It's been so windy that the gardens have dried out quickly despite all the rain. We said to ourselves yesterday that today we'd spend some time watering everything. Irving had cut the grass in the morning, but yesterday was a busy day and the chance to do anything more than water a few really dried-out garden pots hadn't presented itself. We needn't have bothered worrying that everything would shrivel and die. Overnight the heavens opened up its spouts and did the job for us.

And then stopped long enough by morning so we could slip out of the house early to do the grocery shopping. We're still wearing our masks when we go into places, but increasingly fewer people now, are, since the province lifted its mask mandate. Yet, since it is no longer compulsory to wear masks in indoor crowded places, COVID infections have been on the rise and we're warned that this city is heading toward another wave.

Most supermarket employees are now maskless by choice, since they have the freedom to choose at this juncture. And so are the shoppers. No one notices who wear masks and who doesn't any more, and that's how it should be, everyone following their own discretionary choices. We stopped by Farm Boy after doing the bulk of our shopping at Food Basics. There we picked up melons, oranges, and a growing pot of Sweet Basil and one of parsley for the garden. I'll snip some of the basil for use in making our dinner pizza tonight.

While we were at Food Basics it had showered briefly. And then, after our return home the skies opened up again. And again and again. This time heavy rain, endless rain, and along with it the occasional thunder. Very atmospheric, very dark and very wet. Our gardens were getting a right royal soaking. And so was the forest which, when we were hiking through it yesterday, looked as though it was drying up pretty well.

I spoke with my younger sister and we caught up on our two families, discussed the war in Ukraine, exchanged health confidentials. She has been pretty immobilized by a sciatic nerve, lung obstructions and a few other health conditions. She no longer goes out to do the grocery shopping with my brother-in-law, a Holocaust survivor in far better physical shape than my sister who is also legally blind. 

Jackie and Jillie have been very good sports over missing their ravine hike through the forest trails today. Happy to settle down and cuddle up to Irving while he listens to psychology lectures on his lap computer. I had given myself a badly needed manicure with all that extra time on our hands, and then I realized I had forgotten to give them their customary afternoon vegetable salad. They traipsed after me into the kitchen, waiting until cucumber, bell pepper and tomato were diced up for them on this unusual day.

It is, after all, the first day of summer, the summer solstice, and the longest day of  the year. A little absurd, come to think of it, that on the first day of summer rain has been fiercely steady, shutting us out of our usual ramble in the woods. But it has turned out to be a very restful day, so no complaints. We'll make up for that lapse tomorrow, and the next day and the day following it. In Toronto, my brother-in-law told me, the temperature is 31C. Whereas, here it's so cool and wet and dark we felt compelled to put the fireplace on for comfort.