The snowstorm that left us with an additional 30 cm of snow yesterday is called a "Texas Low"; wouldn't think we'd be affected here in the far frozen north 😜by a  weather system coming out of Texas...! But there it is, the weathermen know it all. And no sun for us for a while, as well. We've had flurries all day, more forecasted for Saturday and on Sunday, 'periods of snow'. 

There's such a buildup of snow now -- and we haven't yet reached February -- it equally rivals the largest snowpack of any year. Alongside driveways on the street the snow is piled over my height. That it's beautiful looking is beyond dispute. Yesterday school buses were cancelled, so that must have been popular with students, if not with their parents.

No shovelling required today, so that's all to the good. This morning yesterday's newspapers along with today's were awaiting our notice on the porch. Newspapers weren't delivered yesterday; too much snow to wade through for anyone delivering house-to=house, so we've got a lot of reading to catch up with. Perusing the news on the Internet is fine in small bits, but for a full reading of the news there's nothing like hard copy.

I asked Irving what he'd like me to bake and he suggested a chocolate cake. I really prefer to bake 'cakes' in small sizes, so cupcakes come to mind. But his birthday is coming up, and so an exception is in order. I suggested leaving it for next week, as a birthday cake, but he said he'd prefer today. Next week I'll do something with sweet bread dough and dried fruits for a change.

I haven't baked a cake in quite a bit, and I remembered how often I would bake his favourite, a 'Red Devil's Food' cake I heartily disliked. It is a light and airy very dark chocolate cake, depending heavily on baking soda for taste and texture and I detest baking with baking soda; I cannot abide its taste. I suppose I could substitute baking powder, but I know the end result would be different. So this is his cake, for his birthday ... um pre-birthday.

When we set out for the ravine in the afternoon, the height of the snowpack on the street seemed quite impressive. It's relatively easier to judge the height of the snow in an urban setting, as compared to a forest, where the landscape just seems to open its arms wide to absorb the snow. We're quite aware, hiking through the ravine, that we stand a lot higher on the trails, given the layers of tamped down snow and ice.

The bridge rails present no difficulty for people taller than I am to look over into the cold running water of the creek, but now that the bridge floor is packed tight with layers of snow, it's easy for me, at this temporarily raised height of the bridge platform, to now easily sight anything over it.

The resident pileated woodpecker was at it again, busily chipping away at tree trunks, delving into the heartwood after unceremoniously hollowing it out in search of grubs. The sight of squirrels in deep winter is much scarcer now, though we see them far more frequently at home. I put out peanuts and  small squares of leftover buttered toast and broken-up carrots in the morning, and by the following morning it's all gone.

Oddly enough we had a tougher time clambering uphill during our ravine circuit today than we did yesterday, even though the trails had seen more people out through the course of the two days of snow. It's a relief when we reach the ridge and can walk for a while on a straight plateau before having to plunge downhill once again as we continue our hike toward the last of the uphill climbs and home.