The Scot in him is just like his mother. Who named him Scott. And Scott's mannerisms and facial expressions are just like his mother's. We've known him for half his life, on a slightly deeper than casual basis, but not much more since we usually come across one another in the ravine. He's had a difficult few years. He broke up with his live-in girlfriend for one. He lost his two little terriers, one after the other, about a year apart. 

 

About a month ago he told us, as he stood well back from us while we spoke, that he'd just been to see his grandmother. She was diagnosed with COVID-19, and since she's in her early 90s and living in a congregate setting, he knew it would be touch-and-go. A week later he told us she had died. But good things happened to him, too. He met another woman, a young nurse, and though it took several years they're now firm companions. Getting to know one another included going on trips abroad, once to Africa, once to Yugoslavia.

 

Scott brought home a new companion dog they both lavished attention on, a young rescue from someplace in eastern Europe. Because it was a puppy and rambunctious they were experiencing some difficulties training the puppy to be a little less physical, because it's a large dog. And now they've got a baby boy, several months old, healthy and an obvious new focus on their lives together.

When we saw him on Thursday he told us it was his day off, but he was listening to his two-way radio. There had been an explosion and a resulting fire he said. Looked serious enough to call in several fire detachment crews, and his might be next. He's a big strapping fellow, loves  his job, the best-natured, kindest young man imaginable.

 

The explosion and fire we soon learned, took place in a nearby business in an industrial sector nearby, one that built and repaired tanker trucks. The facility was gutted. Firemen were unable to enter it when they responded because of downed power lines and the inferno itself. Several people were taken to hospital. One has since died, and six others remain missing.

 

Life happens. People go to work, do their jobs, and some jobs are dangerous. One of the responding firemen was injured. The search for bodies continues. Those who worked at the facility who are missing are being mourned. It's hoped that all the injured will recover. 

It's the kind of news, close to home, that makes you grateful for a steady, calm, normal life where distractions and disturbances seem light in comparison to the plight that fortune brings to others. For us, today is another day of gratefulness. Our entire family, though geographically distanced, is well, and so are we. 

 

We've been experiencing a cold snap these last few days. Yesterday, with a high of -20C and wind under a blue sky we decided to give our daily forest hiking trails a pass. And then we feel badly for Jackie and Jillie, even though they're susceptible to the cold since they're so small. The temperature edged up to -16C by afternoon from the morning's -22C with a light wind, so we decided not to miss another day out in the woods.

With a forecasted overnight snowstorm tonight and an estimated 30cm of snow to fall, we might just not be able to get out tomorrow, making it quite imperative that we haul ourselves out today, and so we did. Jackie and Jillie were pretty frisky, neither indicated that their little paws were freezing as we hiked along the trails. Few people out today on the trails. We did see several over on far distant trails from the col between valleys, and came across one of our friends.

 

It was cold, and we were glad to be out to look about and enjoy the landscape and the sight of our two puppies disporting themselves and scrubbing about here and there. And we were glad an hour later to be back home where the fragrance of a lentil-vegetable soup simmering away for dinner greeted us.