There was little relief, this past week, from the gloom of heavily overcast skies, although some might think the trade -off that accompanied that perpetual dusk in the accompanying mild temperature was worth it. Some episodes of rain during that period aligned with the unusual mild weather resulted in a snow-melt leaving very little left on the ground.

Yesterday, another one of those days of dense dusk throughout the daylight hours, we drove over to the emergency veterinarian hospital to settle our bill there. We had deposited the required surety as required before they will undertake to begin any medical procedures, and were prepared to close the account that had been opened with them last Tuesday when we brought our Riley in for treatment.
The final bill was paid, and we hope never to see that place again. Not that they didn't try to save him, and not that he wasn't given compassionate and professional care.

No mere words can describe our anguish at his loss, so there is no point dwelling, in mere words, on what our loss means to us.

Afterward, we went for a long walk in the woods. It is restorative in a sense, though it doesn't stop the tears.

It has been quite transformed from the place we became familiar with 23 years ago, in so many ways. The latest transformation represented by the replacement bridges, finally completed, although the approaches to the bridges are quite dreadful; the earth dug up, compressed, the clay and sand that comprise the forest floor a sticky mess of snow and ice-melt. In some areas ice remains, in others the ground is bare, none of the usual fall detritus remains, and the main trails, widened to accommodate the large tracked vehicles used to deconstruct the bridges that were claimed to be unsafe, and to construct their replacements, have left a dreadful mess behind them.

Still, though parts of the ravine and its interlocking trails look dismal, and aren't lovely to walk through, there's a restful quality to being out there, and every little bit of help we can find to bridge us over this abysmally low period in our lives is welcome.