Holy humidity. Maggie and I left this morning at 8:45, to beat the heat. Nevertheless…it was humid, and warm. It also rained on us, but it was refreshing rather than wetting, especially as I was already wet. Supposed to be stinkin’ hot this week, so all my walks will be before noon. Everything will be before noon. Good thing I’m off this week…and next.
An unremarkable walk, other than an unfriendly poodle with giant balls. Must be a show dog. If not, there’s just no excuse for that.
The grey, caterpillared Ash trees in the river valley
Absolutely gorgeous day. Spent the morning at work (not so gorgeous), followed by a walk down Saskatchewan Drive into Mill Creek Ravine. Almost too hot, but a nice breeze kept me from swooning (but not sweating.) The trees north of 98th Ave have been devastated by the LEAF ROLLER CATERPILLARS. An entire canopy of leaves sucked dry of colour and life. It’s so weird because these trees (mostly ash) are surrounded by trees (mostly poplars) that are completely unaffected by the worms. The be-wormed trees look dead, although they do come back to life by August. On ONE branch alone I counted 24 worms hanging from the leaves in tangled strings of varying lengths. Very ugly. Saw a guy trying to console his son near Henrietta Muir Park after what I can only imagine was a nasty encounter with the caterpillars. Bikers have it the worst. I only walk in this corridor between the Muttart and Louise McKinney because the affected trees are easy to avoid…if you know where they are. Other parts of the river valley, particularly Rossdale, are out of bounds until mid-July. I know a lot of people loved the dry, mild winter that we had, but all I could think about…other than the black ice everywhere, was the leaf-roller caterpillar eggs NOT dying in the balmy temperatures. I’d take a couple of weeks of -30 weather to have a spring and summer without the green menace.
But…the other side of the bridge, in Louise McKinney, the view was bucolic. Green and lush and so, so, summery. Popped up to downtown for a Very Berry Booster Juice and a ride home on the train.
Today, Canada Day, it’s raining, but the sky is lightening up. Maybe a walk in the afternoon.
Addendum: 45 minute jaunt in Whitemud Creek with the dog. Humid, but sunny. Hmmm. We got Juned on the first day of July.
A hour-long romp through Whitemud Creek, emphasis on the mud after last night’s rain. Ah well, Maggie can always clean herself off in the beaver-infused creek, which she did several times. Beautiful, windy, summery day.
Spent three and half hours at work this morning, so to reward myself for heading into the office on a Saturday (other than the Ice Capp), I walked to Emily Murphy Park and played around on the trails. Or trail, as there’s only one as far as I know, and it’s a beaut! On a hot day, the trail that runs along the river is an outrageously green and cool drink of water. It’s been awhile since I’ve walked down here, a path so close to the North Saskatchewan that I once fell in during a snowy winter day (more like I rolled in.) No problems today, but lots of other people with the same idea. In spite of the company, it was very relaxing, and a welcome respite from the heat.
slumbering hare
When I got to work, three hares were lying in the grass on their stomachs, either cooling off, or getting some sun. Hard to say, the light was pretty dappled. From a distance, they looked dead, so I was relieved when one opened his sleepy goat eye, followed by the others. Too relaxed to even bother sitting up. I know the feeling.
Once I emerged into blinding sunlight from the comparative darkness of Emily Murphy, I wandered around dragonfly alley for awhile, but didn’t find a single one, sadly. Not many mosquitoes around mid-day…which means, no dragonfiles. Then, across the LRT bridge to the legislature grounds. Some kind of festival going on there, but like the bunny, I was by that point too hot to give a shit.
It really felt like summer today. Once my walk was over, I’d almost forgotten that I’d been at work.
Walked in the mudflats of Whitemud today with the dog and my niece. Managed to hit the one hour (so far) where the sun was able to shine unobscured by the ever present cumulonimbus. Not complaining, we needed the rain, and the skies have been truly spectacular, but a little warmth and sunshine are most welcome. Aside from the muck on the trails, it was beautiful and humid in the woods. Saw my first mosquito of the season, and not surprisingly, first dragonfly, as well as some tadpole-like fish in the water. Or maybe they were just tadpoles.
On the way home, Maggie got stung by a bee. She was pawing at something in the grass, and then yelped. A fat bumblebee (with a spot on his head) tried to crawl away, but I think they are goners once they sting something. Maggie kept shaking her paw, but when I stopped to feel for a stinger, I couldn’t find one. She was fine after a few minutes. I’m guessing the bee was not.
It’s been a big day for wildlife. On the way over to the Strathcona Farmer’s Market, we saw two big turtles strolling down the street by Artifacts, with no accompaniment. And then, near the new Hole’s Enjoy Centre, a pelican on a pole sticking out of a wetland, a few sheep farther down the street, tadpoles, and finally, the angry bee. Also, a wet dog, but that’s normal. She can’t stay out of the creek.
Countdown to the coyote on the poplar fuzzed trail below the University
Well, I lied. I was in Mill Creek again today. Started near the University, and wasn’t in the woods more than five minutes when a coyote jumped out from the trees about five feet in front of me. Pretty impressive specimen. Very furry. As per usual, I had just put my camera away, but the whole thing happened too fast to capture on film, or whatever passes for film inside my digital camera. Have to say, this has never happened before. I always hear the coyote first, and that’s often as far as it gets. A very lucky chance encounter.
Poplar seed before it ejaculates off the branches...
It was a gorgeous afternoon in the woods. Humid, green, and warm. The air in Mill Creek was a blizzard of poplar fuzz, pelting me like soft hail. Kind of suffocating, but the sight of all that sparkling seed wafting through the incredibly lush ravine was magnificent. Like the coyote, the fuzz-filled air proved impossible to capture on film. It barely registers, like snow. Saw one caterpillar hanging from a tree near the Cloverdale Bridge, but I avoided the usual infested areas. I also saw the dog-walker, with five dogs.
