How tantalizingly inviting the presence of winter days that turn out to be moderate in temperature are for those of us usually immersed in winter-depths of snow, ice, storms and biting cold exacerbated by turbulent winds.

Yesterday was one of those days when winter offered a mini-truce and gave us a day of early sunshine, clear skies, light wind and a high of 1C. Weren't we beside ourselves with gratitude! Mind, by the time we got out for our afternoon walk the sun had disappeared behind ranked banks of clouds and the sky itself soon became one overwhelming cloud-cover of persistent ivory-grey.

But it was still mild, and we were delighted to be out and about, but not half so much as our two little dogs who sprinted down the first long hill descending into the ravine, and onto the trails that would take us deeper and deeper into the environment they so love.

A day of respite from the biting cold. And because it was so mild the snow that had fallen the day before wasn't crusted with ice and the trails themselves hosting ice were softened, no longer icily slippery, threatening our balance.

What appealed so greatly to us appealed of course, to others as well in the broader community. And we came across quite a few other people familiar to us walking their dogs and appreciating the wonderful natural landscape we're all so fortunate to share. There was a communion of dogs over and over again as they too delighted in the atmosphere and must surely have communicated to one another how pleased they were.

Today? Well, the temperature plunged to -22C overnight with brisk winds. We've got sunshine again this morning in a lovely azure winter sky, but more than ample wind to balance the warmth of the sun against wind whipping the high of -14C into sharp icy blasts.