It was an obvious plot cooked up by that mischievous trio, organized by nature abetted by April and carried through by a recalcitrant winter. We were caught by surprise, but that just goes to show us how gullible we are when winter tells us 'bye-'bye. The old man just doesn't mean it. He'll go in his own sweet time. We might have grinned and clicked our tongues if it happened on April 1st, but they're crafty; no surprise on that date, but it certainly was a week later.

So, that's Ottawa weather in a nutshell. Whatever you expect, that seems reasonable given the time of year just forget about it. We  just stood transfixed, staring at the white exterior when we came down this morning after an all-night rain. After all, the winter shovels have been placed in storage, our winter jackets washed and put away until next year. Who needs snow?

 

It sat there for an hour or two until the temperature rose, then began melting. Helped along by more rain. So we thought, could be the likelihood of getting out today, like yesterday, would be nil. Speaking to our granddaughter they had yesterday's rain and were shut out of their hike through their own woods, but no snow over in their area, south-west of Ottawa. They had early sun for their woodland hike today.

 

So Irving went downstairs to his workshop to keep wrangling with his stained glass door insert. And I  busied myself in the kitchen. I had decided on baking coconut cupcakes for a change. They don't get frosted with icing; the cupcake tops are covered with (usually raspberry) strawberry jam, then dipped in coconut. There was a bakery in north Toronto that used to make them; 'Madeleins', and I began baking them on occasion when our children were young.

 

As things turned out, we did have an opportunity to get out with Jackie and Jillie. All of us geared in raincoats. The temperature had risen to 5C, and we thought we'd try to outrun any prospective new rain. That's just what we managed to do. On our arrival back home afterward, the sun came out. Followed quickly by rain.

 

Out in the ravine on the trails more snow and ice had melted, thanks to the pouring rain of the day before. The creek was once again swollen with snowmelt and rain, rushing through the forest to the Ottawa River far beyond. But more of the trails were released from the ice and that's a good thing.  Even so, on the icy surfaces that remain, Jillie, attempting to race ahead, skittered and slid on the rain-smoothed icy surface.