Sunshine!

Monday morning’s community dog walk was superb—we’re enjoying sunny and muchcooler weather. There was a very mild smell of smoke in the air that smelled like the finest incense and the sunshine kept us all cheery and warm. When I got home, there were positive replies from Martin, Paul and Jay saying they’d be here on Friday for pizza. My party is a go. I’m happy I’ve met such lovely people here and that I’m making friends whose visits involve neither laundry nor breakfast.

After the walk, I went into the village and got some excellent dog walking boots that are warm, comfortable and waterproof. I also got rain pants and a new waterproof coat with a hood, also for dog walking. You can’t use an umbrella in the trails, so I needed all this gear. Rain or drizzle is likely in three of our seasons.

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There’s an empty lot across the street from me and I saw a car parked beside it and people walking in the woods. I suspect yet another house is going to be built on my street. Since moving here, the house to the south of me has been renovated and occupied after decades of being unoccupied and the there’s a house being built on the lot to the north of me. And not I think one is coming across the street.

I wanted isolation but these changes haven’t lessened my love of this place. And thank God for that.

Last year at this time, I had a family of Stellar Jays screeching their demands for food every morning and lots and lots of Deer walking through my yard. This year, so far, there have been no Jays and the development of the lot next door seems to have destroyed the foraging pattern of the Deer.

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The Arts Council is having another fundraising committee meeting on Friday. I’ve agreed to go, of course, and I feel far better about my role. I used to feel that I could save them and that led me to hoping things would go a certain way. But that’s gone. Now I feel part of a team and no more responsible for a solution than anyone else. I’m glad of that.

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This morning’s walk was uplifting. It was as though someone somewhere was burning Tarragon (my favourite herb). The air smelt so fresh and sweet and the sun, now so low in the sky, creates beautiful shadows in the forest and is so welcome on the skin. Heaven!