Hard to believe that just a few days ago people were skiing through the ravine trails. Granted, snow conditions were anything but fully accommodating, but it was a day off for people, coming up to Christmas day. So, having the time, loving skiing, and the presence of a forest so close by obviously persuaded some residents to get out their skis and test their mettle.

Judging by what remains on the trails in the forest they'd have a more difficult time making their way over the trails at the present time, where snow is fast shrinking, giving way to ice. Where in some places we could, if we wished, skate along. Given the cleats strapped firmly over our boots it would be somewhat futile, however, to expect to glide on the icy surface.

Since it was several degrees colder today at -6C than yesterday, with the same sharp, icy wind mercilessly blowing even through the forest, we judged it a requirement to have Jackie and Jillie wear their little boots. That temperature along with the possibility of light snow makes for a combination certain to freeze their tiny paws. Best we take precautions, since the alternative is to pick them up to warm their bare paws, then put them back down, until they freeze up again.

As so often happens, we had the forest to ourselves today. I could swear Jackie and Jillie were a little smug about it all, by the jaunty skipping and ripping through the underbrush they engaged in. As usual, Jackie covers two to three times the distance we do, in his frantic run-abouts. That in itself is an entertaining feature about our daily tramps through the woods, just to witness the pure, unadulterated freedom and pleasure it affords them.

The bridges haven't surrendered their snowpack entirely. It's still firmly in place, over top of which is a rough ice covering. Colder air moves under the bridges, given that most of them ford across running water, the others the chill air moving up from the snow beneath. There are no impediments for four trotting little feet, however, they just barge through everything, whatever the conditions.

We happened to notice another pumpkin sitting robustly orange in a bit of a thicket off the trail. Someone evidently hauled it from their home into the forest thinking it might provide some sustenance to the animals whose home it is. From the distance where we stood it seemed obvious enough that the pumpkin, though having sat there for months remained intact, fully round and brightly obvious.

When we passed along through the last of the bridges, we were curious about whether the little group of goldfish we'd seen in a sheltered pool yesterday afternoon might still be there. And they were, a half-dozen of the bright orange little creatures, more or less stationary, so chilled they had no will to move about. They will do just that however in all likelihood tomorrow, when today's icy atmosphere will give over to a break, with the temperature expected to soar to 5C.  With it, the prospect of freezing rain when what we badly need is snow, lots of it!