The children left after lunch yesterday, and a strange quiet settled on Palmer Circle. The weather was slightly cooler, and so in the evening we went for a walk along part of the Caledon Trail, starting at Palgrave. We did about four miles, mainly at a brisk rate, and Dot and I narrowly avoided seeing a (harmless) garter snake that crossed the trail as we approached. Of course, we have only the Murrays’ word for it that there was a snake, but they’re usually quite reliable.

On the way back to the house we passed the rail crossing on Mount Hope Road, but failed to intercept a train. I had earlier written a poem called Looking for Heaven, in which a Canadian train appeared, along with Nebraska and various other features familiar to certain Ontarians. After supper we watched Easy Virtue, a film of the Noel Coward play that turned out to be unsatisfying despite a promising cast list. Twenty Characters in Search of a Plot would have been a better title. No pace, poor direction and, to tell the  truth, not  a very good play.

This morning we slept in and had a late breakfast. Continued heat is forecast, and tonight we head into Toronto for a meal. I’ve read three of the Ishiguro stories: he really is an excellent writer.