It's been a busy day. Mondays are always busy. Cleaning day. Just as well I don't mind spending hours cleaning the house. Actually, it's a fine way to notice everything you've assembled around you during a lifetime. Ownership of all kinds of things to look at, crowded into every room of the house. And fact is there's a memory behind every one of those objects. So it's an interesting exercise. You're on autopilot doing the dusting, the mopping, the vacuuming, washing the floors. All the while your mind is free to wander. 

And then finally it's all done for another week. There's satisfaction in that. Getting through the process setting everything to rights, cleaning and tidying. An orderly  home is one that can be enjoyed to the fullest. Jackie and Jillie think so, they're absolutely thrilled when I'm finished because they can gain entry to the kitchen when the floors are dry. They leap around me in a joyful swirl as though something special is awaiting them. And then my husband remembers it's time for their snack, a tiny bowl of fresh vegetables.

We had one of those lovely pink sunsets last night as the sun was tucking itself below the horizon. I'd baked croissants to go with our dinner. This time when I was preparing the bread dough I dumped a quarter cup of sesame seeds in and kneaded it thoroughly into the dough. They were cheese croissants, lots of old cheddar grated and sprinkled over the croissants as I rolled the dough over and folded it and rolled it out again.

 It was meant to accompany cream of cauliflower soup. I thought they'd make a good combination. It's our little dogs' favourite vegetable, and one of ours, as well. Tonight I'll make a light, quick dinner; fresh vegetable salad and cheese omelletes with sliced fresh Ontario plums for dessert. Easy and filling; that should do the trick.

I would have been a little faster finishing up the house cleaning if I hadn't gone out to do a little gardening when I was  halfway through dusting. My husband was doing the vacuuming and I had asked Jackie and Jillie if they wanted to go out for short while, so I accompanied them, and took the opportunity to cut back some rose shrub canes. And while I was about it, straightening out one of the garden beds by removing some of the colourfully intrusive Harlequin vines.

We had been out hiking through the raivne pre-breakfast as usual, this last day of August. A truly beautiful day, comfortably cool and sparkling bright. There were scintillating drops of morning dew on the bright pink petals of the Himalayan orchids that we passed, catching the rays of the sun and catching our eyes as well. They'll soon enough be winding down when the night-time lows turn the corner into frost-zone.

Last night we had a Zoom call with our younger son. Today he was heading out to the east side of Vancouver Island on a week-long kayaking trip around the countless islands there. He usually makes those trips on the west side, more readily accessible for him after he ferries out from the mainland, but he's decided to explore elsewhere this coming week. We talked for an hour and it seemed like a few minutes. It seems almost miraculous that the medium takes us directly from home-to-home, Ottawa to Vancouver face-to-face.

Our explorations are pretty well confined now to our handy forested ravine, but last night we reminisced with him about some of our trips visiting with him and what a fascinating time that was for us. Our exposures to the natural world were gradually reduced as time wore on and the steady increase of our years. We're more than grateful we have this leisurely natural resource so close to our home. Things just seem to have come together for us, in this last house we bought thirty years ago, since part of its appeal to us was its proximity to the ravine.

We ambled the trails this morning, following Jackie and Jillie as they made their own explorations here and there, stopping repeatedly to interpret the 'fragrances' left behind by dogs and other animals as they marked the usual 'Fido was here' for anyone interested, and our two puppies are always interested. It's amazing what their refined and powerful noses can scent and the messages delivered to them.

Touring the ravine through the forest trails is nothing if not relaxing. We never hurry, taking our time, using the time it takes to traverse a circuit to discuss what we see, and talk about anything that comes to mind, and usually there's no deficit of subjects that erupt for discussion. And when we return home there's also no rush to enter the house as we dawdle briefly along the walkways to the garden beds and borders. As idyllic a life as conceivably possible.