Quite peculiar atmospheric conditions nature has been treating us to, lately. Last week we were happily basking in temperatures that nudged above the freezing mark, this week the average daytime temperature high has been minus-eight C. degrees, and yesterday's conditions were absolutely insane. We were faced with ferocious winds, amidst temperature rising to minus-eight C., snow falling from a leaden sky parked obstinately within our geography, changing to freezing rain and ultimately ice pellets, hurled about by the wind.

In the afternoon the penetrating wind probed its miserably icy fingers into our winter garments when we parked at the nearby plaza where our lawyer has his office. The kind of weather that you instinctively try to avoid getting out into, if at all possible. Spurring one to dash from car to nearest interior entrance.

From there we drove on to another nearby outdoor plaza where the Ontario Ministry of Transportation operates out of a busy building, to renew my husband's driving license. There, conditions seemed slightly less miserable, but still not conducive to wanting to stay out in it for any length of time.

This is the kind of weather when comfort food is high on one's list of priorities and French Onion soup did quite nicely for us at dinnertime. After which putting on the fireplace gas-lit fire was called for, making for a relaxing indoor environment. It wasn't until our little dogs were taken out for the last time in the backyard before going up to bed that we realized the wind and the clouds above had deposited several inches' worth of ice pellets.

Walking on the accumulation created a peculiar sensation, like walking on frozen sand, your boots slipping sideways, this way and that, challenged to obtain secure footing. My husband shovelled the deck free of pellets, and then did part of the walkway below, so that in the morning when it was my turn to take our little dogs out we wouldn't have to struggle too much. But we hadn't thought of the wind remaining active throughout the night, busily moving the shovelled piles of ice pellets back to the vacated areas.

By morning, however, the accumulated ice pellets had acquired a semi-solid frozen layer over the still-sand-shifting lower layers, so stamping through the accumulation and slithering along remained a bit of a challenge. It will soon be cleared way, however, using the snow-thrower, capable of managing the weight and the depth.