What could be more routine than weekly food shopping at a supermarket? What could be more familiar than returning to the same supermarket for over thirty years? This is what we've done, fairly well uninterrupted but for the occasional shopping foray elsewhere. Since we moved to our present address three decades ago we've shopped at one particular grocery store. I detest big box stores of any kind and any grocery retailer that sells consumer goods in the same venue as groceries just doesn't appeal to me.

For all of those years I've collected food stuffs in a separate shopping bag to be placed in the large bin placed in most supermarket lobbies, collecting for neighbourhood food banks. It's easiest to just place the non-perishable items, boxes and tins, in a bag to keep it all separate from what we intend to take home with us. Most cashiers obligingly extract each item from the bag and put it through the register, and without exception in our experience, they go on to refill the bag with the items meant for the food bank. For which we unfailingly thank them for their courtesy.

That is, until the advent of the pandemic. Which necessitated that to avoid shopping in crowded aisles we wake early the day we plan to shop to enable us to appear at the supermarket as the doors open for the day when it's least crowded. At first most supermarkets, aware of the heightened susceptibility to severe COVID-induced illness for the elderly, made those early shopping hours specific to their elderly clients.

As time went on, the early shopping hours opened to anyone interested in avoiding crowds. Despite which, at the time that we tend to shop, there are few other shoppers around. The cash is seldom busy with people lined up for their turn to cash out their purchases. We've been exposed to different cashiers during the time of the pandemic than we've been familiar with prior to these additional precautions. Store personnel we'd known from long acquaintance were always friendly and personable, going out of their way on many occasions to be helpful. And always voluntarily re-packing the food bank bag with the items we'd chosen.

There were always smiles and light conversations with that familiarity and friendliness, among cashiers, among some of the people stocking shelves, among some we'd got to know who worked at the back of the store. That casual friendliness has been replaced with another set of workers altogether though we've become familiar with them too, in the sense of recognizing them and greeting them. But some courtesies have dissipated. Now I re-pack the food items...today consisting of four tins of Campbell's soup, four tins of canned tuna, four tins of flaked ham, two tins of baked beans and four boxes of macaroni and cheese.

Doesn't take long so I do a mental shrug. But there's a lot of other packing to be done of all the food we buy to bring home for our pantry and table, and the simple act of courtesy is missed. No customers in front of us, none behind us. We're left with the impression that Canadian service workers facing the public are not as service-oriented as those we invariably come across when we're stocking up in supermarkets in the U.S. where we'd taken summer vacations spring and fall for the past 50 years.

So after our shopping, showering and breakfast, Jackie and Jillie were ready for a nice long romp through the ravine. When we'd left to do the shopping it was hot and clammy out, not even making an effort to dry out from the rain that fell overnight. By the time we were ready for a turn in the ravine the sun had come out and the temperature read only 24C, just perfect. We saw wild cherries dangling bright and cheerful from branches, and surprisingly ripe apples from the wild apple trees.

Wildflowers were in wild and profuse and colourful bloom, and every time we came across someone walking a dog the odour of dog treats carried by Irving clearly communicated to passing dogs who swiftly made friends with Irving, sniffing and snuffling his shoulder bag carrying cookies and water. The cookies got shared around and everyone was pleased. Larger dogs have decidedly better manners than little ones and for obvious reasons. Their humans take more care teaching them manners; the little ones get off easy.