And then, the good weather whisked itself into oblivion, not to be recaptured by fervent hope nor happily tentative expectation, to evolve into weather for early October more reminiscent of mid-November, dispelling the anticipation that this might turn out to be a continually unexpectedly congenial fall, reminding us that nature, in her complex and manifold plans does not consult with humankind in a kindly manner to ascertain our preferences.

Just as well that the leafy canopy in the ravine adjacent our home is still relatively intact. Although becoming more meagre in the high reaches and more prevalent on the forest floor, there has been enough foliage left on trees to interrupt the fall of rain when we're caught out in the ravine on a long hike far from home.

We've set out in what appears to be a sudden change with clearing skies and the sun beaming down after a full night of unceasing rain, only to find, while we're halfway through a ravine circuit that the skies have been overcome with dense dark clouds heralding rain.

And although we've had extraordinary luck in the past in eluding being caught out the last several weeks have found us unprepared and drenched with rain when sudden, unexpected downpours have occurred. The thought of it is actually quite worse than the actual experience. And it's quite the sudden suspense that overtakes one when hearing from a distance the unmistakable patter of heavy drops on the canopy beyond, steadily approaching. We did on several occasions seek shelter under a mass of tree which still retained the balance of their protective foliage and that helped.

And there is a certain enjoyment level at being out in a natural environment in any kind of weather, however inclement, since whatever the prevailing light level it alters the appearance of the landscape, a marvel unto itself. All the more so when the prevailing monotone of shades of green have been transformed with the addition of other competing shades in the colour spectrum. And the unexpected can be quite enchanting, particularly on those occasions when the rain, a sudden eruption and just-as-sudden cessation, sees the sun shining brilliantly even while the rain continues to fall.

So we've come back home drenched on several occasions and lived to tell the tale.