Last week when we drove out to do our weekly grocery shopping in the early morning the streets were eerily empty. This morning we were surprised to come against a considerable bit of traffic. And then it dawned; people were driving their children to school. Yesterday was the first day back to school after a prolonged school closure in lock-step with lockdown and stay-at-home orders. We're seeing a modest relaxation of lockdown rules and students are on the front lines.

As usual, few cars in the supermarket parking lot, but as we arrived so too were others arriving. What was unusual this morning was gaping empty shelves in the produce department. Re-stocking was underway but it became clear that the store was understaffed this morning. Many sale items were alluring to people who don't normally shop there as soon became evident, seeing few items being picked up by the few shoppers that were there. And there were empty spaces where the 'sale' items should be. Only two cashiers on duty, another shortage resulting in people lining up spaced apart, awaiting their turn at the check-out, something we haven't seen for months.

Something else we hadn't seen before. Between each customer placing their food choices on the revolving checkout counter belts, notice posted at all the check-outs alerted that the belts were to be thoroughly sprayed and wiped down with antibacterial solution. But eventually the shopping was done and we returned home to anxious little Jackie and Jillie who were duly rewarded for their patience.

Tuesday, my 'free' day means something different should be done, and I decided to bake gingerbread snaps. Last time I used the recipe I cut out gingerbread men. This time  I would be using a small porcelain dough shaper that I've had for aeons, a little bear. The ingredients themselves are simply basic; 1/2 cup each butter (margarine), granulated sugar and molasses. Add a large egg and beat well. And gradually add 2-1/\4 c.flour mixed with 1/2 tsp.baking soda, and 1 tsp. each of baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

A lovely, restful day this turned out to be, actually. Heavily overcast, some lazy snow flurries swirling about, and the temperature rose from -10C this morning to -1C this afternoon. A windy day, a damp day, but any day is a perfect day for a tramp through the ravine's forest and that's what we did. Jackie and Jillie expect no less. They sense when we're ready to go, and that's when they become anticipatory.

The wind did a good job reminding us how effective it is in making up for milder temperatures, as we pushed against it making our way up the street to the ravine entrance, then leaving it behind at street level. The creek has remained frozen, and likely that's because for the past week the extreme cold has done a thorough job of freezing the water at depth; it has that appearance of deep-frozen water; opaquely white.

It didn't take us long to understand that we'd have the ravine virtually to ourselves today. Because the weather was so congenial to a longer walk we decided to extend our stay in the forest and go a little further than usual and there certainly was no argument about it from Jackie and Jillie. They worked up a fine appetite and by the time we returned home were ready to gnaw down on a little salad of raw cauliflower and bell pepper.

As it happens, cauliflower and bell pepper are two of the ingredients I'm preparing for our own dinner tonight, complemented with chopped green onions, garlic, sour cream and Cheddar cheese in a bubbling-hot and savoury casserole.