From the interior of the house looking out it is a beautiful day. Clear blue sky, the sun god riding his chariot through the heavens illuminating the pristine glory of newfallen snow on the landscape; what more could anyone ask for? There was a one-day window yesterday in the frigid air that has suddenly laid its icy heart on the atmosphere, so yesterday with all of us suitably winter-jacketed and booted we were out in the ravine.

It seems that although El Nino has triumphed this year, bringing in an unusually warmer winter, blocking the normal Arctic frigidity that expresses an Ottawa winter, La Nina has made a temporary venture into the winter scene, peeking out momentarily and in her curiosity aiding the Arctic chill to make its presence known, however briefly.

We had missed our usual ravine walk the day before, considering it at a high of minus 17 and a howling wind, just too miserable to make the effort. We watched yesterday with huge amusement as our two little pups frolicked and gambolled, their boots slapping the trail-pounded snow, as our own ground into the snow-padded forest floor, crunching audibly while all other ambient sound was absorbed by the overall white cushion. The cold was tolerable, since it was minus 6 degrees with just a mere whisper of wind. But the creek has finally frozen over, closing off the last avenue of live food possibilities for the robins that haunt the area in this weather, foolish enough to overlook their migratory instincts.

When my husband went downstairs this morning at 7:00 am to see what the outside electronic thermometer read, it was minus 27.5, and instead of rising, the temperature continued to fall so that a few hours later it was edging closer to minus 29 degrees, the wind whipping loose snow wildly off the roof. I don't recall the temperature ever plunging this low.

And there they were at the feeders: doves, goldfinches, chickadees, crows, juncos, nuthatches and house finches all politely waiting their turn, fluttering and resting in the nearby evergreens while squirrels chased one another in competition for the readily accessible seeds and nuts provisioned for them in the large flat rectangle feeder that also attracts the birds. How these tiny creatures can sustain life in such abominable conditions is a mystery.

This is the kind of weather when Jack and Jill need little sweaters to give them some protection from the bone-chilling cold where wind whips those icy daggers as deep into living flesh as it can. They aren't too eager to remain in the out-of-doors under these conditions any longer than is absolutely required. And since the high temperature for the next few days, including this one, will be just under minus 20 degrees Celsius, it's highly doubtful we'll feel the urge to get out into the ravine for our usual rambling hike.