So far, for both of us the aftereffects of our first dose of the Pfizer anti-COVID vaccine has brought us to a feeling of being tired, and the likely unavoidable muscular ache where the intermuscular inoculation had taken place, but otherwise we're fine. Nice to have no complaints in view of the fact that many other people have experienced far more intrusive side-effects. I wasn't able to sleep on my left side last night, but otherwise we were so bushed we had no trouble sleeping in late this morning.

Yesterday when I was preparing the choux for the chocolate eclairs I meant to serve for dessert at dinnertime, I needed to exert quite a bit of muscle-power, mixing-and-cooking the wet-and-dry ingredients, adding the eggs, to produce the smooth and glossy batter required. It is hard work, though I continue to prefer mixing my baking ingredients by hand. I did use an electric mixer later when I beat up the whipped cream to fill the eclairs, however. A bit of fussing around, but it's like a puzzle and putting all the pieces together; the last part of which is melting baking chocolate to dip the tops of the eclairs in before filling them with whipped cream.

While I was at it, I decided to prepare the chicken in sauce a little differently this time, using chicken breast cut into cubes (while still frozen) rather than the deboned, skinned chicken thighs I usually use for the dish. And instead of mushrooms I substituted chopped red pepper, along with carrots in making the sauce, and it turned out to be quite flavourful. It passed the critical test when Irving approved the end result.

I had set aside some of the puffs once they had baked, rather than fill them all with whipped cream. It had occurred to me that the puffs would lend themselves nicely  to a somewhat different breakfast if they were filled with chopped boiled eggs, salt, pepper and a little mayonnaise. I ran the idea through to Irving and he thought it worth a try. So that's what he had at breakfast this morning.

Oh, and after dinner last night we had an unexpected guest. One we know has visited countless times before, but we hadn't spotted him. A juvenile raccoon who had doubtless come around last winter, perhaps with his mother (we'd seen small young raccoon cubs with their mothers at night on the porch in winter in previous years, seeking out the edible offerings Irving placed on the porch) last year. We hadn't meant to re-invite them since one of our neighbours had problems in his attic with wildlife, but there you are... 

After yesterday's all-day rain we speculated how much of the snow and ice would be left in the ravine. On Wednesday, the temperature had soared to 20C and full sun for an absolutely glorious day. Even at that temperature the ice on the trails remained thick in many places, and extremely slippery. Today's weather is an improvement over yesterday's cool, dark wet day, but only minus the rain. It was in fact, colder than we imagined it might be when we set out with Jackie and Jillie this afternoon for our daily hike.

A lot of snow and ice has receded. There are large stretches of forest where the floor is fully revealed, the snow completely gone. And others where it is obvious that it will take a lot more than several full days of rain interspersed with mild temperatures and full sun, to melt it all. We're edging fast past the 50/50 mark, however.

I was sorry that I thought I could dispense with a head band, the wind was cold and fierce enough to be uncomfortable. If Irving had noticed I had gone out without an ear covering he would have reminded me, and I would likely have spurned his advice, as I often tend to. He's far more sensible than I am. But he also feels cold more acutely than I do. 

Jackie and Jillie had one occasion only to do whatever it is dogs do to exchange gossip with one another, aside from sniffing the bountiful messages left by marking. We were out for an hour and a half in a protracted circuit, taking our time and it was obvious we weren't going to be bumping into hordes of other hikers this day, for with the exception of one other person and her dogs, no one else seemed to be anxious to enjoy a brisk tramp through the woods.