A more splendid summer day than this would be unimagineable! We rejoiced in our beloved Almonte, under the vault of blue, first cycling along the verdant country roads then later motoring into Rosebank through the cavern of trees on the narrow Village road down to the water falls at the head of which in the shallows of the River some bathers were serenely wading. The dry heat – which reached a very palpable 32°C – was nonetheless comfortable thanks to a moderate breeze which twisted the leaves on their stems and lent a soporific whisper to the songs of the birds and the buzzes of the insects. The sky was clear except for the unmistakeable mist from the gathering humidity.

The ascending corn stalks reached up to the sky and we greedily pondered the prospect in August of fresh corn on the cob lathered in butter and salt.  Earlier in the day we had stopped at a local fruit and vegetable stand and collected yellow beans, strawberries and raspberries which we subsequently consumed for our summer lunch.  And by late afternoon after our coffee and languorous chat with acquaintances at the coffee house in the declining hours of the day, the sunlight shone softly through the amassing haze and illuminated the apartment wall paintings and mahogany with a profound brilliance.

Next week promises more of the same, sunshine and hot temperatures.  The freezing cold of winter is but a distant memory in this sublime world.