We're in a run of slightly milder days for the rest of the week. It's still cold enough, we figure, to keep putting their heavy winter jackets on Jackie and Jillie, along with their boots. Because it's also damp, despite the absence of wind the past few days, it still seems cold enough once we're out in the woods. Granted, the  temperature in the ravine tends to be slightly colder than out at street level, in any event. And it's easier to whip off their boots on our return home rather than repeatedly washing their little paws from grit and dirt. Which kind of balances the nuisance of putting them on to begin with.

 

 

At this rate, counting on above freezing temperatures and possibly freezing rain on the weekend, it's possible the snow cover laid down in the last few weeks will melt. And then we'll start acquiring another snowpack base in short order, all over again. At least the sun was out all day, not merely dropping by briefly in the morning, but shining brilliantly throughout the day. Wan warmth and brilliance is an improvement over continuing days of heavy cloud cover.

 

 

The weather, cold and damp, requires a greater energy burn just to keep warm and energetic on these days, so comfort meals like the one last night is justified. We need to stoke the furnace of our bodies to feel comfortable these days, and a beef stew served over buckwheat groats, alongside green beans, fit the bill very nicely. For tonight we'll have a side of salmon, along with oven-'fried' potato chips and a fresh, colourful vegetable salad. I spent some time gathering/separating the seeds of a pomegranate to sprinkle over yoghurt for dessert. Bright red jewels on a bed of snow.

 

Unlike yesterday's hike through the woods, there were scant few other people out this afternoon; a factor of time of day for many people, we imagine. Instead of wiping out Irving's giveaway cookie collection as occurred yesterday with so many dogs hustling over for their due, only Dozer showed up today. We've known him since he was a puppy. And then along came Charley, patiently waiting for Irving to commence dispensing.

 

On our return home, since it was still early in the afternoon, Irving decided to take himself off to the library. It's been almost three years, since its initial COVID-lockdown closing and the prolonged and slow resumption of normal library hours and activities, and in all that time he hadn't yet returned. So off he went to look about. And was surprised when one of the librarians recognized him after such a long absence.

 

We used to take out videos, but no longer do. And since we enjoy reading books at our own leisure, sometimes tending to several at a time, the two-week takeaway seems to hamper our enjoyment. So Irving heads straight for the room set aside operated by 'friends of the library' for the sale of library de-acquisitions. He brought back several books on antiques, one of herbs and cooking with them, another by John Bolton, and we can both enjoy reading them at our leisure.

 

In his absence, I called my sister for a lengthy conversation. She's younger than me, but in complicated  health. Her 'reading' is done through talking books sent to her by the CNIB on loan. She doesn't get out much anymore because she can no longer walk without pain, and my brother-in-law, a Holocaust survivor, gradually has taken to doing the house-keeping and the cooking. We bring one another up-to-date on family news and discuss the wider news, as well as reminiscing about our younger days, about our parents, about their trials and tribulations in life.