In a sense it's been a typical Tuesday. In another way, a little different. We had a succession of wild and violent thunderstorms yesterday afternoon, and rain came down copiously throughout the night hours. But the heat that had surrounded us for the previous week entirely dissipated, leaving us with cool, fresh air guaranteeing a very comfortable sleep.

In the morning we had a cool 18C, and despite the aquarium-atmosphere of the out-of-doors it felt most comfortable. We had no idea that the temperature would keep steadily falling in the morning and into the afternoon. As it was we needed light jackets, leaving the house to do the grocery shopping. How they know, Jackie and Jillie that it's shopping day is beyond us.

After accompanying us downstairs and outside first thing, cuddling up and asking to be rubbed and played with, they go directly back upstairs and into bed, and don't budge from there until we leave and they hear the garage door going up, then down again. A few dismal barks from Jackie, a howl from Jillie, and our despondent little pups are left to their own devices.

Everywhere we looked as we drove down the street, gardens had been overwhelmed, their vegetation, soaked beyond their capacity to withstand the deluge,  plants dismally bowed and flattened. And though the sky informed us that it was prepared to open again without notice, for the several hours that we were out shopping, then returned home and brought an exuberantly happy Jackie and Jillie out with us, no more rain.

It waited most considerately until we were seated at the breakfast table, after unpacking the groceries, showering and dressing. Down it came again, drenching and re-drenching everything. We had particularly planned to get out to the ravine after breakfast with Jackie and Jillie. They had been forced by circumstances (continuous rain) yesterday to miss their tromp through the trails in the forest and it was obvious they had missed it.

But the rain did eventually stop, and just kind of resorted to lazy spitting. So raincoats for everyone and off we set. It was hardly to be believed we had missed only one day in the ravine. It appeared to us that in that one day of relentless rain, all growing things had attained new luxuriant width and height. Everything was glimmering with rain, greens bright and lustrous. Rain clung to everything. Except when a breeze brought heavy droplets down on us. And light rain continued, but it was light.

We saw more blossoms now on the proliferating thimbleberry shrubs, and it's clear there will be ample fruit as a result. Our trek through the sodden forest was uninterrupted by the presence of anyone else. There were goldfinches singing in the trees, and the distant clamour of a gathering of crows. New scents appear to have arisen for our little dogs' delectation and they lingered everywhere sniffing out all the news unfit to print.

Irving nudged me to notice the partridgeberry ground cover after I had passed it. I had peered into the forest interior just two days earlier to see whether the partridgeberry was in bloom and it wasn't; moreover the tiny ground-cover foliage was steeped deep in desiccated fall foliage, so it wasn't at all prominent; you had to know where it was. And here, one day and one night of streaming rain brought the plants to assert themselves, and there were bright, tiny white flowers erupting everywhere on the foliage.

Later, passing some blackberry canes silhouetted against the silvery sheen of the sky, it was amazing to realize that the berries were already in prominent display. It'll be an early year for berries this summer from all indications. At least in the forest varieties. Nature is amazing.

Oh, and after their walk through the woods, Jackie and Jillie were delivered to the dog-grooming 'spa' for their regular  haircuts. One reason we were so anxious to get out early with them so they could get a good leg-stretching opportunity. Jackie was barking when we left the groomers, barking when we arrived back to pick them up, and then they both treated us like popsickles on the way back home again.