We always have a January thaw, and yesterday's rain signalled that period for 2021. What is unusual, however, is that by this time in winter we usually have a thick, solid snowpack of around two to three feet in depth and this year we never managed to get to that point, though there's plenty of winter left to offer the opportunity of robust snowstorms to make up the difference. By late evening last night the rain had turned to freezing rain mixed with wet snow, leaving a nice crust over everything.

Also yesterday evening my husband had some relief from my experiment with transforming the classic macaroni-and-cheese into a version he would be certain to really, really like. Hmm, actually not. So he was presented with an alternative for dinner last night that he much preferred. We infrequently have liver, either beef or chicken liver for dinner, but invariably it's a dish he appreciates. I'd forgotten to make fried onions to go with it, but I did prepare mashed yam and broccoli to accompany the liver. That's a little bit like life itself; sometimes the good is accompanied by the not-so-good. Despite which, he enjoyed dinner, ate all the yam to my surprise and the stem portion of his broccoli, leaving the flower part. Fresh sliced peaches for dessert made up for that.

When he was busy early this afternoon paying some bills by telephone as he prefers to do, he also called the Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau. His 84th birthday is coming up, and this was to be the year that he'd once again have to attend one of those check-ins for elderly drivers to ensure their eyesight and reaction qualifies them for a renewal of their driver's license. When he had called a month ago he was informed that it would be a requirement for him to attend a session to our surprise, given the growing rise of coronavirus cases during the pandemic.

In today's call he was told, however, that the sessions are cancelled for elderly drivers. Renewals of licenses will be automatic this year. And two years hence the sessions will start up once again. In the interim he's free to drive, his license will be honoured. In fact, if he feels uneasy about showing up at the Licensing Bureau, his license will still be honoured without the '21 sticker as legal until such time as circumstances surrounding public safety are changed. So that's good news.

When we went out to the ravine today for our usual circuit through the forest trails it was quite mild, a degree above freezing, overcast with little wind. There was a light mist of ice fog hanging over the creek. Conditions were absolutely perfect to be out tramping along the trails. Footing couldn't be better, a good solid base of snow, little ice in evidence. Here and there in the landscape, a bright splash of rusty orange or orange-brown colour reflecting the fall foliage of beech and ironwood still stubbornly clinging to saplings.

The rain of the day before had washed all the snow off the trees, their branches and boughs, so that wasn't much of a plus, but the hours of rain hadn't seemed to affect the snowpack on the forest floor, so that was a plus. There were squirrels about, bustling through the trees, where they had been fairly absent for the past few weeks. And chickadees and nuthatches were flitting their way through the evergreens, so ample movement about.

 

A beautiful day yet again. Along with the opportunity to get out, stretch our legs, exercise our lungs, watch Jackie and Jillie nosing about here and there, admire the landscape, and forget however briefly, the myriad of disturbing news reports we read daily in the newspapers. Above all, the burgeoning cases of COVID-19, and the provincial tightening of the current lockdown conditions with a serious stay-at-home message for everyone.