After the Flood

Pink dogwood

Hovander Park is the loveliest place in Ferndale for a quick after-dinner walk or bike ride, especially if you include Tennant Lake and the trail along the river to Slater Road.

The gardens have suddenly recovered this week, after the flooding last winter, although many of the farm animals are gone now. The chickens, ducks and geese are still there, and some rabbits, but the goats and their pens are gone. In the old days, the park also kept sheep, cattle, pigs, peacocks, pheasants and other game birds, but those have been gone for years. The Scottish Highland Games will be held at the North Bellingham Golf Course in the future, in pouring rain this year. This will give the park a chance to recover - marching massed pipe bands are hard on the lawns and shrubbery.

This weekend's weather forecast is for our first hot spell of the summer - temperatures in the mid-70's, up to 80 even. Unfortunately, even though I haven't been riding very much I somehow developed a bit of saddle-soreness which I have to let heal up before attempting a long ride. At least I've finally got my new bike adjusted comfortably, apart from the chafing . . .

So in the meantime I'll just enjoy the flowers, on foot.

Highwater mark on 11/11/21