What a wild weather day this has been. All-night rain that leaked well into the morning hours made us think we wouldn't have the chance to take our puppies out for their normal circuit through the forest trails. It's cleaning day, takes me hours to get the house properly in shape, even with Irving doing the vacuuming. So I'm not particularly fond of interrupting the cleaning process to take advantage of early afternoon light so we won't miss a woodland walk.

 

 

This was beginning to resemble a day when we wouldn't be able to get out. With the temperature at 4C, it's modestly mild, but still cold enough that if it rains it can be pretty uncomfortable, even wearing rain jackets, especially for very small dogs. But then, suddenly, the sky cleared and out came the sun. Where the house interior had been dark just moments before, it suddenly lit up with brilliant light.

 

 

So we hurried to get ready for an impromptu walk. Filled the little sink in the laundry room with soapy water, (convenient for washing muddy little paws after a slush-hike through the ravine) set out towels on top of the washer and drier. Dressed Jackie and Jillie in a light winter coat, halter and collars and then ourselves, and off we went.

 

 

Given the fact of all that rain and the almost-balmy temperature, I felt inclined not to wear cleats over my boots. Irving persuaded me otherwise. And I grudgingly wore them. I was convinced that hours of rain would have cleared the trails on the inclined hillsides of their ice and snow and consequently there would be no need of the cleats for safety and traction.

 

As soon as we scanned the hill leading into the forest I thanked Irving for cautioning me to wear the cleats. The descent would have been fairly hair-raising without them. Once we descended into the ravine, we turned left to ascend another hill that would take us to the point where we would descend, then ascend again, a series of hills leading to a prominence in the ravine. Without the cleats it would have been fairly difficult, a difficulty to avoid if at all possible.

 

 

And once up on the broad ridge of the forest the snow and ice had almost completely disappeared. And so had the sun by this point. Which didn't stop us from having a refreshing foray through one of the circuits we're familiar with. Wet conditions always seem to enhance odours and Jackie and Jillie found ample intriguing smells, all of which had to be investigated, wherever they happened to be. 

 

Early in the morning we had noticed flocks of birds flitting about in the trees, and realized they were robins. At this time of year it isn't unusual to see small flocks of robins and we always assume they're juveniles. Many of them remain all winter. But on this occasion there were quite a few groups and that was unusual. Yesterday, emerging from the ravine we saw a large group of starlings flying out of the forest. A week earlier we'd seen an absolute murder of crows, many hundreds in discrete groups flying out of the forest.

 

 

When we returned home after our forest hike, there were some robins still around. And then I realized some of the robins were interested in the Jade crabapple tree in a narrow garden beside the driveway. This year, the thousands of tiny crabapples had remained on the tree, and robins were definitely interested in eating them. A lovely sight.