We had noted on the crest of the long hill descending into the ravine from the street we live on where rehabilitation due to a spring slump of the hillside had occurred several springs back, that lots of hefty clover was coming up. Little did we realize until recently that among the clover was something else that we originally took to be a type of clover, but which was really alfalfa.

That would be the kind of farm crop planted in fields used for silage, cattle feed. We wondered at the height they attained, so unlike any kind of clover we've ever seen before. And then discovered what it really is, protein-rich alfalfa. It's listed as a forest wildflower in fact for this geography. Never know what you'll find when you look around a landscape rich in vegetation, and certainly a forest would qualify.

Another thing, though we can see the the wildflower Queen Anne's Lace is steadily maturing and likely to begin flowering in the next several weeks where we find them on the forest floor, none are yet fully matured. On the lip of the ravine where that same rehabilitation took place and trees were replanted to replace the ones that had slumped into the ravine, there are also extremely tall specimens of Queen Anne's Lace. As tall as I am, most unusual, and they're already in bloom. Likely because of the remediated soil that was also put down.

So those were yesterday's little discoveries on our ramble through the forest trails, when we'd gone out in mid-afternoon for our daily walk with Jackie and Jillie. We're seeing more Damselflies and Dragonflies about now, but they're so peripatetic I've been unable to realize an ambition to photograph one of them up close. They descend on something, then immediately go right back into flight; my reaction time is not that swift.

It just happened to be a cooler-than-usual day with a really busy wind that kept us nicely cool as we made our way through the ravine yesterday. We came across a few Labradoodles, those beautiful large dogs bred from retrievers and poodles that always seem to take on a Poodle conformation and shared Labrador-Poodle personality traits. Jackie and Jillie are so noisy and these dogs are so quietly playful and good-natured in contrast. These are simply breed-specific characteristics; what you get is what the breed has become notorious for; in the case of toy poodles, neuroticism.

We had a lovely stroll altogether, though, knowing an additional treat awaited us on our return home, when we'd do a tour of the garden to assess whether any garden beds and/or garden pots need tending; floral dead-heading and watering, that kind of thing. Jackie and Jillie still race for the porch in memory of the edibles we put out through the winter months for local wildlife, but alas, there is nothing there now; everyone is capable of foraging for themselves without our help.