Now that the weather is obligingly cooler, we've been inspired to take longer hiking circuits in the ravine.  We did that on Friday, and again today, ending up spending more like two hours wandering about, than the usual hour or so. Today, cardinals and robins were ecstatic and sang their musical praise of Mother Nature. There was also the raucous calls of crows, but now that the forest canopy is finally fully leafed out, our overhead search for any owls the crows might be harassing hasn't borne any fruit.

 

We needed light jackets for complete comfort, given the wind of the last three days and the cooler temperatures. Sun no longer penetrates the canopy cover, so when we were in the 30C range last week the shade the canopy cast was a relief. When it's really hot out like that even flies appear to want to escape the searing heat. Heat and humidity is when opening doors to the outdoors risks inviting flies into the house. And Jackie and Jillie react badly to flies flitting about indoors; the ultimate assault of their castle. 

 

Our trek through the trails on this day was notable for the discovery of new items of interest. Generally speaking any time we're out in the forest we'll see at least one thing that we hadn't seen before, either because we missed it, or that it has just cropped up in plain sight. Like the first of the Buttercups we saw today. And the wild blackberry canes beginning to flower. They flower before the raspberry and thimbleberries do, even though they ripen long after the latter two do.

 

And now, the understory thickets of Dogwood are going into full bloom. Once they start, the process seems to accelerate and day by day they move steadily toward full bloom. The pannicles of flowers seem to shine like silver when the sun hits them as it does the taller of the  Dogwoods that take on the height of small trees.

 

And not far from the most extensive colony on our usual circuit, honeysuckle shrubs -- far less numerous in presence in the ravine -- are also beginning to bloom; the pink varieties first, then the white. We passed a few Columbine wildflowers, surprised to see them there, but pleased at the sight of them. They always bring to mind the cultivation of typical perennials to be found in an English country garden.

 

A few other people we passed on the trails were as pleased as we were with the turn in the weather and how pleasant it makes our trips through the forest. Their companion dogs tend to line up cordially to one another, awaiting the opportunity to cadge a few cookies before we part company after brief pleasantries. 

 

When we arrived back home, we stopped awhile to talk to a newly-wedded couple, living at home with parents for the first few years of their marriage; a family we've known since the groom was a toddler. That's another thing that aligns with the weather; being out on the street now guarantees coming in contact with neighbours and spending time speaking with one another. Yesterday the young man told us that the wedding gift we'd given them turned into a special dinner at a 'posh' restaurant, and that was a treat to hear.

 

And then, because there are some vacant spaces in various places in some of the garden beds and borders we drove back to the plant nursery we've picked up a good portion of this summer's annuals from, that volunteered to produce us with summer-long satisfaction with their aesthetic appeal for us, and made a selection of an additional few flats of young plants; verbena, wax begonias, lobelias and petunias, and I set about in a light shower, to plant most of theme.

Those meant for planters and garden space in the backyard will await another opportunity, another day.