This morning I set out a little after 7 a.m. to walk for a few miles. The rain of the past few days has made everything fresh, and walking in the cool, damp morning air was wonderful.

I saw a baby corn snake resting beside the sidewalk on Pennsylvania Avenue and a pair of ibises foraging beside the little lake along Arroyal Road. There were three mourning doves perched on the top of a fence beside Arroyal and lot of songbirds in the trees.

There was a small group of little kids in school uniforms waiting for their bus and I watched as two of them balanced on some large rocks lining a culvert, walking along the top edge.

A friend/neighbour of mine pulled out of his side street and onto Arroyal. He beeped and waved at me as he passed.

As always, there were other folks out on Pennsylvania Ave getting their morning exercise - walking, jogging and biking. Oh, and one guy on a bike, wearing a t-shirt from the grocery store and a pair of khakis - going to work, I assumed.

Flowers are blooming everywhere. Seasonal frangipani and magnolia wafted scent here and there. I smelled jasmine a couple times, but didn't see where the bushes were.

An hour later I was home again, feeling fresh and ready for the day.