Was a time when a daytime high of -20C wouldn't stop us. We'd go out and up to Gatineau Park with little Button our miniature poodle, our younger son in the lead breaking trail, all of us on snowshoes ramping through piles of snow and think nothing of it. We'd gain a prominence in the hills and come face-to-face with a buck, he'd snort, paw the snow ferociously and we'd each go our separate ways. On the way downhill we'd literally float on the thick but light piles of snow exhilaratingly moving downward like the wind, and it was wondrously comfortable.

Now, we decide on a midday high of -14C and wind, to give it a pass. We're a whole lot older. Besides which since COVID has entered our lives and the community has gone stir-crazy, finding comfort at last in unwinding naturally, the forest trails in our nearby ravine have been packed on the week-end with casual trekkers and the occasional tight passes on narrow areas of the trails give us pause for second thought.

Pity, since it's such a beautiful day. Jackie and Jillie often balk at going out to the backyard to relieve themselves on extremely cold days but they're keen to be out in the afternoon on their ravine hikes as long as they're adequately accoutered with boots and jackets. They'd do fine out there today even though they weren't thrilled at their frequent outdoor stops at home. They do enjoy snow. They'll miss it when it's gone come April.

When they went out first thing this morning with Irving they were elated and bouncy, rushing madly after one another in a snow-chase, under the deck where there's a clearing, out and about the network of little walkways that Irving regularly shovels for them. After that as the day wears on so does the novelty. They'd far prefer to remain indoors. But then, that's their attitude at any season; they're home-and-hearth little dogs.

Last night we had the usual robust Friday-night dinner. And at this time of year it's often breaded baked chicken breast, roasted cauliflower and a potato pudding after we've had the mandatory chicken soup. It's chicken soup that forms the base of our Friday-night meals. Before I ladle it into our bowls I add dried parsley and snipped green onions. Yesterday the soup had matzoh knaidlech rather than rice. 

For dinner tonight I'm planning a chicken-less paella, kind of, with fish. We both love rice and the saffron-tomato-infused rice is quite delicious. We get our protein, carbohydrates and fat in one nutritious casserole. It's a treat, however, that we won't share with Jackie and Jillie; too rich, too seasoned for their tender little stomachs, though they may think otherwise.