It's a wonder the ground can actually absorb any more rainwater. Every time the heavens open up a deluge almost swallows the landscape. It's not just our area of course, but wider afield. On the other hand, we haven't been too 'inconvenienced' by the incessant rain events. When the clouds withdraw, out comes the sun, and that can happen multiple times during the day. In the final analysis, we're not short of sunshine and nor are we desperate for irrigation; a kind of balance has been achieved, but it's still excessive. 

 

 

The forecast for today, after Friday's all-day heavy rain and Saturday's bit-of-everything weather, was for mostly sun, albeit a cool day at 20C. Yet, even before we sat down to breakfast (melon halves and banana pancakes and sausages) a thunderstorm clapped and inundated our immediate vicinity. It was prolonged and rain-fierce. And I was glad that Jackie and Jillie had already been out twice by then in the backyard; no need to tongue-lash them into getting out in that rain to perform their daily 'ablutions'. 

 

 

In the morning and into the afternoon I'm always busy even on Sunday. We had planned for a traipse through the forest pathways as usual in the early afternoon. But then the house interior became dark again with the arrival of grey-streaked clouds that soon turned charcoal grey and another oncoming thunderstorm was heard in the near distance, finally closing the gap and letting loose over us. It rained and didn't it rain!!!

 

 

Once it was over the sun returned quickly, peeking through a curtain of remaining grey clouds. So we thought we'd make a dash for it, and try for a quick run through the forest. Ahem, we don't run, not at our age. We plunge into the ravine and take our time toddling along the trails. And so we did just that. Soon after our entry to the ravine, descending from street level and approaching the trail that runs alongside the forest creek, a largish bird swooped down to perch on a tree fairly close to our approach.

 

 

I whipped out my camera since this was an opportunity to get a shot of a hawk. Which sat there inclining its head in our direction as though contemplating our presence. Just as I was enlarging the view with the expectation of getting a close-up, off he flew. But from its size and contours we knew it for a hawk and were pleased to see it. I had to be satisfied with the photo I took, which still shows the hawk, albeit at a distance. We usually see sharp-shinned hawks whistling on the wind as they arrive in early spring.

 

 

The creek itself was tossing and turning in a turbulent display of rushing, roiling, muck-filled rainwater. It had reached spring runoff levels, and the sound of its rushing passage was notable. The water had risen partway up a portion of its banks, inundating the trunks of trees as the rain-swelled current carried all manner of detritus from the overhanging forest in its wake.

 

 

Jackie and Jillie, notorious for their meticulous avoidance of getting unnecessarily wet, paced carefully around the large, wide ponds of rainwater that had a regular post-rainfall presence on the forest trails. At the start of our hike, despite their familiarity with the forest in all kinds of weather conditions, they made it clear that this was their least favourite. The humidity and constant dripping from the forest canopy didn't endear them to the walk today.

 

But halfway through our passage through the forest they set aside their distaste at what the elements had wrought and began to lose themselves in the pleasure of sniffing about and wandering here and there to satisfy their curiosity, insatiable as it is. There was no one out from the wider community save for us, so in that sense we had the forest to ourselves. All the vegetation has been well irrigated and has grown to quite notable heights this year. The invasive Himalayan orchids and even pilotweed have zoomed upward to over six feet; quite impressive.

 

Back home again, we wandered through our gardens a short while before heading back into the house after ascertaining that nothing had really suffered under the ferocity of the rain accompanying that thunderous orchestration earlier in the day. And then, back in the kitchen, I set about preparing cheese blintzes for dinner for tonight, along with a salad and watermelon for dessert.