We figured it would work out fine to take our two little dogs on their usual ravine circuit yesterday afternoon without boots. We'd awoken Sunday morning to the pleasant sight of the gloom of the days previous lifted through the presence of new snow. It was as heavily overcast yesterday as the days preceding it, but with the newfallen snow that sullen cast of a dark, brooding atmosphere was no longer evident.

And it was cold, the high was minus-four Celsius. As things turned out they were fine. They can take up to -7, and march pluckily along. We were on the lookout for slightly perturbing signs of discomfort from them. Jackie raised one of his back legs several times, but neither he nor Jillie stopped, frozen with the realization that their little paws were much too cold for a sustained walk.

While the temperature was sustainable, the fact that there was new, fresh snow on the ground sticking to their pads made the situation just on the cusp of tolerable for them. Had there been wind to exacerbate the cold, it might have been different. We got through our usual circuit without any problems, and once home, bathed their feet in warm water. Halfway up their legs there was crusted ice and snow, and it obligingly brushed off. After that it was getting the ice and snow out of the interstices of their paws before they were comfortable. They tend to try to bite the ice away.

And after that, free to disport themselves they went a little crazy as they so often do, rampaging upstairs, through the hall, into the various rooms, skidding, colliding, tussling, softly growling at one another until they exhausted the frenzy within. Actually Jackie had been energy-excited while we were out walking through the forest, as well. He threw himself into wild spurts of mad racing back and forth on the trails, with Jillie just barely in pursuit.

The new snow and the beauty that presented itself with the conifer boughs bending under their burden, everything covered and limned with snow is exquisite, and the thought of that sight brought quite a few people out with their dogs. It was Sunday, after all. And, since the wind was quiescent despite the cold and the lack of sun, our forest ramble was beyond pleasurable.

We did stop from time to time, to speak with some of our acquaintances, but not as frequently nor for as long as the day previous, when the wind was up despite the sun coming out occasionally, and though the temperature wasn't as low, we ended up feeling cold because of the gaps in our physical actions that led us to cool down in between spurts of energy.

This morning it was minus 16 when we got up, with the daytime high to be minus 10, so that's cold, and boots will be required. A nuisance to get on them, but they do become accustomed to walking with them, and the mild discomfort of being clad in boots protect them from the greater discomfort of ice gripping their little feet in a painful excess of cold exposure.