Although we had snow falling at intervals all day yesterday not much remained afterward given the moderate-temperature day that it turned out to be, at 1-C. Both conditions, however, did change the character of the trails winding through the ravined forest. Trails that were ice-covered the day before had a layer of snow pasted onto them, which made them less slippery, though caution was still a good idea.

In fact, in some areas, which we assumed were just as tempered by the new snowfall as areas we had traversed with ease, turned out not to be and we did a fairly accurate rendition of Monty Python's 'funny walks' to maintain our balance. Going down one hill it didn't seem as though I'd succeed, my off-balance reaction to one particularly icy portion requiring frantic gyrations to re-acquire the balance that kept me from a fall.

Which is likely why through the course of our hour-plus meandering in the forest we came across no one else, neither human nor animal, though we did see a few frisky squirrels. At these times of iffy conditions people who do venture into the ravine at any of the entrances throughout the neighbourhood tend to stay within the near confines of the street; many simply have no idea how lengthy and interconnecting the trails are.

We've come across a few Labradoodles during our circuits, and have found them to be a really felicitous breeding combination. They're invariably friendly and good-natured, besides being beautiful canine specimens. We came across one such galumphing-large dog yesterday, just steps from one of the entrances, a lovely dog who excused the bumptiously uncivil behaviour of our two little poodles.

It seems as though the breeding combination results in a dog that has the physical characteristics of a poodle and the laid-back personality of a Labrador. They're a pleasure to see, both in behaviour and conformation.

The snow continued overnight and into the morning hours. Not much of an accumulation, however. The snow is wet and fluffy, producing a new blanket over the recently vacated snowpack in some areas of our backyard. At this time of year, unless March, teetering as always on the precipice between winter and spring, does a reversal returning us to frigid temperatures encouraging the snow to come on like gangbusters, we can anticipate that these snow events will remain transitory in their effect on the landscape.