I would say, on a blossom per capita basis, we are a good two weeks ahead of schedule, spring-wise. Even with the lack of rain, the city has exploded with colour. We may even be just slightly past peak blossom. Dark red blossoms, pink blossoms, white blossoms, yellow dandelions, purple lilacs and lots of green. Fat bees. Grasshoppers. It feels like it happened overnight. One minute I was in my winter boots, the next – my sandals. May is usually quite brown up until the last couple of weeks. Not sure who to thank…El Nino or Global Warming.

What I’m trying to say is that it’s BEAUTIFUL out there. And today, warm. The air and the ground are full of poplar seed.

On the way home from my walk, I picked and/or stole some lilacs.

Now the house smells like purple.

It was unusually peopleless for the first part of the walk through the powerline and into Whitemud Ravine, but filled out toward the northern edge of the ravine. The creek is either low and slow-moving or still and stagnant. Even if Maggie was able to walk with me, she wouldn’t be able to take in a dip in the water. It’s too full of beaverish murk.

Walked up to the third bridge and then turned around and exited through Aspen Gardens. By that point I was very hot but filled with the scent of life in renewal.

11:30-1:30/24C