It's a week since I bought an eggplant, meaning to make a casserole with it. One thing or another intervened, other ideas for dinner that took the place of the eggplant casserole. But the eggplant looks just as fresh as when it was bought, so that's the menu for tonight. Last night we had a roasted Cornish game hen, and I had put a few baby fingerling potatoes in with it although I also baked a noodle pudding to accompany it along with green beans. It made for a very good meal, but it's the eggplant casserole that really excites my anticipatory taste buds.

When we left the house early this morning to do the weekly food shopping there were more cars on the road than we could recall of late. The federal government is finally recalling civil servants to the office but that won't take effect until after the holidays. So it's hard to imagine why so many people were out other than on frantic Christmas shopping expeditions, since it's getting pretty close to the big day. 

The parking lot was close to empty when we arrived at the supermarket, but by the time we left an hour later it was packed. It'll be like this until after traditional Boxing Day, now elongated to a week and more. What I do really appreciate is that people are responding generously to the needs of others in the community whose incomes have suffered over the past few years. Collections for the Food Bank have boomed. It's the sign of a socially conscious community,

Time seems to telescope, somehow, there's never enough hours in a day. How did we ever manage everything while we were still in the outside workforce, when we spent so little time at home during the working week, and still got everything done? Most days we would head out to the ravine as soon as we arrived back home from work. True, hiking the trails took less of our time since we were younger and more energetic, but it's still a mystery.

We were so occupied yesterday with house cleaning it wasn't until five -- pretty late for us these days -- that we got out for our ravine hike. Mind, it takes close to a half hour to prepare ourselves. Dressing ourselves and Jackie and Jillie. They wear their jackets, their halters, and it takes time to stretch their little boots over their tiny paws. And getting our own boots on, adjusting the cleats takes time as well.  

  

It was already dark yesterday when we entered the confines of the forest.  Thanks to the thick snow cover there was still ample reflected light to enable us to see our way around the trails. A low, heavy cloud cover meant we couldn't take advantage of light from the city reflecting on the clouds and creating light in the ravine as often happens, but we had no trouble getting around in the dark; familiarity helps.

We were a half hour earlier entering t he ravine today and that makes a difference. Dusk had already set in and dark wasn't long to follow. We're in the throes of short daylight hours, after all. Tomorrow marks not only the official calendar entrance of winter, but also the shortest day of the year. After which in tiny increments daylight hours will begin lengthening, by seconds every day. In a few months' time we'll begin to see the difference, with longer days.