"The Great Outdoors" of mid-January in Quebec is a -16C winter wonderland. Fresh, pillowy snow and a brisk hike pair wonderfully with the crisp, cold air freezing my nose hairs. Exhaling into the obligatory thick scarf always fogs up my glasses, making urban navigation a daredevil's game of distant streetlamp versus oncoming headlights. It is thereby much safer in the naked forests, where sun rays pierce through the maze of tree trunks. Shimmering gradients of gold oranges fall against the deepest of sky blues reflected on soft, snowy plains. My black cat would never accompany me on any of these walks, but one can fantasize.