Good news, right? Antarctic scientists declare that more snowfall events are occurring in that frigid land of ice crystals, icebergs and otherworldly sights of a frozen continent. Think again: those same researchers tell us that the icebergs and ice packs on that land where the geology is packed hard and deep with aeons' worth of snow and ice remains a scene of receding ice.

The bad news, evidently, is that warming creates a more humid atmosphere which accounts for greater snowfall, and all the while that snow continues to fall and cover the world's fifth largest continent that contains this planet's South Pole, its ice pack is still receding. Well, that definitely is a problem of frightening proportions; whatever melts of course raises the level of the ocean. And the warming trend has vast consequences everywhere on Earth.

But there remains good news on a local level, thank heavens, leaving our concerns for the future, the great unknowable future. This Monday dawned cold at -6C, but it is steadily warming and quite benign with full sun and scant wind. Lucky us!

We've got the balance of the day ahead of us which will include a lovely ravine walk in excellent conditions. Yesterday, being Sunday, meant that we came across quite a few people, including young families with young children who have never ventured into the winter forest before, and others taking their dogs for an unusual walk along forest trails.

Most of whose we came across we'd never before seen on our daily tramps through the woods. Some are friendly, some appear not to know how to be. It doesn't, after all, take that much of a personal toll in civility to acknowledge the presence of others in such a glorious atmosphere. And it was; full sun, slight wind, albeit fairly cold, hovering at freezing.

One group of young girls, lively and beautiful to behold were walking three dogs along the trails and having a whale of a time. One of the girls, perhaps 16, dark-haired and lovely as only young girls embarking on maturity can be, offered Jackie and Jillie treats from her ready bag. And our two were more than ready to accept. A situation of making 'friends for life', since dogs do so much appreciate attention, particularly when it is accompanied with treats.