We're in the throes of another of those multiple-day winter snowstorms. Snow began late last night and went on intermittently through the night. Although in the morning the temperature sat at -7C, lazy flurries of snow turned to tiny ice pellets that could be felt pinging on our heads, while we were in the backyard. Irving had gone down directly we rose (actually I stayed in bed) to do some shovelling in the backyard to clear the walkways and deck for Jackie and Jillie.

During breakfast snow resumed, at times heavily before petering out to flurries again. When I took J&J out to the backyard after breakfast snow had turned to ice pellets and their hair got full of tiny ice balls.. It was about then that Irving decided he'd go out to complete an errand he started yesterday. That's when he went out to Canadian Tire to pick up a hot plate with a single burner. Pretty old-fashioned stuff. It wasn't meant for our kitchen, though.

 

Irving regularly orders fair trade organic unroasted coffee beans from a source in Toronto. Over the years he's had several coffee roasters to enable him to roast them at home. It gets use about once every two weeks. His latest coffee roaster gave up the ghost. So our older son who does the same told his father that he shouldn't bother getting a replacement roaster. Instead, to get a popcorn popper and it would do the roasting just as well. We ordered the popper from Crate & Barrel. And because Irving doesn't want to do the roasting in the kitchen, but downstairs, he wanted a hotplate. 

Although online Canadian Tire's inventory said they have one in stock, hurry over and get it, they were in fact out of stock. So today he went out to WalMart and a few other places, none of which had any in stock. Not even Value Village, where he also went. And while he was there he looked around at the women's winter sweaters and bought a raft of them for me. He's a born shopper. I"m not, and he promised more than once he wouldn't get any more sweaters for me. But he's incorrigible.

I his absence I was out shovelling the walkways at the front of the house.  By that time snow had stopped and in its place was light freezing rain. On his return Irving told me that none of the main arteries had been snow ploughed and driving was a little tricky. Freezing rain wasn't making it any better. We decided we'd better get Jackie and Jillie out to the ravine for their afternoon trot-about on the forest trails. 

 

First though, we went online and ordered what passes for an updated hot plate from Amazon. Much more convenient that going store-to-store to try to source one of these once-common little electrical appliances. No fuss, no running about and it will be delivered on Monday. A far better choice of acton, all things considered. 

The weather forecast warns that tomorrow's second part of this snowstorm will be a challenge. We've had about ten cm. down so far, but the total expected is between 20 and 30 cm. People are  being advised to stay off the roads. We found conditions in the ravine really good, though. By that time the temperature had risen to -3C, no discernible wind, and the freezing rain continued. It was clear that not many people had been out on the trails.

 

But the trails were in fine shape, and we had no problems negotiating them. Sound was muffled in the depth of the snow covering, everything looked pristine, and our ramble was beautifully peaceful. As in a serene and lovely landscape.Tomorrow the depth of the accumulated snow may present more of a challenge, both at home shovelling and going through the ravine. For the present, it's perfect. Not for anyone on area roads, but for the fortunate few that may find themselves in a forest.