Traffic was fierce yesterday in the ongoing procession of wildlife volunteers appearing on the porch to take advantage of the smorgasbord my husband prepares daily, taking care to note when supplies run low and then replenishing them multiple times throughout the day.

Jackie and Jillie are very pleased with the continual presentations. Every time my husband prepares to open the front door and deposit additional offerings, they're there too, offering themselves as taste-testers willing and eager to scarf down a few edibles themselves. Their cup runneth over, so to speak; they get those little treats and additional day-long treats whenever they saunter over to look out the front door to espie the latest congregants on the porch.

The environment was well and truly saturated with all the rain of the day before; non-stop and fierce. Flooding was reported first thing in the morning in various places in the city and across the provincial border in the usual areas where people are given permits to build on what should be recognized as landscapes given to flooding, and left in their natural state to allow the rivers room to flood without ruining peoples' lives. Instead people build there, paying premium prices for lots 'overlooking' rivers.

By early afternoon a window of opportunity opened for us when the earlier morning rain abated. A cool, windy day, and with the knowledge that the rain would begin again at any time, we took advantage of the lull to get ourselves out to the ravine. As expected, a good deal of snow and ice melted under the rain-onslaught. As expected a good deal yet remains, and in some areas we know from experience it will take another month yet where the icy trails will finally relent. Those are trails we will begin to bypass until the ice finally leaves.

On the good news front, we finally put away our winter boots and hauled out our hiking boots. And then slapped the cleats over them. It's downright folly to attempt many of the trails without cleats. Some people manage using two ski poles instead and that seems to work for them. Jackie and Jillie declare their satisfaction with the performance of their little rubber boots.

When we first descended into the ravine, it was evident that the creek was brimming with rainwater, speeding its way through the landscape. As we rounded a hill on a short descent closer to the creek we could see a bit of commotion in the water. And drawing closer it became clear that two Mallard drakes were fighting one another. Their iridescent-green heads were bobbing furiously in a battle to claim the affection of a duck swimming nearby.

The altercation was brief and definite; one of the drakes swam off while the victor claimed his trophy and the drake and duck swam placidly off while the defeated contestant disconsolately lifted off from the creek and made his unhappy way elsewhere.

We discovered as we continued on that the rain had succeeded in clearing away most of the snow and ice from the trails on the hillsides, leaving deep runnels in the floor of the trails where meltwater was busily making its way into the creek to further swell its capacity. Jackie and Jillie leap the nuisance of the flowing water, and we pick our way from one to another.

The atmosphere was cool at 5C, with a nippy wind and deep overcast, but it is beginning to appear decidedly like spring - very early spring, to be sure, but spring nonetheless. We are beginning to see hints and whispers of new growth on slender branches.

Three-quarters of the way through the circuit we had chosen light rain began. Up came our rain hoods. The rain failed to gather heft and the remainder of our hike was more than manageable. None of us came away from the experience actually wet, but we did feel ourselves fortunate that the opportunity to get out had occurred and we were able to sneak in that re-acquaintance with nature we look forward to every day.