Surprises abound and the weather never ceases to amaze us, living here in the National Capital of this wonderful country with its capacious geographic interior, its varied landscapes and its weather patterns. Though to describe the seasonal landscapes we're familiar with as having a 'pattern' is a bit much at times.

Yesterday, we expected the forecast that had advised we might see a 3-cm accumulation of snow throughout the day might be somewhat accurate. So when we looked out first thing in the morning at what might be our garden still captured under thick layers of snow and ice we hardly expected to see that what looked like 5-cm already accumulated and more falling steadily.

And that indeed was the 'pattern' for the day, that April 9 would gift us with a 10-cm snowfall. There were random times when the snow turned to freezing rain, ice pellets, then back to snow again. In fact, when it snowed there were times when it looked as though the heavens were unleashing great fistfulls of snow, the snow clumps were so large.

Surprisingly, the wildlife wasn't deterred all that much, making their way through the snow falling all around, to reach the porch and the offerings left there for them. Squirrels of all types and sizes, chickadees, cardinals and crows, patiently awaiting their turn. We saw juncos sharing space with a few squirrels, on the porch. Oddly, this was the one day that the raccoons failed to show up.

We set out for the ravine at one in the afternoon, surprised at the depth of snow that had accumulated on the driveway and the road. Rounding onto the ravine entrance, the snow seemed to reach a lull and before long we heard the characteristic 'pings' of freezing rain on our jacket hoods. The new snow delighted Jackie and Jillie, they bolted happily downhill into the forest, and we followed, admiring the renewed snowy landscape festooning everything, trees, shrubs, forest floor. While the creek ran full and furious. Say what we might about such late snowfalls, they are visually gratifying.

The wretched appearance of the melting snowpack covered with a sooty blanket of dead needles, twigs and atmospheric gunk is anything but attractive; the new mantle covering the mess that the snowpack has been transformed into with its pristine, sparkling white appearance is beautiful beyond words.

Areas of the forest floor that had been slowly emerging from the melting snowpack on the hillsides once again assumed that overall white coverage. One area on the crest of a short hill that had been fully revealed in the last few days was once again thickly covered with snow; an instant return of winter.

Before long, the freezing rain turned to ice pellets, and then snow gradually took over again, at times fiercely copious, until eventually we were walking in whiteout conditions, the landscape taking on that semi-opaque look of a snow-suffused environment. Jackie and Jillie kept shaking themselves to displace the snow accumulating on their little exposed heads and ears.

The temperature remained for the day at a steady 0C, and snow was unrelenting. Once again, though we had thought that we were through with shovelling for this winter season, the walkways in the backyard had to be cleared for Jackie and Jillie.