We were happy to welcome a sunny morning, with milder temperature and less wind than we've been experiencing of late. A perfect formula for a beautiful Saturday. So, little wonder that many others in our wider community thought of taking long, languid hikes in the forest shared throughout the neighbourhood of the eastern suburbs of the nation's capital.

It was to be expected that this gorgeous spring day would bring out runners, bicyclists, families and lone walkers along with people walking their dogs. And while we can often go for our hour, hour-and-a-half hikes through the forest trails without seeing another person or a dog, this was most definitely not one of those days. It was, in fact, a day unlike most others in that we've never seen so many people of all ages and dogs of all descriptions out and about.

The major trails tend to be quite wide, so that it's a simple thing to stand aside, clearing the trail of our presence temporarily to allow others to pass. At times others have the courtesy to stop and allow us to pass, going in either direction. But then there are the side trails, and trails that meander up hillsides that are narrow and winding, and coming across a group of bicyclists as an awkward example, and trying to manoeuvre ourselves out of the way of their passing can be exceedingly difficult on the slopes of the hills.

That said, mostly the people, unaccustomed to the forest interior, having little experience on the trails who come into the ravine to trek through the trails for the first time tend to stick with the main trails. So that for the most part when we choose offshoot pathways we're less likely to see anyone else and then there's no problem of having to clear a way reasonably distant enough in these days of the COVID virus.

Jackie and Jillie as well can be extremely ill-behaved in the presence of large dogs unknown to them. As a toy poodle breed they tend to be stupidly aggressive, and Jackie in particular has been known to lunge at strange dogs who react for the most part, in puzzled disbelief that such a little squirt has the unmitigated gall to challenge their presence, little knowing of course, that the forest, the ravine and all within are Jackie and Jillie's private, personal playground.

For the first time, raising our eyes above the forest canopy, we were able to see the bright red swelling buds of silver maple flowers making their colourful presence before the notion of leafing out has even occurred to the trees. Soon they'll be falling off the branches, their bright red colour blazing from the forest floor. We also saw, because it was so relatively mild and sunny, another Mourning Cloak drifting swiftly by.

And despite the drab dull aspect of the landscape awaiting rescue from early spring doldrums, there was another patch of bright yellow Coltsfoot flowering that caught our roving eye... Then, when we finally arrived back home, there was the delicious fragrance of yet another freshly-baked bread that my husband had prepared to bake in his trusty old breadmaking machine, suddenly seeing lots of action during our COVID-enforced self-isolation.