Today may be the first official day of fall, but it resembles summer far more than it does autumn. While we've had ample fall-type weather the past two weeks, today we've been melting at 27C with full sun. Jackie and Jillie, though they enjoyed our week away in the White Mountains, exploring forest trails there, are exuberantly happy to be home.

While we were away not once did they indulge in their usual boisterous run-abouts, chasing one another, wrestling, engaging in boxing matches as they often do at home, especially after we've returned from one of our forest traipses. They were, of course, restrained while we were out in the forests on the trails in the White Mountain range. We had them on leash for all of our walks with the exception of the trail at one of the sites.

This morning, in anticipation of a trip to the ravine they were their usual selves, roisterous and boisterous. Leaping happily about, challenging one another to run-offs, really quite amusing. Once they're assured we're really setting off, when they see us making the preparations involved in getting their leashes, harnesses and collars ready, they become expectantly muted.

And off we go! This time we did come across a number of others out enjoying the weather and a stroll through some of the ravine trails. At one point as we approached one of the bridges fording the creek there was a young couple we'd judged to be in their late teens. And when Jackie and Jillie ran toward them, barking, the girl hurried off the bridge and went around behind it, trying to make herself inconspicuous, while the boy stood in front of her, fending off the vicious little beasts.

We explained as we so often must, that they're noisy but harmless, and the boy began to pet them, while the girl slowly came around and relaxed. It's at that point, when people relent and prepare to accommodate the presence of two wild little animals that the puppies decide they're not all that interesting and simply trot off.

There were others walking their own dogs. One group had a Weimaraner and a long-haired German Shepherd with them. We offered the dogs, because they were panting heavily in the heat, some water that we carry for Jackie and Jillie but neither was interested. The German Shepherd was interested, though, in rolling about in the undergrowth, his hair becoming matted with detritus, his humans shrugging, as really what can you do?

Bright splashes of colour greeted us here and there, from the colourfully intense haws of Hawthorn trees, to the pink-red of turning dogwood foliage. And of course, the everpresent fall asters. We did see two snakes, which was rather unusual. We generally see them, harmless Garter snakes, only in the spring, warming themselves in the sun. The first one we encountered was a mature snake, and for a change Jillie actually noticed it; we've always found that dogs simply seem unaware of the presence of snakes.

On the second occasion a bit later on in our walk, there was another snake, this one the tiniest we'd ever seen, a slender and frantic-to-escape-our-notice little juvenile. And I just couldn't resist the opportunity to grab a little video of it as it made its way over, under, around and through detritus on the forest floor....