One of those days when we both decided to do some work in the garden. The grass needed mowing, so Irving set about doing that. The garden pots needed watering so I set about doing that. In the backyard, anyway. The thermometer only read 25C, but the backyard is a real heatbox its microclimate setting, always close and humid, and fully exposed to the sun. Jackie and Jillie of course wanted to accompany me in the backyard and when I make my way up the rock garden to water the urn that sits at its topmost point they follow along.

While I was there, I plucked out more Morning Glory seedlings; they've taken root everywhere, while those that I leave intact are clambering up the side fence, where they belong. I don't know quite how long ago it was that I originally planted a few seeds there, but they certainly have taken to the area, hundreds of vines come up there every summer. If allowed to simply grow where they appear they cover everything. It's like the kudzu vines that were brought into the U.S. from Japan decades and decades ago that now grow uncontrolled everywhere, covering trees and shrubs alongside highways.

I also once, long ago, planted a single Ladies Mantle plant in the rock garden when we first established it, alongside one of the sides of the house on our lot which is considered to be a semi-slope and it didn't take that single plant long to proliferate wildly, planting itself all over the rock garden. Since there's also lots of hostas, which are our favourites, there's a constant shoving and hustling between them and I'm glad to say the hostas take second spot to no other plant.

Another plant, a flowering one, that's prone to claiming more than their share of territory is petunias. We're still limited in the kinds and types of bedding plants and various annuals available in early spring, so since petunias were available I planted them in quite a few of our garden pots, usually with other plants like begonias and lobelias, and the petunias have spread widely. Good thing they're also prolific flower-producing plants.

On the pleasant side, the roses are preparing to send up blooms again, after the June flush and that's delightful, since we've got quite a few rose shrubs, front and back of the house. About a month ago we saw the presence of the hated Japanese beetles in the ravine and knew it wouldn't be long before they appeared in our garden. And now they have, and they love roses, giving us ample reason to curse the persistent little beasts.

Oh, and finally, the nasturtiums that I planted from seed are beginning to bloom. I'd also planted asters from seed and sunflowers as well, but I've yet to see even a leafy appearance from either, surprisingly. Our prized backyard Magnolia, the smaller of the two we have -- the one at the front of the house is easily twice the size of the backyard one -- is beginning to interfere with the space allotted to our Purple smoke tree. I did trim some of the branches, but hesitate to do any more trimming -- it's a dilemma, since both trees are ornamental and beautiful, and when they were planted so many years ago it was hard to imagine a time would arise when they would compete for space.

After we were both halfway finished with our garden jobs, we decided to get out to the ravine for a hike with Jackie and Jillie since they were so expectant, and off we went. All the work in the garden made us feel pretty hot, so when we entered the forest there was immediate relief from sun exposure on the street in the leafy shade of the forest canopy. 

The trails were still sodden from all the rain we've had, and everything green looked refreshed and healthy, Queen Anne's lace, goldenrod, ragweed and Pilotweed are all in bloom, the colonies of Black-eyed Susans a broad golden stretch of magnificent flowers on the opposite side of the creek, while on 'our' side of the creek, fewer of the flowers are present, among the long-flowering daisies and fleabane.

We found some thimbleberries already red and ripe for the plucking, for which Jackie and Jillie were grateful, since they're the major beneficiaries. On entering the forest they were treated to ripe raspberries, on our exit it was thimbleberries. For them, extra gustatory treats magnify the pleasure of stretching our limbs and feeling the freedom of movement in a natural setting that envelopes us with a sense of peace and well-being.