We knew before we started out on our ravine walk early yesterday afternoon that we wouldn't be out as long as usual. The temperature had moderated from the morning's -19C, to -15C but we knew also that it would be somewhat frostier in the ravine since the overnight temperature would be slow to match that of the gradual rise up at street level.

A slight wind at that temperature certainly goes a long way to making the atmosphere feel much, much colder than it really is. Booted this time, Jackie and Jillie were just fine and so were we. At first. It doesn't take long for the cold to penetrate the layers under warm winter jackets. When you're younger it doesn't seem as pronounced since when you're younger than 80 one tends to trot along at a fairly good clip.

We did that, to a point. That point being our age hampering our intentions. So, though forging along the trails at a more energetic pace than our usual still cannot match that of the  young and the hale we did begin to feel the icy pinch of the cold frosting our faces. We like to take our time, but it wasn't much of an option yesterday. So we proceeded and by and large the four of us keep fairly good pace with one another. After climbing each of the hills we pause a bit to retain our breath before carrying on, a temporary slow-down that our puppies are well accustomed to.

It was a sunny, clear day as most really cold days tend to be, the sun glancing through the bared tree tops among the hardwoods to illuminate their winter-dark trunks and brighten the snow pack. It's always lovely seeing the sun glowing above the canopy and flicker brightly through the tall conifers masts.

On our return home we decided to drive downtown to the Byward Market and Jackie and Jillie were beside themselves with excitement; their clue was that we'd left their collars on and their winter jackets. By the time we set off for the Eastern Parkway clouds had moved in and the sun struggled to cast its brilliance through the gathering cloud cover.

Because Jackie and Jillie were with us I remained in the truck and read the newspapers while Irving went out to the usual shops we frequent; the magazine store, the cheese shop. Traffic had been heavy once we left the parkway, the roads crowded with rush-hour traffic that always starts early in Ottawa, from three to around five. A lot of civil servants leaving Ottawa to make their way over the bridges to Quebec.

At the market there was no problem finding a parking spot close to our destination. Byward Market, a tourist draw and a 'chilling-out' place with all its many and varied bars and restaurants is a must-go-to area for Ottawans. You'd never know it yesterday, on this frigid winter day. One of the very few times that we've been at the market and it's looked desolate, totally abandoned, free of the presence of the usual crowds of people.

Goal accomplished with a trio of magazines and exotic cheeses that would satisfy our cheese craving for a bit, we found traffic much reduced in our new direction, returning home. The Ottawa River, separating the two provinces is well on its way to total freeze-up. In some areas it's already deep-frozen, in others it will take more time. Before this month is out fishing huts will begin popping up on the river, close to the Quebec side, adding to the visual atmosphere of habitation alongside the river a century ago.