For a smile as wide as a country sunrise

Good morning to all of you on this beautiful Sunday! I will be showing some scenery pics for this series for the next few weeks. This is a spot down by the river, not a place I normally sit, but it is a lovely spot anyway. It is always nice to take some time and relax in a quiet spot outdoors where we can enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the wonderful solitude that goes with it. Have a great day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2023 Steve McLeod.
Good morning everyone! Happy Saturday! It is mostly cloudy right now and quite muggy. Yesterday was sunny and our warmest day yet with a temperature of 97F (36C). Inside my apartment the temp hit 105F (nearly 41C). All 3 fans were on high, blowing that hot air around in circles, which made it breathable.
Outside it did not seem bad at all, even though it was hot. But inside was much different. Of course the humidity was much higher inside too, outside it was 47%, while inside it was 77%. I think that is why it felt worse inside. I do like the heat though, but that humidity makes it harder to breathe.

Entering the park.
This kind of weather is perfect to be by the lake, sitting under the shade of some large trees. We have lots of such places around this town. Our town is built on the shore of a rather large lake, though small compared to some in our country.

Walking along the path.
This small, lesser known, park is a beautiful spot to sit and relax by the lake on a hot summer day. Good morning Sheree and Rossana, so nice to have you with us this morning. Hi Eugenia and Callie, Muffin is happy to have one of her friends along today.

Here are those large willows.
Hi Herb and CA, nice that you could join us. We have coffee, pink lemonade, iced tea or just plain water if you prefer. There are some large willow trees on one side, each tree trunk is about 24 inches (about 60cm) in diameter. They do provide some wonderful shade.

A nice bench looking across the water to the island.
And there is a large open area for those who like to lie in the sun, or for kids to run around and play. There are several benches near the lake to sit and enjoy the beauty all around.

There is the water taxi and a better view of the island.
That is an island right across from us here, and there comes a water taxi which takes people to and from nearby islands. Many people live on the islands in this part of the lake, almost every island has a cottage on it, with larger islands having several cottages on them.

A nice spot with picnic tables.
Some people even live year round on some of the islands. The lake has over 14,500 islands making this a very picturesque lake indeed. Oh look over there, a small family of mallard ducks swimming along the shore. Ducks of all kinds nest on this lake.

A family of Mallard ducks.
Always so nice to see them swimming so close, makes it easy to get nice photos of them. I see there are many of these little violas blooming around the park, especially along the edges where they do not get cut down.

Some pretty violas.
And over there is a nice lilac bush with wonderful flowers. I just love the scent of lilacs, they are likely my favorite and have been since I was a kid. Both of my parents loved lilacs and I would pick bouquets of them at the neighbors to bring home.

The beautiful scent of lilacs fills the air.
Yes, I did have permission to do it, providing I was careful not to damage the bush. It is such a nice time by the lake today, I hope you enjoyed it too. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and God bless! Steve and Muffin. ©2023 Steve McLeod.