Just as we had almost cleared the dinner table yesterday evening, Jackie and Jillie informed us they had an inclination to go out to the backyard. So I continued removing our dinner dishes to the kitchen sink, and my husband accompanied our two little imps outside on a still-balmy spring evening with a gentle breeze and the setting sun. This, just before dusk began seriously arriving.

And then my husband called out to me to come over to the patio doors and look out. My reward was the sight of a wide sliver of bright pink sky painted on the horizon by that setting sun. Beyond beautiful, though not as spectacular as many we've seen in other years, but there will be other evenings when the sky presents in jewel colours, in a much wider scope that will take our breath away. It's that time of year. One of mother nature's gifts.

We'd had a busy day for a Sunday. When we were out on the street walking back and forth from our daily ramble in the ravine with our puppies we saw more neighbours out on their lawns than we would ordinarily see, and each lawn we passed was an invitation to linger and enjoy a conversation with people we've known for many years. At a discreet distance, observing the novel-coronavirus-recommended separation.

Lawns and gardens have dried out finally given a lull in the rain and warmer temperatures, wind and sun. People have come out of their confinement in their houses with rakes and determination to spend some time out-of-doors and prepare for spring clean-up.

When we arrived home, I set about preparing dinner. Rolling out bread dough, spreading it with butter, sprinkling sesame seed over, then grating cheddar cheese, folding the dough in thirds, turning it, rolling it into another rectangle, repeating the filling process, folding and rolling again. Then leaving it to 'relax'. While I chopped up onion and garlic into olive oil in a pot, sprinkled over fennel and cumin seeds and garam marsala to briefly saute. Chopped up tomatoes, zucchini and carrot, added that with the rinsed lentils, then boiling water and tomato paste, and let it all summer with a chicken stock cube.  Back to the dough, to roll it out for the last time, cut it into triangles and roll it into shape.

Today, a meal that requires far less preparation; omelettes, vegetable salad and leftover blueberry cheesecake, because we've been busy all day. Cleaning the house, clearing away detritus from the winter outside on our own lawn. And then finally, heading out with Jackie and Jillie leading the way, to the ravine for an afternoon hike through the woods. Not as warm as yesterday, absent the sun and the wind brisker this time around. It seemed very warm while we were in the backyard doing some yardwork, but on the street and then in the ravine it was considerably cooler.

We all took our time moseying about, noting how dry suddenly everything looks. How deep the fall foliage appears on the forest floor. How monotonous the colour in the landscape before  any leafing-out takes place; were it not for the presence of conifers with their dark green needles the landscape would look even more bleakly sere than it does. But the trails are finally beginning to dry, not as muddy as they have been.

And as soon as we move into May we'll be met with one welcome surprise after another as the spring wildflowers begin to emerge bringing form and colour to the landscape. A natural routine that couldn't be more familiar, but guaranteed to excite us every time it recurs. Trout lilies and trilliums, violets and strawberries, foamflower and Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Solomon's seal, anemone, daisies, apple blossoms, honeysuckle, and more....