Today, we know, represents only a temporary reprieve from the bone-cracking frigid temperatures we've been experiencing for well over a week, but it's a great relief nonetheless. People who have been unable to get out and enjoy winter when the thermometer gets stuck at -17C at its warmest point in the day were finally, like us, able to get out with their dogs, or simply on their own, to traipse about in the woods and admire the soft ambiance of newfallen snow.

Yesterday on our way to do the grocery shopping we stopped briefly at one of the many pet supply shops to see whether there might be another kind of winter boot for dogs superior to those we have and which have failed so miserably, but they were cleaned right out. The shop manager told us there was a rush on all dog boots and they hadn't anything left. But she did speak of Muttluks approvingly, considering them the absolute best of the lot produced, and then we informed her of our experience with them, finding them wanting.

But it was those Muttluks that we placed over our two little hairy rascals' feet today, setting out, finally, for a walk in the woods. Because snow had fallen throughout the morning, albeit in a desultory manner, fresh snow was on the ground, and that, together with a daytime high of -8C, meant they would be just on the cusp of freezing their little feet. When we finally did get out it took five minutes before Jillie lost one, two three of her booties, and Jackie one of his.

Instead of replacing them, in view of the comparatively balmy atmosphere we simply pocketed the boots and forged on. It was, as it happened, mild enough in comparison to what we'd been experiencing at highs of -17C, that they seemed not to notice the cold and happily made their way along the trails, so we felt we would be fine throughout the walk with them today, and we were. Why it is that Jillie, heavier than Jackie and less inclined than he is to dash through snow off the trails is the one who loses her boots is beyond us.

Jackie leaps about acrobatically, joyfully rushes off trail, up the trail, down the trail, in his frantic busyness covering twice the area we do, plodding along behind them, and the three boots that remained, stayed firmly in place. We had an uneventful, happy walk, both of them beyond delighted to be back out in the forest for their daily traipse-about, so we took an especially long route, one we were ourselves able to enjoy because the cold was less intense, the trees shielded us from the prevailing winds, and it was such fun watching our two puppies happily scampering about.