Well, not really. Not yet. And it rained just yesterday. Today, however, it’s all about the blue sky and sunshine. Walked for two hours. I’ve been waking up…and staying up at 5:00AM lately, so all my usual Saturday chores were done by 10:00, and I was out on the trails by 11:00. I wrote a post last year about the stasis this time of year. Nuthin’ much happening because most plants and flowers have emerged from the earth and grown to their full, gorgeous potential. Except the sunflowers. And the magpies, not that they emerged out of the earth. Lots of short-tailed baby magpies squawking in the trees. Not much going on, in other words, but a feast of beauty. I’m sure the bees would say otherwise. They were out in huge numbers today feasting not on beauty but the of by-products of beauty.

The river and the creek are flowing with rust-tinted water. Not sure where the odd colouration originates, but I’m sure it has something to do with all the rain. By late July/early August, the river should be turning aquamarine, but it’s a strange sort of terra cotta and still pretty high, comparatively speaking. And Mill Creek is gushing like a spring version of itself. Normally, in mid-summer the creek is just a sliver of slow-moving murk, but not this summer. If I were a dog, I wouldn’t be dipping myself in Mill Creek unless I had a rope, and the promise of a delicious treat for my exertions. Most dogs appear to be saving themselves for the slower waters of south Mill Creek.

Took me awhile to get going today and I’m not quite sure why. Probably the heat, or the Strathcona Farmer’s Market tomato, fresh basil and veggie cream cheese multi-grain bagel I ate just prior to stepping out the door. I tried to stick to the shadier areas, but the sun was directly overhead for most of the walk. Still managed to do some stairs, and I felt much perkier after about a half hour outside.

1:05PM/23C