On the last beautifully warm day of summer, a good number of C Hikers from the Skrastins club gathered on the eastern edge of Nose Hill Park. Ann led us round the gentler slope of the park, avoiding the unnecessarily aggressive stairs to the top. Grasses waved golden heads around the Scotch Thistles, which were fuzzily going to seed, as so many plants were at this time in the season. Most attractive were the rose hips, just beginning to ripen. One last Alberta Wild Rose shone in the sunlight.
Deeper into the park, we walked through groves of Trembling Aspen, enjoying the cool air as a respite from the suns heat. The path dipped into ravines and small coolees. A few flowers still shone through the grasses, especially mauve Wild Geraniums and Wild Lupins. Near a pond, a brave Goldfinch pecked at the nutritious seeds of a thistle, ignoring the admiring ooing and aahing from our excited crowd.
For lunch we sat along the walking path, at first just enjoying the cyclists and walkers silhouetted on the far hill horizon. Quite soon, a string of walkers and bikers and baby strollers interrupted our us with friendly greetings.
Satisfied with a 7.5 km stroll punctuated with light breezes and lush vistas, we concluded our mornings enjoyment of friendship and nature. Generously, a few hikers added another kilometre by helping me retrace my steps to find a dropped glove.
