Looking out the front door this morning at the accumulation of snow from Friday-Saturday's prolonged snowstorm, we were glad that all the shovelling was done. We'd had enough of it yesterday. But it certainly goes a long way to making winter look more like winter. The exquisite appearance of snow thickly embroidering every surface is one anyone can appreciate for its sheer aesthetic beauty.

 

 

These are the days that on our return from a  hiking expedition through the snowy woods there is no match for the promising fragrance of soup simmering on the stove, welcoming us back into the house as we begin to shed our boots, mittens, toques, and coats. We hasten to remove Jackie's and Jillie's boots even before that. 

 

 

This morning Jackie and Jillie decided that they'd like to have pancakes for breakfast. And that's what they had. Of course they also had yogurt, kibble, melon as well. We skipped the yogurt, we had it with blueberries for last night's dessert. But we did have melon and banana to start our breakfast, and enjoyed pancakes right along with the puppies. I like my pancakes unadorned, Irving likes his with maple syrup.

 

No wind today, and a blue sky, so the house warmed up nicely throughout the early part of the day thanks to the brilliant sun. And then heavy, low-hanging clouds moved back in for the afternoon. Auguring more snow to come, perhaps starting overnight. The municipal plows had been out and finally cleared up the roads, leaving thick, dense piles of snow at either side of the street, and across the end of driveways. More shovelling.

 

Ours is a street where most of the households are comprised of retirees. People who have more time to do mundane things like shovelling. On the other hand, these are people who are too old and susceptible to chronic illnesses or accidents caused by too vigorous physical activities when they're not in robust shape, so at least half the households contract with snow removal companies to have their driveways cleared by tractor.

 

Our ravine hike this afternoon was mostly in a dusky atmosphere. The trees remain thickly plastered with snow. Unlike light, dry snow that is prone to slipping off tree branches at the slightest whisper of wind, This kind of snow that came down yesterday is compressed and wet and it tends to stick. It takes a lot more energy to clamber up the hillsides now. That's the negative aspect, the positive is that the more energy dispensed, the warmer you feel against the cold.

 

It hasn't been cold the past several days however since the temperature is just hovering around the freezing mark. But when it's also damp, a cold element creeps in, helped by ambient wind. In these circumstances it's about as perfect as it can be to get out into the winter woods to enjoy the sight of a wintry, snowy landscape, expending energy and feeling comfortable in the doing of it.

 

And you never know who you might come across. People who want to halt their trek briefly to chat, dogs that recognize your presence and give you the most pleasant of greetings in canine language. And little skits that tend to play out when friendly dogs invite one another to tumbles and tussles in the snow, racing about in the sheer joy of life's adventures.