Because it was Monday and Monday is cleaning day we set out later than usual yesterday afternoon since by the time I was finished cleaning the house it was already well past three in the afternoon. My husband came upstairs from his workshop and we discovered to our surprise that it was heavily snowing. Heavy, as in close to a white-out. Mind, heavy snow and freezing rain had been predicted for the day; we just hadn't paid attention.

We decided since it was mild at -2C, to pair Jackie and Jillie's winter raincoats with sweaters. Those raincoats come complete with links for their leashes so they didn't need the harnesses that we usually use. And off we went, heading straight into the blizzard. First, it was fairly mild, and true there was a wind but as we headed up to the ravine entrance it was at our backs. It would only be later on our return that the wind whipped snow into our faces.

It was like walking into one of those winter wonderlands, our approach to the forest and the atmosphere white with thickly falling snow. We wore our jacket snowhoods so between the four of us we were well prepared for the weather, and it was beyond pleasant, with an intriguing air of mystery thrown in for good measure, inviting us to forge on, one with the landscape, immersed in a snow bubble.

Jackie and Jillie were delighted. They're always happy to be out on the trails, and this time was no different. They romped about after one another, and had competitive races and made the most of this opportunity to dance about in the snow. Going off trail meant dipping into the deeper snow and they came away, legs well dusted with snow sticking to their hair. Invariably, when Jackie is deep in snow he tends to shove his muzzle into the magic flakes that immediately coat his face and he acquires a quite remarkable beard in the process.

We did come across a few others with their dogs. Sheila, with her three Border Collies -- and that chance encounter led to a bit of a brief but nice run for all five dogs.