Areas in the Ottawa Valley surrounding the capital were already in drought conditions and Ottawa was steadily verging toward that same designation a few days ago. Weather forecasters informed us that rain was on the way, but even though we could expect several days of rain and episodic thunderstorms, the moisture deficit for the month of July wasn't expected to close.

Two days later, the atmosphere suffused with high humidity and warm air, the landscape completely inundated with one rain event after another, and two more days of similar weather yet to come, may prove them wrong. The cracks that have appeared on the forest floor have nicely filled in as the ground absorbs the steadily falling rain.

Everywhere we look on forays into the ravine between the rain events, droplets sparkle on foliage as the diffused light from the sun hits them. A visually captivating effect. The vegetation that had slumped so miserably for lack of moisture has been resuscitated, a marvel to behold. Colours are more vibrant, gleaming with the vigour of one of life's necessities now present, hitherto absent.

And in a year when the seasons appear to have telescoped and given us the sight of wildflowers long before they would normally present themselves, both surprising and pleasing us no end as we wrack our memories to try to recall when certain wildflowers were present the year before. we revel on their surprise appearance in the landscape.

We're certain that Queen Anne's lace, seen in such generous abundance now, has had its appearance accelerated vastly over what we would consider normal bloom time, in late July, early August. Similarly with goldenrod and sunflowers. And most certainly fall asters should be blooming, as their name suggests, in the fall, but already they are present, the blossoms beginning to open on the first pale mauve offerings.

To all of this Jackie and Jillie pay no attention. They're busy reconnoitering, sniffing about, appearing to be busy figuring out how and why things appear somewhat different, and when their suspicions are confirmed that an object they've never before seen is present (fallen tree limb, abandoned bird nest) approach it cautiously, with a few warning barks to match.

Yesterday morning we had gone out early to circumvent the likelihood that if we waited for our normal afternoon woodland trail exploit, we would encounter thunderstorms. Light rain is one thing, we can prepare for that, but the heavy fall of rain during an explosive, thunderous rain event is something else altogether. Besides being potentially dangerous.

But from the comforting shelter of our house, an event to be celebrated as clouds clash above, lighting rents the air, and the resulting rain splashes in noisy punctuation against the house windows and we watch, fascinated as the eavestroughs are inundated, water pouring in a fountain of life-affirming abundance onto the landscape.