How positively benevolent of nature to put February to rest. The newspaper on the weekend was replete with stories about homes and buildings experiencing miserable problems with frozen pipes. And frozen pipes leading to bursting pipes. The municipality was delivering bottled water to homeowners unable to receive the blessing of water out of their taps, an important and quite necessary convenience we take for granted and never think that we'll be bereft of.

This February, however, with its incessant record-breaking low temperatures has brought untold misery to many people living both in old areas of the city where the infrastructure wasn't as dependable as newer areas, and newer areas themselves where evidently the infrastructure wasn't as dependable as it should have been. As the ground frost reached deeper and deeper below ground with each succeeding day of extreme cold, more and more people became victims of frozen pipes.

On the upside of all of this the Rideau Canal skateway has been open for the longest uninterrupted period ever, once it froze completely, a record number of days where dedicated skaters and those using the canal to actually propel themselves to and from work had the benefit of a longer skating season. Of course, because of the extreme cold on the other hand, fewer people than normal came out to use the skateway, as well.

There were so many homeowners who called in their emergency situations to city hall, that the response, before a municipal crew could arrive at a home where the pipes have frozen, has been a rather lengthy five to six days of waiting and attempting to accommodate to a situation where the residents were returned to settler days of homes with no running water, much less water that is clean and potable.

March, however, arrived like the proverbial lamb, since February went out like a lion. We've had several relatively mild days in comparison to what February was like. And people are getting out more, not huddling for shelter in their homes, as long as the temperature shoots up to at least minus-6-degrees Centigrade.

And so, we're seeing more of our old ravine friends roaming about in the woods, enjoying the mild weather, the sun and the views of the snow-laden forest. Today's high winds and occasional bursts of flurries were reminiscent of the extreme cold, but without the bite, and beautiful to behold.