Oh my, it's snowing again! First thing this morning it wasn't snow, but freezing rain. And that freezing rain pings expressively on one's winter jacket with an amazing amount of force, quite in contrast to the gentle settling of snowflakes on that same fabric where the accumulation soon mounts to cover you with a mantle of sparkling white.

By the time we entered the ravine for our usual daily ramble in the woods, snow was coming down thickly and once again the landscape looked enchanting. For the present, the accumulation from this snowfall has been light, but it will continue all day, for a total of between ten and fifteen centimetres and in so doing, we will once again find ourselves in the kind of winter arras we're more familiar with than the overcast but snowless atmosphere so at odds with our expectations, with its much milder temperatures.

Most of our ravine walk took place as though we were on our very own private estate. No one else around, no other walkers, no dogs other than Jackie and Jillie, so it was a quiet, contemplative amble on the forest trails. And, as they sometimes do, our two little imps engaged in one of their wild runabouts, racing about in front of us, behind us, one chasing the other breathlessly in a kind of celebration of the day and its weather.

Just as we were about to exit, climbing up the last long hill toward the street level, Jackie and  Jillie became aware, long before we were, of the approach of others. First to come into sight was a very large black excitable and lively Labrador Retriever, and soon afterward a slower Retriever-mix, smaller than the first. They were clearly puzzled by the mad barking Jackie and Jillie treated them to, but just as obviously intent on being friendly. In fact, physically cozying up to us. Enough so that I was almost bowled over until their human came into sight and ordered 'Bear' to desist.

He's the kind of dog you simply cannot resist noticing for his emotional neediness which requires a sympathetic response. And that sympathetic response was all he needed to validate his girth nuzzling your legs. He was just a kid of 7; his companion was 16, somewhat frail, but eager for his walk in the woods. Bear, his human informed us, we extraordinarily protective of his much older companion.

Beloved, they are, of their human and kind enough to return the compliment.