Routine is important in our lives, it's how we discipline ourselves, maintain order and relegate unpleasant tasks their time throughout the day, while also maintaining the appreciated events in orderly fashion without undue thought. For me, every day of the week has a specific routine relevant to that particular day, and most of it, needless to say, is in the sphere of house-keeping, as well as the regularity of meal preparations and leisure-time activities.

I'm invested in so many things, those that should and must be done and got over with, and those that bring satisfaction that one looks forward to. I like to get all the 'have to do' things out of the way in the early part of the day, leaving me free to engage in the 'would like to do' things that I anticipate and take pleasure from. Sometimes you just have to upset the order of things, and reverse order when the only other option is to forego one in favour of the other.

Today the weather forecast was for rain. But earlier in the day, though it was firmly overcast the rain held off. We had the option of treating the day as usual, allowing me to get all the household tasks done before embarking on our usual relaxing-but-vigorous tramp through the forest trails or taking our pleasure first and then returning to complete the labour-intensive part of the day. No contest, sometimes it just works out that way.

So, geared with rainjackets and stuffing Jackie and Jillie's in our pockets, we left the house several hours earlier than usual. As we left, rain had already started, but it was very light. If it were later in the season and the tree canopy had already filled out, that kind of light rain would have had no significance. As things turned out, the rain continued for an hour as a light patter, and since there's quite a bit of forest overhang on the trails even minus foliage, we kept fairly dry.

We saw no need to hamper our puppies' freedom with putting their raincoats on, so didn't. They too weren't really getting wet and didn't mind the light rain,though they tend to balk at being out in real rain. Despite the rain, light as it was, we were surprised to see other people about on the trails. Evidently choosing to get out for some fresh air and exercise, and evading the certainty of heavier rain falling in the later afternoon. For sheer mind relaxation and eye-pleasing scenery there isn't anything quite like a leisurely tramp through a wooded landscape.

We had taken a slightly different route to cut off one of the loops we normally take and shorten the entire circuit; not by much, just marginally, when my eye was caught by the sight of a trillium whose nodding little flowerhead looked different. When I crouched low to have a closer inspection my suspicion turned out right. Not a crimson flower like most of the trilliums starting to bloom in the forest  this spring, but a Painted Lady. Or a Striped Lady, as these more rare types of trilliums are called.

I know where a tiny patch of three trilliums come up together year after year, and they're not bright red, either, but pale pastel pink. I look out for them every spring but it's too early for them yet; the plants are in evidence but the flowers unready. But the Painted Lady is a different one altogether, infrequently seen. I can recall only once before, years ago, seeing one blooming at Bilberry Creek.

 

As we moved along the rain began to pick up noticeably and up came my rain hood. By then we weren't far from the last long hill to ascend to street level. I stopped briefly at the creek, watching the rain dimple the water, before we finally all headed back up and home again.