The atmosphere in the ravine has freshened considerably with the cooler weather now in the mid-20s that we've been enjoying -- cooler than that for us given that those are the daytime highs and we now venture out onto the forest trails fairly early in the morning. Along with the cooler weather we've got high humidity, so it seems just as warm as it was when 30C was the normal high for the day unless it has rained, lifting the humidity even though the forest drips with moisture.

Yesterday, because we'd had so much rain and so recently, it was both humid  and dripping. So anyone foolish enough to fumble about in the shrubbery to retrieve ripe berries would come away with more than they bargained for. Not only becoming good and wet because all the vegetation has been well glazed over with rainwater, but assailed by mosquitoes as well, those blood-sucking little monsters that thrive after a rain event, when it's humid and the forest shadows the trails.

Jackie and Jillie thought they'd do a little prospecting of their own, stopping beside one another to sniff appreciatively at the fragrance of ripening berries on the thimbleberry bushes but having no idea how to go about plucking the berries from their  high perches. Button in her day grew adept at nosing out dropping raspberries and blackberries and helping herself at random.

The creek is running high, wide and muddy these days, sweeping detritus fallen into its swiftly moving waters along with it. All the accumulated rainwater is making its way steadily down to the mighty Ottawa River via the Bilberry creek along with other regional waterways large and small. The creek is the favourite destination for many dogs like Labradors who adore paddling about in it. Our two have no interest in dabbling in the water, and it's just as well since runoff from farmers' fields as well as from local gardens and the fact that the municipality regards it as an arm of the storm-sewer system ensures it will have some fairly nasty chemicals in it.

And not to be overlooked is the fact that young people are known to smash bottles and toss them into the creek, making it hazardous for unsuspecting people and animals. Button once sustained a considerable gash down the length of on one of her legs at a time when she was allowed to enter the creek, and after that she never again did. There are far too many people who have no respect for the house of nature that we all rely upon to keep us healthy and safe. When its health is compromised by carelessness and stupidity, so is ours.

There are bittersweet vines intertwining with tree branches, drooping their berries of bright orange, and some of the many hawthorns growing along the forest trails are also showing off their late-summer haws, like tiny wild crabapples. We stick strictly to the wild apples ripening beautifully now on the wild apple trees, as particular favourites at this season with Jackie and Jillie.

The sun did come out, it always does. Never would we be justified in complaining that this area we live in is short in sunlit hours. Irrespective of the season we have ample sunlight exposure. Jackie and Jillie came across some of their friends, and so did we. A Lab we've all been newly introduced to, and two little fluffy terriers that we've known for years, sweetly affectionate little dogs, companions to Scott, the young fireman whose mother we've known for even longer and who named her little Shih Tzu Angus.

Usually when we get back home after our hike in the ravine, Jackie and Jillie have a vigorous run-about chasing one another all over the house. Something about our daily walks seems to energize them to the point where they indulge in quite frenetic antics with one another, challenging to races, leaping about, wrestling. Any time I attempt to photograph them in action, they notice the camera and come to a sudden, complete stop. Game over, ma.

Jackie will look at me expectantly. Just as he does in the afternoon when he feels that if I'm in the kitchen doing some pre-preparations for dinner, it's logical that I should think of their rumbling tummies and offer up some treats; vegetables, little doggy biscuits, anything will do, thank you very much.

If we've been out on the deck, relaxing and reading, Jillie will always move out from under the canopy covering the deck, to splay herself right out in the sun. By the time we're ready to re-enter the house she is decidedly over-heated, her black coat absorbing the rays of the sun. Jackie prefers to leap up beside one of us and snooze for an hour or so. When we decide to go back into the house Jillie makes a swift beeline for the family room to settle herself under the coffee table which she obviously regards as the coolest place available for her to shake the warmth that has pervaded her body.