Hoping for a Breeze and Some Shade

All photos taken on July 26, 2022.

We skipped our weekly walk at Bunchberry Meadows last week. The bug jackets are fairly hot and sweating while beating off mosquitoes was not our idea of fun. But, today promised to be dry and cooler, so we got out early to do a morning walk of 8 km (5 miles) and see what had changed. A lot apparently.

Entering at the Devonian Trail, we were drawn in by the cool leafy, shade

we opted to stay on the main paths in Tucker’s Field to avoid drawing out even more mosquitoes

A few steps into Bunchberry from Tucker’s Field showed how much the grass had grown in 2 weeks. It had just been cut before our last walk.

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Meadow after meadow showed how much the grass was changing colour. The once green grass was now in summer hues of green, gold and red…

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…and was already going to seed.

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Deeper into the forest there was still leafy green shade and subtle breezes. Birdsong rang out, interspersed with squirrel chatter

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Cockle burrs were starting to show

the boardwalk again had that overgrown look

Nearing the halfway point (and pee break), we could tell that we had not been doing enough walking of late.

The saplings planted last year seemed to be thriving.

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Heading back out counter clockwise from the parking lot, the paths were strewn with bee anointed wildflowers like these Prairie Blazing Stars. The air was filled with the sweet scents and sounds of summer. Not you, you D— Mosquitoes.

Large open areas of meadow grass had been flattened by recent rain and winds

We were now on the long hot trudge through the open meadows. From time to time, we felt cooling breezes in our faces, but not often enough.

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Back in the forest at last, we paused wherever we felt a breeze, to enjoy the forest details.

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Arriving at the last meadow by Blueberry Connector, we stopped to look at familiar sights. The old Plymouth Mayflower is all but invisible from the trail.

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A small fence and sign had been placed around a rare plant species – Northern Wild Comfrey

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At long last, in the Tamarack Grove, we were now on the home stretch

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a few more grassy trails and we would be done

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Based on these fallen coloured leaves and colourful mushrooms, it appears summer is living on borrowed time.

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That’s just the way it is in the forest.