As Canadians we know that winters can be harsh, and certainly can seem to go on forever, well described by the word 'interminable'. Spring does finally arrive to rescue us from the winter doldrums, but in the Ottawa Valley it certainly takes its time. We must surely, every spring, repeat the same weary mantra: spring is on its way. There are signals, of course, even though snow is reluctant to depart the scene because the cold won't.

The song sparrow that companions our outdoor garden life, spring, summer and fall has returned. Its sweet melody brightening and sifting through the air and momentarily lifting our expectations. And when we're trudging through the still-ice-packed trails in the forest nearby our house we now hear the unmistakable gathering of crows, see robins grouped around the creek prematurely searching out live bugs, and above all, hear the sound of Canada geese returning north.

Yesterday the cloud cover was too widespread and dense and low to spot their famous V-formation trek through the sky, but we knew they would be settling on the Ottawa River before taking on the balance of their journey further north. When we were out in the ravine with our two little dogs there occurred some random light snow flurries. And as though to typify the flightiness of nature's sensibilities, we were also exposed to sudden, brief warming rays of the sun; felicitous but inconsistent.

We decided, after our ravine ramble to get in the truck and drive downtown to Byward Market where our favourite magazine and cheese shops are located, so we did just that. Jackie and Jillie were happy knowing that they would be accompanying us since we'd left their collars on after their ravine wash-up. Otherwise, as happens when we prepare to do the grocery shopping, they mope in the family room while we prepare to leave.

The drive along the Eastern Parkway revealed the vast expanse of the Ottawa River freed of its ice-and-snow cover, and the forest surrounding the parkway a sere, black-and-grey landscape of bare trees under an increasingly darkening sky. But it's always a pleasant drive, to sit back and enjoy, and that's what I did. I left it to my husband, who has now recovered from his chest cold, to do the shopping at the two places we meant to visit, while I remained in the truck with Jackie and Jillie, nursing my own version of the virus that had finally visited me as well.