It was so dark this morning, and we felt so comfortably snug in bed, if it weren't for our little alarm clock Jillie insisting we get up and get going, we would have remained in bed although it was already halfway through the morning, to our great surprise. When we went up to bed last night there was a penetrating rain. Overnight that rain turned to freezing rain. Snow that came down throughout the afternoon and evening yesterday has been largely washed away. 

The morning sky was dense with dark clouds and it was still raining. Again, that dense penetrating rain. We felt convinced that rain would continue the balance of the day, so weren't we surprised when before noon the rain stopped and soon afterward the sky cleared and out came the sun. Suddenly the house was bright and vibrant with sun streaking through the windows. 

Nature, having her little laugh over impressions given and yanked away to introduce another weather front. We accept.

Once we were out in the ravine, before we even reached the bottom of the first long descent, we could hear the roar of the creek, its swollen waters turgid with snowmelt and soil particles, streaming helter-skelter down its runway. Wider and fuller than it is ever seen other than during spring melt. The temperature had risen to 8-degrees Celsius, and the sun was beaming impressively through the trees which at the same time yesterday were covered with new snow.

None of that new snow was in evidence today. Despite which there remains a deep snowpack which will take weeks to gradually melt. But there are spots here and there on the hillsides where bare patches of the forest floor are beginning to emerge, dark against the snow surrounding those patches.

The depth of the snow remaining on the bridges fording the creek is impressive, a foot or two at least of hard-packed snow and ice. But already some of both have begun melting at either side, leaving the middle portion raised  high. In another week or so it will become awkward to balance on the remainder of the packed ice as the clear portions at the sides of the bridges become increasingly bare.

Jackie and Jillie will experience no problems, all these seasonal changes are accepted with complete equanimity by them, something out of their control much less deep notice. Despite that they continue to be puzzled by the melting snow in the backyard leaving bare areas, completely altering the backyard landscape to one they recall but can't quite fathom.