Although I prepare the bread dough for the pizza, Irving is fully involved in the exercise of putting the pizza together, from cutting up the vegetables and shredding the cheese. The wedge of grana padano is just too large and awkward for my hands to grasp, but easy for him. I grated the mozzarella, and he arranges everything artistically over the pizza dough. The microwave that Irving bought many years ago has a pizza drawer under the microwave oven and it bakes pizza to perfection. Oddly enough, though I'm considerably smaller than Irving, I tend to eat more of the pizza than he does, though we both enjoy it

 

 

I defrosted a package of minced turkey in the refrigerator last night for meatballs to accompany spaghetti that I planned for today's dinner. I grated a small onion and a garlic clove into it, mixed in a few herbs, an egg, breadcrumbs and prepared the meatballs to be cooked later in the day, preparing dinner. Which will be rounded out with French-cut green beans and clementines for dessert; they're an excellent palate-refresher after a well-seasoned meat meal.

 

 

This morning we were pleased to see some fresh new snow tumbling out of the sky, for a change. This unusual winter of so little snow comparatively speaking does mean less shovelling and inconveniences to getting about, including traffic snarls, but we're accustomed to getting large snowfalls and consequent huge accumulations of snow over the average winter. It's always so dreamily-wonderland-like to see the snow billowing out of the sky in large clusters. When it stopped we hadn't received that much snow, likely 3-1/2 to 4 cm at most, but its appearance over the landscape is appreciated.

 

 

It's still cold, the temperature stood at -16C this morning, but by the time we went out with Jackie and Jillie for a hike through the forest trails the temperature had nudged its way up to -11. But there was no wind, and what a difference that makes! Overcast above with those silvery clouds, soft new snow on the ground, it felt absolutely balmy, quite unlike most days of -10C with wind. Jackie didn't once ask to be picked up because of frozen feet.

 

 

Before this latest cold snap we had seen small flocks of robins around the creek, flitting about. Overwintering here the last ten, fifteen years, when some robins decide to give the annual fall migration a pass. There's lots of berries around and sometimes they will feed on tiny crabapples, but they're basically live feeders and it's possible they're finding insects in and around the creek. Today the creek is frozen solid.

 

 

We have lots of birds coming to our porch to feed on the peanuts and buttered little squares of bread that Irving places there; juncos, chickadees, crows, cardinals, nuthatches and sparrows, but never robins.

 

We met a dog we've never before seen in the ravine, a full-size poodle with an unusual coat, mostly eggshell, but swirls of red-brown and grey here and here. Its human told us they had looked especially to bring home a large dog with a brightly coloured coat with a mild and friendly temperament to capture the attention of an autistic child. When another woman came along with a very red-coated Golden retriever the two large dogs romped in play together, while Jackie and Jillie circled them barking urgently as though to break up a fight.  

 

Before we left the ravine, just as we cleared the last bridge and prepared to climb the last hill to the street, we noticed in the distance a large dog racing our way. As it got closer we realized it was a black Lab, and assumed it was one we're quite familiar with, hastening to catch up with Irving, the Cookie-Man. And sure enough, as soon as he reached us, he sat down beside Irving awaiting his treats. Eventually his human showed up and that made for another chat-opportunity. 

 

Despite the cold and in the absence of wind, we were comfortable. Just as we made to depart, they in one direction, us in another, a medium-sized, muscular hound came leaping toward us from an entirely different direction; a young dog obviously in love with the world and everyone in it, leaping first at Irving then at me, while Jackie and Jillie went into paroxysms of indignant barking. It took but a second for the dog to realize that the bag dangling from Irving's shoulder held treasures of edible delight, so more cookies were dispensed.

 

When we arrived back home, I told Irving I intended to stay outside for a few minutes longer so he'd have to deboot and unjacket our puppies in the house. I meant to shovel the porch and the front walkway. But these things always get away from me, and I soon found myself shovelling the side walkway leading to the backyard, and after that the driveway as well. The snow was certainly not deep, it was light, and the fluid movements in moving the snow please me; an activity I've always liked.