We are so exceedingly fortunate for many reasons in our lives, untroubled as we are by being helplessly embroiled in events that we cannot prevent or avoid, as occurs to so many people living elsewhere on the Globe. There are always events occurring in anyone's daily life, about which they are similarly unable to do much to protect themselves from injury, and so to be enabled to enjoy the comfort and pure beauty of the natural world that surrounds us, so close to where we call home is nothing but a blessing from nature herself.

It is winter in Canada, the least favoured season for elderly people. The elderly and the frail tend to sequester themselves during the icy, windy, snowy months that make for a Canadian winter, to prevent catastrophic falls injurious to their longevity, not to mention the discomfort that accompanies extreme cold and even brief exposure to it. Those who can afford it and have a wish to escape the excesses of winter ship themselves off to more benevolent climes. Those who appreciate all seasons regardless of their age, stay put and make the most of seasonal presentations.

On a sunny winter day when the landscape is blanketed with snow and trees are in their slumber mode, with small furry creatures running about, a vigorous walk in the woods is quite literally just what the doctor orders for those who can mount hills and descend into valleys where running streams are frozen and everything has a mysterious aura of ghostly humps of white.

All it takes is the will and the inclination, and if nothing else prods one to embark on outdoor recreational opportunities, the companionship of dogs will do the trick. The knowledge and the responsibility inherent in dog companionship is certain to instill in people the need for both their canine friends and themselves to take advantage of all opportunities to air-and-exercise themselves for health and pleasure.

In the process, for us, we've acquired a wide network of similarly-inclined ravine-walking acquaintances, and so have Jackie and Jillie. They constantly come across other dogs, old and young, small and large of all breeds with whom they have established a rapport, exciting them and offering them the experience in social life as seen through the lens of a dog they'd not otherwise be afforded.

 Observing the antics of all the various four-legged companions of others and their interactions with our own is another endless source of entertainment incidentally leading to the maturation of one's understanding of the animal world and the emotions, intelligence and instinctual reactions of animals other than ourselves.