Typically, rounding out toward the end of February, we've been experiencing the calm before the storm. The past week of mild temperatures and sunny days has lulled us into a sense of complacency. We're tired of winter and so we're susceptible to being fooled and fooling ourselves into believing that winter is preparing to end its too-long stay for 2019/20.

No such thing, and we should know better. Yes, snow was melting, and we could smell spring in the air. Yes, there were signs in the forest vegetation that some shrubs were confident enough to send out signals of emerging life at this stage. Yes, chickadees and nuthatches have moved down from the boreal forest, and some migratory birds are already on the move, returning to our area on their way further north.

No, we won't necessarily have an early spring. But it's coming. It may be delayed frustratingly as often happens, but nature's schedule is somewhat flexible even though it's also inexorable. We have four seasons and each follows the one preceding it. Eventually. So we grit and grin. Hello winter, we know you're still here with us, don't think we don't appreciate what you've brought us, but we're a tad weary of it all, and mightn't you consider moving on -- temporarily, that is?

When we trotted ourselves over to the ravine early this afternoon the snow had just started. It threw a ghostly whitish veil on the landscape, so everything looked a little blurred in the distance. We won't be receiving much snow throughout the day however, possibly up to 5 cm. It's overnight that we'll be blasted with a full-blown snowstorm, leaving us with an estimated ten to 15 cm. Which isn't a dreadful amount.

But wait; the snow is set to continue on Thursday. A separate snowstorm, actually. And it'll be a bit of a raging bull, it seems. For Thursday the forecast is for a possible accumulation of 15 to 20 cm to top off what we'll have received the night before. This is winter assuring us that, as per usual, it has no intention whatever to withdraw either quietly or gladly.

No matter, we enjoyed a leisurely hike through the forest trails with Jackie and Jillie. The temperature is still on the balmy side, and as a result the wind wasn't much of a discomfort. The snow came down throughout the time we were on the trails, in alternating scenarios of light snow and thick descent, and a more drifting-type wave of snow clusters. It is not yet serious snow.

So it will be interesting -- as it always tends to be -- to see what the result of the next two days will be. The accumulated snow on the forest floor and the trails is fairly crusty though thickly piled. We'll be returned to the stage where new snow drifts undulate through the forest in concentric heaps arranged by the wind, and most delightful of all, where evergreen boughs are brought low with the weight of two successive snowfalls. And we're returned to a full-on winter landscape.

Once both snowstorms have passed, so too will the mild temperature. We're about to plunge back into more seasonal February temperatures, so we'll have some -10C+ overnight treats, and days of afternoon highs in the -6C and -8C range. We haven't quite forgotten what that's all about. And nor have we yet stored any of our winter gear knowing full well it will all be needed for at least another month. Sigh.