A hot and sticky night, not much in the way of cooling breezes entering the bedroom window. On the other hand, Jackie and Jillie slept soundly, could be that shedding a lot of hair gave them some relief from the heat and humidity. Jackie looks skinnier than ever, and Jillie more solid than ever. A visit to the grooming salon does wonders for them.

On the basis of the weather forecast -- it's the first thing Irving looks for when he brings in the morning papers, soon verified by the morning newscast -- and the stifling feeling of heat, though the temperature reads 24C, we decided the situation merited an early morning circuit through the ravine. Tempered by the knowledge that like yesterday there was a high probability of rain and thunderstorms. We opted to forego raincoats for all of us. It seemed so hot that getting wet might provide some relief.

As we walked up the street to the ravine entrance, Mohindar and Rajinder were walking down the street, returning from a walk around the block. They looked as warm and uncomfortable as we felt. They'd returned a few days back from a trip to Toronto to visit with family. They're our closest friends as neighbours, on the street, though there are others we always feel we can rely on and have much in common with, as well. 

As soon as we dipped into the ravine entering the forest there was relief; we were enveloped by cool air and heavy shade. The trails remain wet despite the last rain event being days back. Jackie and Jillie waste no time in forging ahead because obviously there's so much to check up on as Jackie, looking pretty fragile in his hair-denuded state dashes hither and yon, while Jillie more stolidly veers now and again into the denser off-trail areas, but only notionally and briefly.

Beside the creek the elderberry trees' berry clusters are beginning to glow red, becoming ripe and ready for picking. No one to pick them, however, and they'll provide some comfort to birds during the fall and winter. Once prized by pioneer settlers for the fruit often made into wine, they languish now. But then the forest is full of fruit-producing vegetation which at one time was useful to people, and now is ignored, from wild apples to soft berries, and the wild grape vitis labrusca.

A mixed-breed puppy that looks very much like our two, snarls and snaps at Jackie when he comes too close to the prize he's just been handed by Irving, a cookie. This is a small dog whose human always picks him up when they come abreast of us on the trails. Later, another dog, a husky who can smell the doggy cookies can't have one because his human explains he has digestive difficulties and they prepare all his food themselves. Irving offers me a cookie. Just as he does with the wild apples he plucks off the trees, doling out chunks to Jackie and Jillie.

At the meadow as we wind up our circuit through the trails, we pass evening primroses with their beautiful yellow blooms, beloved of the Japanese beetles who ravage the plants. The plumes of goldenrod and ragweed are gently swayed by a light breeze, hoverflies flitting about them. The area is also full of ripening blackberries and thimbleberries, so our puppies get their fill of those, too.

We wander briefly among the black-eyed Susans, almost engulfed now by the bracken they grow among, and the grasses that have assumed great height as their tops become heavy with seed. It is the purple loosestrife that reigns in the meadow, now, the bright pink electrifying in the almost dusky atmosphere under a dark moody sky. 

As we climb the last hill toward the exit giving out onto street level, we approach the area where Himalayan orchids grow rampant over the hillside and hilltop leading to the forest interior. From there, it's a brief sally down the street to reach our garden awaiting the promised rain.