There are all kinds of messages and nature sent us a mischievous one today, no doubt chuckling madly to herself as we faced yet another day of morning-to-evening snow. On the plus side there was little wind; on the negative side, it was cold at -8C, when Irving went out to do some minimal initial shovelling so Jackie and Jillie could get around in the backyard before breakfast.

 

We had an antidote to the glum, darkly overcast atmosphere sitting on the breakfast table, a large smiling 'Happy Face' to start the day, followed by a hot rice pudding, cooled down with lots of milk and complementary cinnamon and raisins. It hadn't stopped snowing last evening until dark descended with its usual thud, and that's when Irving went out to clean up the day's storm.

 

I had baked sesame-seed-cheese croissants to accompany a simmering pea/bean-vegetable soup, the aroma of both filling the house with the promise of a comforting break in the day once the snow clean-up was completed. To say we were surprised with yet another all-day snow event today is an understatement. That, since snow had fallen since last night's clean-up leading to another bout with the snow-thrower and shovels again after breakfast.

But that's winter here in the globe's third-coldest, snowiest world capital. I'd rather be in Ottawa than Ulan Bator or Moscow, in any event. Aside from washing the tile floors today on our regular house-cleaning day I also 'washed' the hardwood floors -- using a Swiffer product, but on my knees -- which isn't done very often. Even so, I wasn't all that much later than usual when the house-cleaning was finished and we ventured out with Jackie and Jillie for an afternoon ravine hike.

 

Surprisingly, the trails were in pretty good shape. Through the course of the day, despite the snow, enough people had gone out through the forest trails to make for a respectable and minimum-effort hike possible (other than the uphill climbs). There were few people out at the same time we were, but you never know who you may come upon.

Like the husband of a cheerful young women whose daughters are now mature adults on their own, whom we'd known before her children were born. Who back in those days when very few people used the forest trails, took his snowmobile for a spin through the trails; an area where it is forbidden to use motorized vehicles. Back then the trails were far narrower and little-used, and the forest was full of animals we seldom now see any longer.

 

They're both a lot older now, as are we, and one would hope, somewhat wiser in his choices. Back then they had a friendly, excitable dog they had named Crook, in honour of a crook in its tail. Crook was an extremely emotional dog, voicing his pleasure at seeing friends and most amenable to being stroked and spoken to.

 

Now they have a Malamute getting on in years, and a standard Poodle we'd never seen before. The Malamute was notorious for chasing down foxes at a time when there were greater numbers than we've seen in quite a while. The Poodle, still a puppy, was a delight to watch, prancing about, inviting Jackie and Jillie to tussles and run-abouts.