Now that the extreme frigid air we were assailed with last week has departed to our gratitude, constant episodes of snow have gradually replaced all the accumulated snow that melted when, before the cold struck, we had several days of really unseasonable mild temperatures that we weren't able to appreciate because those were days of constant freezing rain followed by heavy rainfall making quick work of the snowpack.

The prevailing atmosphere has now returned to one we're most familiar with as a typical Ottawa Valley winter with ample snow and cold, but not unreasonable daytime highs in the minus-6-degree to minus-11 range we can live with. The snow has levelled off some of the really awkward parts of the ravine trails that had been left by the construction work of the bridge replacements in dreadful shape. So that's all to the good.

Snow, falling in episodes of two to five centimetres at a time after our larger event of plus-15 centimetres a few days back has managed to recreate the visual winter landscape we are most familiar with and tend to appreciate for its beauty. Enhanced, when the sun is out, glancing off the now-bare tree canopy, by the covering of ice remaining under the snow, with the rays of the sun making it look quite spectacular like a diamond-dust covering everything.

The local bird and squirrel population have been visiting regularly to take advantage of our offerings of seeds and nuts. When the cardinal lands on the tall bird feeder its colour blends in perfectly with that of the feeder; the female cardinal tends to prefer the roofed feeder. Goldfinches have been hanging around, along with the occasional sparrow, plenty of chickadees and nuthatches.

It is the mourning doves, however, whose quiet resting habit and relaxed and trusting presence tends most of all to send a message of the possibilities of serenity and goodwill in their presence. Most often when they tend to settle in for a little bit of slumber believing it seems, that the little red squirrel busy in the seed tray just adjacent where they're dozing won't presume to impose upon their peaceful presence.