The greater community in which we live represents a fairly dense population in the outer reaches of this city within which exists an even denser and far more numerous population. We have the good fortune overall in this geographic environment being a source of clean air, scrubbed clean of airborne particles injurious to peoples' health and the condition of their lungs by the preponderance of green growing things.

We have an endless source of carbon-dioxide-absorbing trees far and wide in the green forested areas that proliferate both in the city and its near environs, along with propinquity to wider, semi-wilderness areas inviting us to take our recreational leisure, canoeing, swimming, picnicking, hiking, berry-picking and in the winter snow-shoeing and skiing in those same areas rife with opportunity and a richness of beautiful landscapes.

For us, our daily excursions with our two little dogs into the forested ravine adjacent our home is an absolute necessity. It so enhances the quality of our lives to make daily re-acquaintance with nature, to stride along the forest trails, feeling free and fortunate to be able to do so. In that environment our eyes are always treated to new spectacles representing the wide array of natural phenomena that nature blesses us with, the flora and fauna to which the forest is home, and those just passing through on their way to the boreal forests further north of us.

Jewelweed

Although we've been taking these daily hikes in Bilberry Creek Ravine Forest for the past twenty-five years, and we know that those with similar proclivities are relatively rare in number, there are still occasions when we come across people we've never before seen with their companion animals or simply striding along singly, enjoying the atmosphere.

Chicory/Cornflower

Yesterday, we saw fungi and flowers, the rare sighting of a good-sized garter snake darting off one of the pathways into the bracken of the forest floor, and watched as Jackie and Jillie introduced themselves in the traditional manner of canines, to a new acquaintance, a good-natured dog twice their size, but pretty laid back, taking little notice of our two's initial excited and off-putting barking frenzy.

We come home from these daily excursions refreshed and relaxed, content to have had that bit of intimacy with nature, yet another day.