Two days ago we enjoyed the last of a much-appreciated week of dry, sunny and moderately-warm weather. The forest in the Bilberry Creek Ravine was still ablaze with colour. There wasn't much wind to speak of, and light jackets accommodated our comfort level.

We came across a somewhat-unsurprising number of people, toddling through the upper ravine trails that don't require much exertion, descending and mounting hills. People who make a point of coming out at least once a year, some with extended family members, small children and dogs in tow, to enjoy the autumn colours, a splendour no one should miss.

And then, that night came unrelenting rain, splashing down throughout the night hours, driven by wild wind gusts lashing against the house. That rain continued all the following day, to the extent that no opportunity arose to get out for a walk. Ferocious wind and gushing rain just kept the atmosphere in a bind of driving rain.

After having the house washed in bright sunlight for days on end, it was strange to suddenly find ourselves in the twilight atmosphere that prevailed with an utterly dark day, leaping into dusk and finally night. And that following night the rain continued its inundation of the landscape.

But by late afternoon yesterday there was a break in the weather, and we were able to get out for our usual circuit, taking care to wear rain gear. We were the lucky ones, since our normal life resumed without fuss, while there were areas of the city without power, where streets were flooded and people evacuated where waters rose too steeply too quickly.

This weather system, the tail end or the edge of a tropical storm, hit New England particularly badly. On the news this morning was the notification that a million people were without power and flooding was widespread. Weren't we fortunate, being in New England territory only the week before and enjoying mild temperatures, light breezes and fully clear skies, the sun beaming through the forest trails we took?

Yesterday, we saw the creek down in the ravine rushing madly with a surfeit of rainwater run-off, to make its way eventually to the Ottawa River. The newly engineered remediation of the creek and the ravine hillsides was being put to the test. This year has set a record for rainfall throughout the spring, summer, and now fall.

The wind, though still emphatic, has been tamed in comparison to yesterday, when it brought down quite a bit of detritus from the forest canopy, including a large section of a poplar that had been hung up on another poplar, leaning directly over the trail for months. Now it's still leaning over the trail, but detached from its former perch, its peak hung up on another poplar's top limbs.

And, given the day's presentation of overcast skies interspersed with clear episodes, and the ongoing wind, along with colder temperatures, Jackie and Jillie are now geared out in heavier all-weather coats to shield them from the cold and the rain. They don't seem to mind, they're so happy to be out in the woods they indulge in bouts of playful bursts of energy, challenging one another to run-abouts; their coats no impediments whatever.