Once we entered the confines of the forest yesterday afternoon the wind no longer lashed our faces as it had done as we made our way up the street. Overcast skies and a temperature that reached -2C by afternoon wasn't unreasonable. We should have felt fairly comfortable, and we did, but for the icy lashes of the wind blowing directly at us. The melting snow underfoot of the day before had hardened overnight, and it wasn't too cold, but the wind wasn't at all polite.

Once among the trees crowding in at either side when we had accessed the trail, all that changed. There would be many places throughout the forest where the wind would be actively felt, but not just there, and it was a relief. Looking high above at the forest canopy we could see treetops swaying, so there was plenty of wind.

In the distance we could make out the forms of large birds in the grey sky, that looked awfully like gulls, but thought it improbable that they would be around yet, though some are now known to remain throughout the winter months lately, and these could very well be among them. We could hear, loud and clear enough, the racket of a Pileated woodpecker. And the bubbly, cheerful sound of a nuthatch not too far from where we were forging along the trail following the forest stream.

Wherever there are nuthatches there's certain to be chickadees, and we did see several popping silently in and out of the boughs of evergreens. Jackie and Jillie take no notice of these things, what they're focused on is the tantalizing smells they come across, curious to determine whose they are and if they're familiar to them. So they stop constantly, wherever such 'messages' have been left, as though sharing neighbourhood gossip.

We decided because it was such a lovely day and we felt comfortable, that we'd make this circuit longer than usual. Despite that we were out so long, and though it was a perfect day for roaming about in the winter woods we came across no one else.

We had lengthened our hike as well in the hope that it might distract Jackie and Jillie from their familiarity with our routine; the fact that they know this was our day to leave them alone at home while we do the food shopping. Not that it helped all that much. They had a longer hike through the forest trails, and when we returned home they ran berserk through the house ripping through the hallways, upstairs and down, as is their wont.

But when we left them alone, abandoned, poor tykes, they howled their ingratitude at us as we walked out the door.