Friday was a rainy, rainy day. No use waiting for it to stop entirely, so what we did was venture out when it had reduced to a drizzle, and made our way into the ravine where the forest canopy kept us nice and dry, even though the foliage was well drenched from overnight and daytime rain. Jackie and Jillie didn't mind ambling along and nor did we.

Truth to tell, it was comfortable enough, because the ambient temperature was cooler as well, at 21C, a nice, but brief cooling-off. By the time we had completed our circuit of trails through the ravine the rain picked up substantially to become; what else? rain. So we did get rather wet, but nothing compared to the drenching we'd have received in a thunderstorm, best avoided.

Saturday brought mixed sun and cloudy conditions, a bit warmer but, again, being on the forest trails also brings relief from the hard glare of the sun. It's a strange phenomenon we discover, that when we're enclosed in the forest and the sky overhead is banked with clouds, there is still a sun glare that manages to be evident to the eye glancing up at the sky. It's only when the overhead clouds are ragged and dark that the glare is absent. And where it's hot up on the street, it is conventionally cool and breezy under the shade of the forest canopy. It's only when we acquire the effects of the energy expended on clambering uphill repeatedly that we begin to feel warm, warm, warm.

The changeability of the weather has been constant enough that all growing things have had their fill of both sun and rain, encouraging rampant growth, and making for some pretty interesting sights. Like the low-to-the-ground single dogwood shrub we came across yesterday putting out fresh new flower panicles, long past their late-spring flowering season. And not far from that surprising sight, there was another; a tall ash sapling whose every leaf had already turned to autumn colours.

At a juncture as we exit the forest where the ravine's creek is close to where the hillsides crumpled last year requiring extensive and expensive remedial work by the municipality (related to its multi-functional use as a storm-sewer for nearby new housing tracts) goldenrod alongside pilotweed, both of equal height and colour of flower but vastly different flower shapes, are thriving nearby giant globe thistles.

As if in contrast, we also came across exquisitely delicate, minuscule pinks, the first we've seen yet this season on the forest floor.

As for Jackie and Jillie, they came across some of their friends, a nice surprise for them, since it's now become a rare occasion when others come out with their canine companions, the heat, rain and mosquitoes convincing even diehard ravine- and forest-hikers that they're better off giving the trails wide berth for now. How wrong they are.