An old friend living in Toronto tells me things are fairly disturbed there with the truck convoy and protesters milling about. Not that she has experienced it directly herself, but what she gleans from news coverage. It's my understanding that Toronto police have matters well in hand there. It's the Ottawa police who are having a devil of a time with the downtown occupation by protesters. Oddly enough the police chief in Ottawa was the former Toronto deputy police chief.

However, since Ottawa, as the seat of the federal government was the original target and remains the main target of the protest, it's perhaps not surprising. Those members of the protest convoy that have been living in their rigs for the past two weeks will have appreciated last week's mild weather. A new front is arriving that returns us to sub-zero weather and life will become a little harder for them, this coming week.

Last night it was still 2C, downright balmy, but for the wind. Raining persistently and heavily. We could hear the rain hitting the bedroom windows. By morning the rain had stopped and it was still 1.5C, but falling. And snow flurries were being tossed about by the wind. We thought it would be icy underfoot, but no; a layer of snow had accumulated and stuck to the wet ice below. And the porch was already full of squirrels feasting on peanuts.

We knew that the temperature was destined to keep falling. The illusion that spring had made an early arrival was a delusionary hope readily clung to by those who feel they've had enough of winter, thank you very much... So we made for an earlier-than-usual afternoon foray through the ravine. With full winter panoply for Jackie and Jillie.

They biddably lift each paw in turn to be booted. The temperature had fallen to -7 by the time we left the house. Wind blew straight in our faces as we made our way up the street, so up went my jacket hood. I wore a fine-knit wool undershirt, a heavier sweater over that, had zipped a heavy-weight fleece cardigan over the sweater and over that a lighter winter jacket. I could feel the wind penetratingly cold beneath it all.

It's the wind, it's always the wind. Of course that it was also damp made for an even colder feeling in the atmosphere. Last night's mild temperature and rain completely opened the creek; gone the snow and ice muffling it for its winter snooze. The water running  free and clear downstream. The area dogs will be delighted. Cold as it is, the large-breed dogs love the opportunity to delve into the frigid water of the creek, winter or no winter.

Not many other people out this day when we were out on a heavily overcast, lightly snowing afternoon. And then we met a new pair of hikers, a young woman and her large Blue-Merle-coated Australian Shepherd. And before we could make proper introductions, from another direction on the trail we had just ascended to came another Aussie, and the two fell instantly into a rough-and-tumble play routine.

Jackie and Jillie still haven't figured it out that when large dogs run after each other and tussle energetically it doesn't mean they're fighting between themselves. J&J have a tendency to try to intervene, to play peacemaker, running alongside the other dogs immersed in play mode, their anxious cautionary barks fully ignored.

But they're the honourary sheriffs of the ravine, accountable to the world for the safe and secure environment. It is their custodial job to ensure that all who enter do so with due respect for the environment and with the added intention of civil behaviour in evidence, everyone getting along with everyone else. Leaving us to wonder if we're ignoring the possibility in tasking them to bring peace to the Parliamentary Precinct by convincing the two adversaries, downtown dwellers and protesters they should make an effort to get along.

But then, they may have no influence with the authorities, those at the political governmental level who have not sufficiently addressed the situation of aggrieved populations, and those who have the policing authority to convince the protesters that their concerns have been heard, mission accomplished.