Bathed in green

Georgie’s nose led the way as we walked the Parkside Trail at Bonshaw Provincial Park. She sniffed her way, 

always anxious to move forward as my husband and I stopped to take photos. Georgie wasn’t interested in the greenery like we were.

And it was green, the understory as verdant as the canopy.

The trees were huge, in diameter and height and their various shades of green were backlit by the sun.

The light through the trees cast shadows like silhouettes on the trail.

Where the light had a larger path to the forest floor, young trees bathed in its glory.

The forest floor had ferns in abundance,

but small plants and shrubs were everywhere as well. Young trees waited for their chance to bolt into the canopy when the older trees relinquished the overhead space.

Looking up, the sun through the leaves created a green glow. 

We paused and took in the scene until a chattering squirrel broke the reverie. There was a stand-off between Georgie and the red rodent.

Later, Georgie spotted a toad which crossed the trail ahead of us. The toad stopped, camouflaged amid the dead leaves.

It remained motionless as we took photos and restrained the dog.

Back at the park, we had lunch under a huge spruce tree, on a table and benches cut from trees. 

Georgie made a new friend,

while we basked in the sense of well being which always accompanies those moments bathed in green.