I used to walk often from Fuyo Compound over to the Palm Arcade, it was one of my favourite shopping places. In late 1986 or early 1987 I recall seeing a little outfit that really appealed to me for its practical value, a light-weight cotton hooded jacket and matching pants. It wasn't actually right in the arcade, but outside, where occasional vendors set up shop. I bought the outfit and still have it, and at this time of year it comes in very handy. I wear it in the ravine on summer days to help fend off the swarms of mosquitoes that make directly for us, and it helps.

It's useful also because on a day like yesterday, hot and humid with thunderclouds moving swiftly overhead, I was able to cram light raincoats for Jack and Jill into one of the pockets, and my camera in the other. My husband prefers to brave out the mosquitoes, they do go for him but not quite as much as using me as a moving target.

But he also brought along guards against the rain that we were sure was imminent, viewing the darkly bruised sky. Into one of his back jeans pockets two very small umbrellas fit quite nicely.

As luck had it, the minute we turned into our driveway after our long ravine ramble, when we heard thunder rumbling above and off to the side from time to time, the rain began, and we had escaped an inundation.

While we were in the ravine though, we could see manifestations of flora encouraged by all the rain we've been treated to over the last little while. Including yesterday, since once the rain started it kept coming through the area in waves, one after another, drenching rain events that can only be good for all growing things.

We saw in the ravine a plenitude of fancifully beautiful fungi. We saw that the raspberry canes which are ubiquitous, are now in full flower. And we saw the first of the buttercups of the season. We also saw that the milkweed which we noticed last year in that landscape for the first time, has returned and begun to colonize a part of the area we regularly pass by, and no doubt the butterflies will love that. We have seen a few yellow swallowtails here and there, but it's the Monarchs that really require milkweed to flourish.

Cowvetch

We also saw another new floral offering in our area, which we began to see last year, and which have returned in greater numbers; flowering ajuga. Cowvetch has been stretching itself on the forest floor growing up anything that will support its twining habit, and is now beginning to flower.

bunchberry, ground dogwood

And we saw the first of the bunchberries in flower, so things are really moving along swiftly in nature's many preserves. False Solomon's Seal is now fully flowering; everywhere we look there is something new to note and admire.

Even Jack and Jill are fascinated by the odours and appeal of new green things breaking constantly through the surface of the soil.