Another slushy day in Edmonton. Just a half hour walk along the powerline with Maggie. Unlike yesterday, she was seriously into it. No stopping. Maybe I should have tried for the ravine! I love how she insists on walking on the ice, or any available snow. I think she likes the sound of breaking ice underfoot. Underpaw. It was cracking nicely as she trotted ahead of me.

The hares are going to have to change colour pretty fast. It’s not supposed to dip below zero for two weeks. By the weekend, it will be very brown, and the hares will still be white.

8C/2:30PM

Spectacular 90 minute walk through Whitemud Creek today. Started at the mid-north entrance, just south of the third and last bridge before you hit Snow Valley. The snow in the ravine was sticky, but not yet slushy, as opposed to the street-level sidewalks. Sounds of birds (mostly chickadees) and dripping permeating the woods. Half blue sky, half cloud, but entirely gorgeous. Didn’t take the dog. She came yesterday with me for a shorter walk, but I left her home today because I knew I was going for a much longer, more strenuous walk. The air is a balmy 8C. Spring might be here.

2:30PM/8C

Yeah, no walk today

The river valley never fails to impress. On Thursday, I walked from Saskatchewan Drive, down skunk hollow to Rossdale, across Louise McKinney Park and the pedestrian bridge, with a final hike through Mill Creek. A cold, beautiful day. I can forgive the weather for a bit of sun.

The river is still encased in ice. Hanging over the Cloverdale Pedestrian Bridge, I noticed a lot of footprints in the dusting of snow we received the night before, but whose foot, or feet, is the question. It’s too early for the resident geese to return (I hope), and I really can’t see a human walking out to the middle of the river. Maybe a drunk human. Still, seems unlikely. Maybe a coyote, or a yeti. Wish I’d been there to see it.

I can’t think of anything that would have made the afternoon’s walk lovelier. Like a perfect painting, the brushes were put away at exactly the right moment. A cobalt blue sky, straight out of the tube. A mix of purple, blue and turquoise visible in the shadows falling across the snow. It was magnificent.

With few walks in February because of the cold, Maggie and I have been taking advantage of the nicer weather this week, and last. Stuffed her in the car this afternoon and drove to Whitemud Creek Ravine at the trail head in Westbrook. A lady who knows Maggie commented yesterday while we were walking around the neighbourhood that Maggie looked stiff. I don’t see it. Her endurance is way down, and when she wants to go home she refuses to move, but her motoring ability hasn’t changed. She ran most of the trail today, which is more than I can say for myself. It’s great down in the ravine because there’s not a lot of rabbit poop (thank you coyotes), so she’s not distracted to the point of obstinacy. Just the usual curiosity about who’s been where and when. We both enjoyed our walk. The thing is, I can go farther and faster without her. I must carve out a few dogless walks each week. Seems unfriendly, but I need the exercise.

2:30PM/1C

Two walks today – a dog walk (half hour) and a Donna walk (half hour plus.) Total, about an hour. The sidewalks and paths are sheets of ice; not a problem as long as I wear my crampons. Regardless of what winter has done to our streets, Maggie enjoys any time outside, in particular the piles of chilled rabbit shit everywhere. After I dropped her off, I walked down the powerline into the ravine. The creek is quite beautiful, in shades of white and blue, with pockets of swirling, turquoise water. I was going to walk up the other hill, but the spikes were starting to make my feet ache.

It was -1C, but it felt cooler, but perfect. I am so grateful for all the sun.