British Columbia has declared a wildfire emergency, people informed they must expect to evacuate immediately they are requested to, when uncontrolled wildfires get too dangerously close to their towns. There are hundreds of wildfires burning across the province, a number of which are uncontrolled, despite the best efforts of wildfire-fighting crews.

In the midwestern U.S. drought conditions have made wildfires more ubiquitous and fiercer to fight for fire crews in 13 states. One, called the Bootleg Fire is the largest, burning over 1,372 square kilometres to date. Could we but share with these critical forest regions the copious rainfalls we've been given by nature this year, it would be of enormous assistance to them, but such is impossible. One geographic area is beset with wildfires, another spared.

From areas of China to those in Europe, it isn't wildfires that force the evacuation of residents, but flood conditions brought on by incessant heavy rains breaking dams and overrunning the banks of rivers, causing death and destruction. Everything in extremes; the usual balance of nature that we so treasure has gone off kilter. 

On the other hand, there are wildfires burning through forested acreage in Northern Ontario, too. Our forest is wet and lush with rampantly-growing vegetation. The night before last we had ample rain fall. When we awoke yesterday morning everything was dripping in the backyard. By the time, later in the day, that we made off into the ravine with Jackie and Jillie champing at the bit as it were, the morning's humidity seemed to have lifted somewhat and the temperature at 25C, seemed reasonable.

We had an enjoyable hour-and-a-half rambling through the ravine trails. In no great hurry, though we did look a trifle apprehensively from time to time at the sky. Then were relieved to note ample blue peeping through the forest canopy, and nor was it particularly dark in the forest interior. In fact, for a good part of our foray through the trails the sun shone warm and bright.

Roughly twenty minutes after our return home from our hike in the ravine, the house suddenly became dark. Looking out through the patio doors we saw a dark cloud looming over the west, steadily moving east, to our location. Faint rumbles in the distance assured us that a thunderstorm was headed our way. In no time at all, rain began; big, fat drops of rain whose tempo steadily increased as it became a deluge of heavy rain backgrounded by deep bass rolls of thunder. Soon, visibility was affected so we were unable to see beyond the immediate view of the backyard and the house itself was in darkness.

On came the lights, and they stayed on until evening when there was no intention to shut them off, with nightfall. One thunderstorm after another rampaged through the sky and with each came yet another heavy downpour. Endless rain. Non-stop sturm und drung. A tone poem by nature.

This morning the out-of-doors remained steeped deep in the remnants of the rain that had fallen. Rain steadily continuing to drip from all vegetation. Flowers battered down. But the sun was out and warming the atmosphere while drying everything that had drowned in the flood of rainwater. And when we got around early this afternoon to returning to the ravine for our forest hike through the trails with Jackie and Jillie, the creek in the ravine was roiling and pouring its excess down the runway and a slight odour of swamp gas wafted from the clay-disturbed bottom of the stream.

Whatever had been battened down by the rain was lifting itself under the drying influence of the sun. New flowers were opening to take the place of those that had been strangled by the rain; Himalayan orchids, Pilotweed, Queen Anne's lace, daisies and Black-eyed Susans and now jewelweed too can be seen on the near banks of the creek beginning to flower.

Berries are ripening. Irving picked scads of raspberries and thimbleberries for Jackie and Jillie. The thimbleberry shrubs are still putting out fresh new flowers, even though those that had flowered long since are now ripening red and sweet into delicious berries. What a world of difference between what we're experiencing and what people in Canada's and the U.S.'s western regions are experiencing...