When we went up to bed last night we knew we were forecasted to receive another two to four cm of snow overnight. When we woke this morning a serious snowstorm was underway, yet again. Not that we've yet recovered from Monday's 47 cm. When it was over we had acquired another modest 10 cm of fresh snow. Enough to fill up the porch and deck again, not to mention all the pathways, the stairs and of course the driveway. 

 

 

It certainly can't be faulted for beauty. There is nothing quite so lovely as a landscape of newfallen snow, the more that falls the more glorious the spectacle. Tree branches encased in white fluff, tracks where squirrels were up before us searching out peanuts under the snow on the porch. And what's that? Oh, our daily delivery of newspapers somewhere in there, under the snow. 

 

 

Mind, we've always had a newspaper hook beside our front door. And always in the past whoever delivered the newspapers made use of that hook. More than earning their Christmas tip. But for the past year, we've had a change in whoever it is that deposits our newspaper on the porch floor and despite putting up large handwritten signs pointing to the newspaper hook, only once did the deliverer place the newspapers where they were supposed to go. Retrieved, snow knocked off the bundled papers, good as new.

 

We backed up over the new snow, no problem this morning before breakfast. And found the streets somewhat slippery, but we've got ice tires and they work well. Besides which there was very little  traffic, surprisingly. And it takes only a ten minute drive to get to the supermarket. Where there were few vehicles in their parking lot and fewer yet shoppers in the store. The hated but oh so necessary masks...

 

The shelves were full, lots of fruit and vegetable varieties and all other edibles there, as well. But, strangely, no corn flakes, no rice crispies. The eggs I prefer weren't on the cooler shelves but there were plenty of substitutes. The shelves of fresh orange juice were half-stocked, but by and large no complaints. I don't seem to be able to get frozen half salmon sides any more, not for the past several months, but other forms are available.

 

 

Irving spent quite some time with shovel and snow thrower cleaning up the newfallen snow. Oddly, it's Jillie now who doesn't seem to mind forging ahead through the snow, and Jackie who seems perturbed when it reaches his chest, so they were relieved when everything was plowed out in the backyard, leaping about the pathways happy as two little larks. Around the same time our driveway was plowed out but it will take some time for municipal crews to clear the street.

 

The high temperature for today was -13C, windy and heavily overcast. But it seemed much milder than yesterday even though the sky was clear yesterday. And once we clambered over the hill of snow clogging entry to the ravine, a narrow trail presented itself tamped down a bit more firmly than it was yesterday. More snow clung to trees. The wind scattered snow off the crowns of deciduous trees, leaving the understory and conifers to bear their beautiful cold white burden.

 

This time we did come across others out on the main and secondary trails, four others with their dogs, all of whom are on very friendly terms with Irving. The giveaway at a distance is Jackie and Jillie's barking, luring dogs familiar with them to an unerring passage toward the trail we happen to be on. Where they approach Irving and with exquisite docile politeness wait for him to extract some cookies for them from his pouch.