Irving is still putting out treats for birds and squirrels and we suspected from the rapidity with which some of those piles disappeared that we were getting other visitors as well. So we weren't exactly surprised yesterday afternoon following our return from our usual hike through the ravine to see that one of its denizens had sauntered over to our place in a kind of reciprocal visitation.

There he/she was, comfortable on the porch, in broad daylight, delicately picking up cereal to stuff into an appreciative mouth. This type of visit is one we witnessed countless times in previous years when Irving was putting out piles of dogfood for the raccoons during the cold winter months. We'd see them visit mostly at night, sometimes with juveniles or quite small offspring, and we'd be delighted. They're still welcome, as long as our neighbours don't notice.

Things are fairly dire in Ontario now, not only are we in lockdown, and additionally stay-at-home orders, but all non-essential businesses have been closed until at least May 20 to try to stem the steadily increasing numbers of COVID cases bedevilling the province, crowding hospitals and threatening to swamp emergency services.

We expected, before we set out for the ravine this afternoon, that we'd be sharing the trails with a whole host of newcomers to hiking through the forest trails, since all public (let alone private) recreational venues have been closed, people forbidden to enter or use them. On the theory that you can't close down a forest and an acknowledgement that people still need fresh air and to be able to exercise to remain healthy, cautions such as keeping distances remain in full force, needless to say.

Like yesterday, there was an abundance of family groups of four, groups of teens, teens on bicycles, but the forest represents a very large area and there are many interlocking trails, so we weren't the least bit inconvenienced by the presence of too many people producing a difficult situation, as we had been last summer. There were many trail areas where we saw no one else at all, so complaints there are none, aside from the fact that most people are respectful of distancing.

Jackie and Jillie are much happier being enabled to run about freely off leash now and our daily jaunts through the ravine do us all a world of good. There is now the presence of more bicycles, singly and in groups, teens and adults, but we manage to avoid one another. Jackie and Jillie are much improved in avoiding any confrontations than they were when they were younger.

We saw that among other vegetation beginning to populate the forest floor, the first signs of horsetails and of bedding grasses have appeared. And like last year, it's beginning to look as though there will be once again an appreciated embarrassment of trout lilies and lilies-of-the-valley.

 Woodland violets are beginning to show themselves, and we came across one tiny clump of violets already in bloom, which added a very nice touch to the day's outing. Eventually, we'll see yellow, white and purple violets, but this tiny plant bloomed pale violet-to-mauve, in a nod to its name.