After yesterday's busy day it was a quiet and comfortable relief to sit down to dinner. For a change I decided to make a roast beef. So I surrounded a small eye-of-round with fingerling potatoes and let the oven do its magic. I had pre-cooked beets to make it easier to peel them, and then sliced and honeyed them, adding lemon juice afterward, to serve with the sliced roast and potatoes.

Beets are such a magical bright red colour. Beautiful to look at, but a nuisance to clean up from. Jackie and Jillie appreciated their little share of the roast and although they love vegetables we kept the beets and potatoes to ourselves. They'd already had their salad, in any event. Whatever is left over of the beef will be slivered and fried up with lots of onions for sandwiches.

By the time we shut off our bedside reading lamps it was half-past one. Next thing I knew, Irving was dressed and had just returned from shovelling out snow on the backyard walkways for Jackie and Jillie. We were early because it's shopping day. Snow was coming down so heavily vision sightlines were impeded. By the time we left Jackie and Jillie in the house as we prepared to drive to the supermarket snow was swirling about so thickly it was almost a white-out.

The roads were slippery with new snow; without winter ice tires I don't know how anyone could drive with confidence on Ottawa Valley roads. Traffic was light; the weather keeping many people at home, we assumed. At -6C, it wasn't too cold, just a driving wind and thick snow descending without letup. We had missed a week of shopping and the refrigerator and pantry were lower than I can ever recall even though we had picked up fresh fruits and vegetables mid-week.

It took forever to get the shopping done. The shopping cart was full to the brim.  We had four large plastic containers of groceries and four heavy bags full of groceries to bring into the house from the garage. Our frantic puppies calmed down when Irving gave them some fresh cauliflower to chew on, and then he helped me put all the groceries away.

He was busy after breakfast, winding some of his clock collection, and moving some things around from room to room. He decided to bring an old grandfather clock up from the downstairs recreation room to sit in a niche in the foyer. It's actually a grandfather case clock he made himself from scrap wood decades ago. He made the face of tin and he painted traditional motifs on the face. When he was finished he installed an antique clock movement that he had bought about fifty years ago and it still runs perfectly.

Snow continued unabated all afternoon, and stopped only at 4:00 p.m. So much had accumulated that we knew it would be beyond difficult to wade through the deep fluff, both for us and for the puppies. It was deep enough for them to disappear in while trying to paddle through it. We'll give it a go tomorrow, we told them, after the trail had been broken by others, far younger than us and with more energy to spare.

 

There's always so much to do in this house to follow a regular schedule of house-cleaning and meal preparations that I really appreciate short-cuts. On Friday when I made a bread dough for the Chelsea buns I baked I had made enough dough to put some aside in the refrigerator for a later use. The dough itself was just the slightest bit on the sweet side, but it was fairly rich since there was milk, butter and eggs used in it. I thought why not use the leftover dough yesterday for dinner, baked as croissants to go with the soup I planned.

 

 

So that's just what I did, and Irving's reaction was all the assurance I needed that it was a good combination. The soup was one made with an assortment of peas and beans, lentils and barley. But it had its share of vegetables; garlic, leeks, jalapeno pepper sauteed in olive oil, and when the bean mixture was adequately cooked in went chopped yam and tomato. In the initial stages I added cumin and fennel seeds and garam masala. So the fairly neutral but rich rolls complemented the flavourful soup quite nicely. 

 

The short-cut for dinner tonight is comprised of the smallest eye-of-round I could get, fingerling potatoes and sweet-and-sour beets. That's a really quick-and-easy dinner to put together.  I need quick-and-easy on a busy day, and Monday is a busy day. It's the day this house of ours gets cleaned, top to bottom. Irving does the vacuuming, I do the bathrooms, the dusting, dry mopping and floor-washing.

 

And then, ta-dum! we're free to go. Jackie and Jillie know all the symptoms of 'finished!'. It's when I get up off my knees with the last floor washed, dump the pail of soapy water down the toilet, and go upstairs to change out of my work clothes. They follow me, nipping at my heels, my hands, anxious to get me going.

Irving fills up his cookie-pouch and arranges the puppies coats and boots so we can dress them for the outside and off we go into a beautiful winter day much balmier than the last several. It was overcast, and some of the snow from yesterday morning's snowstorm still remained on the forest trees, so it was also beautiful.

 

The puppies were extraordinarily delighted to be out, full of vim and energy, racing downhill and uphill and urging us to come along. It's a happy occasion watching their antics. Jillie raising herself on her hind legs with the tremendous energy it takes for her to empty her lungs in loud, sharp inviting barks to her friends where they may be in the forest.

Jackie has a tendency to stay closer to us, while Jillie tends to race off on the trails. When she's gone far enough and begins a barking frenzy, that's Jackie's cue to join her and off he races to add his male voice to his sister's (there really is a difference). Seemingly out of nowhere Evie came trundling hurriedly along to sit docilely by Irving while he fumbled with his cookie bag, and Jackie and Jillie hurried back to make certain they weren't left out of the cookie-fest.

 

The creek was full and running dark with  particulate matter dredged up from its clay bottom.
Whenever was pass over the last bridge crossing the creek we peer intently into a small still 'pond' that forms where a downed tree trunk transformed part of the creek into a quiet shelter. On occasion we do spot a tell-tale orange shape flash by, but not today. 

 

We don't mind an introduced species thriving here; basically goldfish that people have 'liberated' into the creek. They grow, at times, to a substantial size until a spring-migrating great blue heron returns to stay a week or two on a stayover before continuing its way onward.

 

We were almost but not quite in the -20C degree-range last night. By morning the temperature had risen to -12C, just a tad milder than it had been yesterday. But the wind was gone. And to our surprise quite a bit of snow had accumulated overnight. And it kept coming down through breakfast, quickly restoring what Irving had shovelled clean before breakfast to yet another depth.

 

We weren't expecting a snowfall. My theory is that when it's really cold, it seldom snows. So there you are. Just to show that you can't second-guess the weather around here, soon after the snow eventually stopped the sky began to clear and darned if the sun didn't come out beaming happily down at us. 

 

There were some leftover pancakes after breakfast, so I cut them into little squares and Irving put them out for the squirrels. In the intense cold they weren't coming around as much for handouts, preferring to snooze in their nests, and who can blame them? We did the very same thing yesterday, deciding to give our daily forest hike a pass because it was just too cold. Jackie and Jillie were coming into the house one paw after another being lifted, puzzled because their tiny feet were so cold in brief visits to the backyard.

 

The temperature began to rise and before we knew it, we were looking at a -4C afternoon, a clear and appreciated invitation to get out. And we did. And so did a whole lot of other people with their dogs from the surrounding community. People tend to drive over from more distant points to take advantage of the presence of our shared natural landscape.

 

And so we came across a surprising number of people, and even more dogs. Dogs kept coming over to say hello to Irving. Their greeting is typically manifested by a hurried approach -- like at gallop speed -- no human companion yet anywhere in sight, with the dog sitting quietly beside Irving who has stopped and begun rummaging about for his cookie cache. 

 

Jackie's and Jillie's celebrated ruse of pretending hostility to the presence of other dogs works like a charm. Far-off dogs elsewhere on other trails or other parts of the ravine pick up their ears when our two bark, turn to their humans as though to say 'see ya!' and they're gone. Gone over pathways irregular as short-cuts, following the sound and the fragrance of the cookie club.

 

It's fun to watch them; this is very serious business. They negotiate space when more than one or two appear, settle down and patiently wait for the cookies to appear and be apportioned. Thanks, bud. Can we have another? Cookies dispensed and gobbled, back they go; a routine that has become set in stone.

 

Beautiful to see the fresh new snow. The landscape looks fresh and inviting, and somewhat different every time. At home the sun's effect was to persuade the snow to drop off the tree branches. Here, in the forest, the warmth of the sun penetrates minimally, and until there's a good hefty wind being raised, the newfallen snow is content to remain just where it falls.

 

As we pass people we know and briefly acknowledge one another's presence, or stop now and again for a deeper conversation, everyone is smiling. It's Sunday, and what kind of winter leisure could possibly top this? A father, sitting on a toboggan and steering it, his little daughter in front of him, zips down a hill, the child shrieking with pleasure.

 

Strange,but perhaps not so strange. The more inclement the weather the more disposed I feel to spend time in the kitchen, puttering about, thinking up food combinations to hit all the right notes; comfort, taste, warmth. Actually, the weather isn't, strictly speaking, inclement that we're experiencing now. It's simply winter weather. Just like every winter, days on end of (your choice), sun, wind, damp, icy, snow -- day after day.

 

With, on occasion, lapses into a spate of days so benign we're certain we can smell and visualize spring lingering expectantly in the wings while winter is centre-stage. Illusory. But we're not the only ones; on such days we see and hear the forest crows over the forest canopy cawing their impression that spring is nigh. When it's only Mother Nature playing her mischievous seasonal games with us.

 

Nothing to really complain about given the fact that there were so few -20C days this winter. Which meant that days of -10C highs interspersed with quite a few days hovering on the cusp of freezing translated as no freeze-up of the forest creek. Highly unusual. There were several half-hearted attempts with a thin sheet of ice extending from bank to bank, that soon melted in following milder temperature-days.

Yesterday the temperature high was -12C and we felt the icy fingers of cold probing through our winter jackets. If it got any colder today, we lectured one another, what's the point of going out and freezing? Jackie and Jillie, well insulated in their boots and jackets seemed able to sustain the cold, while we felt uncomfortably exposed,

 

 

So today, no ravine walk. In the kitchen yesterday I was busy doing what would result in a hearty dinnertime repast to warm our quaking innards. There was chicken soup, and there was a steaming hot and flavourful potatonik (potato pudding) and baked, breaded chicken breast. Oh well, of course also the 'dreaded vegetable', as Irving calls it; broccoli, to give our dinner plates a bit of colour and our bodies needed vitamins and minerals.

 

And to top it off, Chelsea buns for dessert,  prepared earlier in the day in the required stages but not baked until the afternoon; still slightly warm when it was served at dinnertime, the heavenly aroma of brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins permeating the kitchen.

So today I caught up on a number of things; a pedicure and manicure were in order. So was catching up on my correspondence. And a few online charitable donations that I kept putting off, and now no longer have to. Jackie and Jillie were restlessly expectant of their usual walk. Their daily afternoon salad distracted them. And then they settled down for another snooze, since the vegetable salad usually follows a ravine hike...

 

On days like this when it's so cold we banter between ourselves on the merits of remaining snug and warm at home rather than tempt the elements  its touch-and-go. Invariably there's something that convinces us we can't short-change the puppies and bypass any opportunity to get them out into the great out-of-doors. Because the sun has been so bright streaming through the sliding doors of the breakfast room, Jackie and Jillie seemed convinced they'd be comfortable out on the deck basking in its warmth.

 

It took them no time at all to realize that they would be more comfortable enjoying the sun from the indoors as it streamed through to warm up the house. It's something they've got to experience themselves before they're convinced. Our earnest explanations don't seem to resonate quite so much as a deep albeit brief acquaintance with the icy cold penetrating their haircoats.

 

The high temperature for the day would be around -10C, but of course the windchill figures into the equation and it's much colder than that. There's also the fact that for the next two days temperatures will plunge even lower and at that point we might be well advised to remain at home rather than brave the wind and the cold seeping through our winter jackets in weather-exposure being in the ravine. Where there is also the additional factor of the snowpack radiating its own penetrating cold upward.

In the end we were convinced it would be better to strike out for the ravine, and just dress a mite more carefully against the cold. Jackie and Jillie seem oblivious to any cold-discomfort. They initially try to evade the indignity of having to be dressed for the venture, but once that's done they literally champ at the bit to get out.

 

Eventually, we came across others out with their doggy companions, giving ours the opportunity to be little socialites. After all, the others of their acquaintance are intimately familiar with the barking Jillie is addicted to and when they hear her, they know that cookies won't be long in coming.

 

Irving has a penchant for stopping and chatting with those we're familiar with. Needless to say those are not ideal conditions to stand around in one spot exposing oneself without expending any energy to maintain what feeble warmth you've brought to the occasion. Men like to discuss men-centred items of interest with one another, and that's that.

 

The cold seemed to do nothing much to disturb the bird life, although the forest squirrels were nowhere in sight, preferring their semi-hibernation to the raw elements of nature. The barred owl was about and declaring his presence, though we were unable to catch sight of it. We stand a better chance of seeing him when the crows have gathered to torment the owl.

 

Again, the pileated woodpecker was busy rat-tatting some of the trees it has been focusing on of late. The height at which he's been operating plus the distance keep us from seeing him, other than when he's in flight and then his pterodactyl-like form shouts out, 'Here I am!'.

Through the night hours and into dawn, cracking open an eyelid to glance out our bedroom window brought a vision of a bright pink light faintly twinkling through our bedroom, a familiar signal that snow was falling in abundance. So that when we got up this morning the first order of business was to shovel out the backyard walkways for Jackie and Jillie. Warm from sleep it's an invigorating experience facing the morning cold and lifting shovels full of light, airy crystals, the wind cooling our cheeks.

 

A pre-breakfast workout, you might say. A hot shower sandwiched between the shovel-out and actually sitting down to breakfast made for a perfect introduction to a day of on-again, off-again snow. The front walkways wouldn't be shoveled out until after our return from an afternoon hike through the newly-snowed-in forest.

 

Meanwhile, there was laundry to be done, and new linen placed on beds, clothes folded and put away, puppies to take outside and decisions made about dinner. Last night we had baked beans for a change. The beans were actually baby lima beans that I had soaked overnight. And then just gave them the same treatment I would pinto beans. A wholesome, satisfying, flavourful dinner accompanied by cheese-and=sesame-seed croissants I baked after our return from yesterday's ravine hike.

 

 

We always tell one another that when it gets unbearably cold with a biting wind, we'll give our daily ravine hikes a pass. That hasn't happened yet. When we have a full day of winter rain it's another story altogether. At 2C with icy rain pelting the atmosphere a walk anywhere isn't too pleasant. And so, on those rare occasions we stay home.

 

 

Today the high temperature was -10C for the afternoon, and the wind made it seem much colder yet. When we were young, going out on -20C days didn't faze us one bit. Now, penetrating cold is felt where it wasn't formerly. We hate to have Jackie and Jilly, our puppies, miss an excursion in the ravine. For small dogs these temperatures are uncomfortable, but as long as they've got their boots and warm jackets there's no problem.

 

 

Today was one of those days of cold severe enough to penetrate the layers of wool topped by well-insulated winter jackets. We move at a more measured pace now than we did in our younger days. Moving along quickly generates the energy to maintain body warmth irrespective of exterior cold. Clambering uphill through newfallen snow generates its own heat, but not enough to compensate for the level of cold and wind.

 

 

But to miss going out would be to miss the exquisite landscapes we're exposed to. And a sense of creeping guilt that our pups missed their daily exercise. Much less us, as well. So under normal circumstances the decision to get out and live with winter is the right one for us, and therein lies satisfaction with available choices...! 

Jordan guided me through the process to download all my photographs from the hard drive of my desktop after dinner last night. In total they took up just short of 100 gigabytes and the memory stick I bought was good for 129 gigabytes. I'm glad it's done and the photos are safely tucked away in a backup. The entire process took just short of seven hours. My trusty old computer is slow, but pretty reliable. Except when it throws a tantrum and goes on strike, its usefulness petering out...and then it goes into self-fix mode.

I left it to its own devices last night, and it just kept chugging away long after we went up to bed. We had chicken paella for dinner and it was fragrant, piquant and delicious. Sliced fresh nectarines made up dessert, and then Jody and I played the boardgame Pictionary while Irving watched some of his British detective series on his mini laptop. He's much better at spontaneous drawing than I am, and our son takes after his father. That leaves me the beneficiary since the game is wholly dependent on notional drawings as its communication system leading to answering revelations. 

My drawings are less than rudimentary. The thing about playing the game is that it gives us ample amusement. Every time I burst into a guffaw, Jackie rushes over to see what's going on, and insists on being noticed. We flout the rules and just have a rollicking good time between us.

I soaked a cup of baby lima beans overnight with the thought in mind of using them instead of pinto beans for a change to prepare a 'baked bean' pot for dinner today. Just for something different. I'm baking cheese croissant to go along with them, and preparing a small vegetable salad. 

Mid-afternoon we drove Jody to the train station for his trip to Montreal. The conferemce he's attending  will be over on Saturday and then he'll fly back to Vancouver. While he was with us he prepared his presentation with the use of some software that left me agoggle. He finished his talk and the accompanying slides just in time. He'll be meeting a number of his contacts from other parts of the country at the conference whom he's collaborating with for a project.

On the way home we drove a little further to locate the building where Irving's driving test for those over 80 is to take place on Monday. A more obscure location in the midst of a sprawling industrial complex couldn't be imagined. Good thing he decided to find out where it was now on a trial run, otherwise his 9:30 am appointment would have taken some patience and sleuthing to get there on time.

Soon as we returned home we switched the light sweaters Jackie and Jillie were wearing for their road trip to their usual cold-weather ravine gear and off we went for our trek through the forest. It's been mostly sunny this day, a bright day, but cold. Irving had forgotten to top up his cookie cache from yesterday's hike, and when we were surrounded by a bevy of pups patiently awaiting their due he had just enough to hand out.

Later as we were concluding our circuit we came across two more cookie-expecting doggy pals and there was nothing to give them. Their faces said it all. If anything makes us feel badly, it's that, like a trust betrayed.