Cold as it is, at -12C down in the ravine, it is mitigated today by the absence of wind and the presence of sun. The sun, at a far different angle in the sky now, higher and sticking around longer into the late afternoon, is warmer, enough so that even at that temperature it has been melting the snow and ice on the canopy over our deck. There's a steady drip-drip and a corresponding buildup of ice on the floor of the deck from the dripping sides of the canopy.

We really quite enjoyed last night's stir-fry. It was colourful and fragrant and tasted just right. The sticky rice we use is Irving's favourite, as close to the rice we ate while we lived in Japan as we can get, here in Canada. Grown not in Asia, but in California. It absorbs the cooking juices from the vegetables very nicely. And the few pieces of beef that were left over went down very nicely with Jackie and Jillie.

Last night I crept up carefully to the front door to get a closer look at the rabbit. He's been back and forth repeatedly to retrieve his carrots. Yesterday Irving shooed away a cat that had been lingering on the porch in the afternoon. The squirrels are most about in the morning hours and early afternoon, as are the birds. We'd prefer not to have a cat feel comfortable around the house.

Last evening, the rabbit must have caught an awareness of some movement because for the first time I watched as he positioned himself on his back legs and stood upright, sniffing and looking about. Not in my direction, but outside and beyond the porch. Until he was satisfied there was no one about that could spell danger, and he directed his attention toward the peanuts again. Later yet in the evening when we were on our way upstairs to bed, I found Jillie sitting quietly at the door, watching the rabbit.

The blasting wind of the last few days was absent today. As was the sky crowded with silver clouds. Blue skies and a very present sun always reflects the fact that we'll be in a bitterly cold temperature. It did warm up to -10C, which while not mild, was moderated by no wind and lots of sun. It's always a few degrees colder down in the ravine, so we dressed for it.

The footing was similar to yesterday's albeit a little firmer in some places. Unlike yesterday when there was no one else about while we were out, we came across a handful of people enjoying the winter day with full sun penetrating the forest canopy here and there. We also came across quite a few dogs who have familiarized themselves with the  presence of a cookie man whose presence they're alerted to when they hear two little dogs barking hysterically off in the distance.

Those barks are the signal that the cookie man is nearby and the dogs tend to arrive long before their humans do. Some of them are patient, and just sit primly beside Irving while he fumbles about to withdraw his cookie bag, and others frenetically leap about, insisting they Must.Have.A.Cookie.Instantly. Irving accommodates. Some dogs must think they've hit the jackpot if they come across us more than once which happens occasionally on the intermeshing trails.

We enjoyed a treat ourselves, seeing the return of the robins from wherever it is they sequestre themselves for days at a time when the weather is really raw. They were out in full number this afternoon, flying cheerily over, about and into the creek running at the bottom of the ravine, and now fully opened again.