We have at our disposal as it were today, an irresistibly glorious mid-spring day, offering a little bit of everything. Some sun, some wind, some warming temperatures, and some opportunities finally to begin planning a summer garden. When we toddled up the street with Jackie and Jillie today, heading for the ravine, we stopped to talk with neighbours, finally out of their houses, released from the suffocating feeling of the lockdown, while still observing the need to maintain social distancing.

Earlier in the day, we were ourselves busy in the house. My husband to sweep out the garage floor and await the arrival of a service man who visits local homes to change winter tires back to all-purpose tires. He works full-time as a mechanic for the RCMP and has established a private business for himself taking appointments to arrive at one's home to change those tires, fall and spring. Up to several years ago my husband did all this himself.

And then he agreed that he'd have it done at Canadian Tire. Our neighbour and good friend Mohindar had taken to using the services of this man, however, and as a result of lockdown and the awkwardness of my husband having to walk back and forth to retrieve his vehicles in previous years from the Canadian Tire garage, it just seemed more sensible to have it all done right at home for a very modest price. I had succeeded in persuading my husband to call for an appointment and the man was happy to oblige.

While my husband was busy involved in getting that spring chore done, I took the opportunity to continue my spring cleaning, and now I haven't many kitchen cupboards, clothes cupboards, bathroom vanities left to empty and clean, then re-establish some order by placing everything back where they belong. Nor winter garments to wash and set aside for another year. Jackie and Jillie amused themselves by either following me around or snoozing in their favourite spots.

And then, all done, we left for our daily perambulation on the forest trails. Where we came across quite a few people wandering about, asking directions to this or that street. And despite the sometime-inconvenience of having to wait for people to pass and distance ourselves in the process in junctions in the trail system, we enjoyed a few unusual experiences.

Jillie becomes so excited when she sees people and strange dogs about that she barks up a racket and strains to be free of her leash. We had put lighter, spring-weight harnesses on Jackie and Jillie, when we retired their winter gear, and when she becomes so aroused, she somehow manages to sleep free of the halter. She did this on two occasions, and finally my husband gave up and locked her leash onto her collar.

When we were down by the creek at the bottom of the ravine, as we turned a corner in fuller view of the water we disturbed another type of visitor. A great blue heron lifted off from the water, gracefully rose and slowly disappeared into the forest canopy beyond where we stood in awe as it flew on. A brief encounter that permitted no photographic opportunity.

A few women we encountered for whom my husband carefully described the exit route they were looking for, told us excitedly that they had seen a barred owl. Now, that's something to be excited about, too. They were unaccustomed to walking such distances on natural terrain, much less trails that rose and fell from heights to depths in the ravine, and were anxious to find their way out.

There are now more trout lilies in bloom, and trilliums, along with woodland violets. We saw the first of the baneberry shrubs emerging, and false Solomon's seals, and ferns are slowly, gracefully unfurling. A brilliantly piercing, melodic trill of a cardinal alerted us to its near presence and I tried to photograph the beautiful bird, but it's easier intended than succeeded.

Back out on the street after our circuit on the forest trails, once again we stopped to talk at distance with neighbours, some of whom had used on-line ordering and curb pick-up to gather together some beautifully colourful bedding plants to begin their planting for this long Victoria Day weekend, the traditional time to plant in this area. We've still not decided how we will ourselves go about acquiring all the annual, summer-blooming plants we ordinarily use for our garden.

Some of the first of the tulips are now beginning to bloom in our garden. And looking up at the tallest branches of our magnolia tree which now reaches to the roof of the house, we could see among the hundreds of flower buds some have begun to open, their bright carmine colour brilliant against the sun, preparatory to breaking out in full magnificent bloom.