Those areas of the forest floor in the ravine where we take daily rambles are finally beginning to revert from swamp-like conditions to what a forest floor usually resembles; a host to bracken thriving with all manner of natural growth familiar and unfamiliar from ferns to baneberry, dogwood to wildflowers. Although there remain areas steeped in muck, if this return to what we consider to be normal summer weather continues, the forest will eventually return to its usual state.

Although when we were two-thirds of the way yesterday through our hike on the forest trails we heard the unmistakable warning of an oncoming storm when thunder pealed in the distance, and continued to threaten, as it moved closer and the sound increased, it may have created a rainstorm somewhere, but not over us. It was yet another hot, steamy day, with a mix of sun and cloud, but with a lovely cooling breeze that kept mosquitoes and blackflies at bay.

In fact, although I felt sufficiently emboldened by the heat to wear a skimpy top and black at that, the absence of mosquitoes was quite wonderful throughout the ravine. It was only later, when I was doing some work in the garden that I was mobbed by ravenous mosquitoes.

In areas of the ravine jewelweed has found a home for itself and it has colonized quite a few areas. Because it's a forested environment, some of those areas receive scant sun and the result is that there are scant flowers. It's one of those plants that has a beneficial purpose to humans, since when the sap from the plant is applied over areas of the skin that have been exposed to poison ivy, it acts as an antidote. It likes moist growing conditions, and we admire the tiny orchid-like orange flowers that it carries. And yesterday, for the first time this season, we came across jewelweed in flower; one plant only amongst the throng, but a delight to see.

We also came across some canine acquaintances of our two little dogs. One, a Bernese Mountain dog, a huge, generally well-mannered breed, is often taken aback at the bumptious manner our two evince, galloping at top speed toward it, barking furiously the while, until they reach the dog whose name is Benji, and become becalmed.

We're more comfortable now and pleased generally with their behaviour now that we've taken them off leash again. They can wander at will as long as they behave, and as long as they stay in close proximity to us, which they tend to do in any event. And we're a little less anxious about their enthusiastic aggressiveness which is better for them and for us (our diminished anxiety, that is). Just hoping that some unfamiliar dog won't take their behaviour as an insult and react accordingly when ours make their usual belligerent approach.

But the truth seems to be that it is small dogs that tend to exhibit more anti-social behaviour in the canine world than medium-sized and large dogs tend to. With the exclusion of some obvious breeds specifically bred to be hostile and violent, when their size and muscular strength represent a potential threat at large and their owners cultivate that propensity.