We woke to a hot and steamy atmosphere so there was no need to equivocate about when we'd take Jackie and Jillie out for their daily tramp through the forest trails, today. First thing in the morning would do very nicely, thank you. It took little time to prepare, and the puppies knew something was up; they had their first clue yesterday morning when we had gone out before breakfast.

 

It was already too warm and humid, the sun glaring down out of a clear blue sky, and just a light breeze to alleviate the heat. Once in the confines of the ravined forest we felt embraced by a decidedly cooler atmosphere, shielded from the sun, and surprisingly little indication on the trails of yesterday's several heavy thunderstorms. The level of the forest stream had declined, the water-hungry forest had slaked its thirst after weeks without a rain event.

 

As often happens, whenever a trail looped toward an entry-exit point abutting a street in the community, there would be people about. Once we would leave that vicinity as the trail meandered on deeper into the forest interior, we'd have the trails to ourselves. Woodpeckers, song sparrows and robins were heard throughout the trails; the woodpeckers playing percussion, the song sparrows and robins soprano.

 

When we eventually looped back toward the creek, it was disturbed and muddy from all the dogs that had dived in to cool off this hot day, so we weren't able to detect the presence as we did yesterday, of bright orange goldfish that had miraculously escaped the hungry bills of the resident ducks. We did see, however the first clump of hawkweed in bloom this spring; not the more common orange ones we usually see, but yellow. Most people would think they're dandelions.

 

We're trying to remember whether this is an early bloom for the thimbleberry shrubs, since they're beginning their bloom as well; not most, but the occasional shrub is ornamented with typical bright pink flowers, maturing to pale pink, eventually to become thimble-shaped, bright red berries, sweet and delicious.

 

In the afternoon, despite the heat, I decided to do a little trimming in the garden. I had noticed yesterday morning that some vegetation is overgrowing their allotted spaces in the garden, and meant to do some cut-back yesterday, but we had spent the balance of the afternoon at our daughter's house, with no time left for gardening at home.

 

With the help of two different-strength loppers and secateurs I set about trimming yews, holly, crabapple trees and spirea. One of the crabapple trees (the pendant Jade), one of the yews and a bridal-wreath spirea are all planted beside the driveway and when they put on growth spurts as now-mature plants they have a tendency to veer over into the driveway, so when backing out of the garage, the car is swept abrasively with branches.

 

There were dead branches to remove on one of the Sargenti crabs as well as waterspouts that keep regenerating. Another yew and the holly were vying with one another for space now limited, which had originally seemed ample, when they were planted decades ago. Whenever I'm out in the garden I feel compelled to do things, there's a certain satisfaction in tidying up, and it's enjoyable.