Rink Rats

How many of us have grown up skating as a favored winter past-time? I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm and we spent our winter days shoveling off our dug-out so that we could skate on it. My sister and I also began skating at the rink in beginner figure skating and soon decided we would like to join the ranks of ringette instead; my brother was a hockey player and there is just something magical about the rink when you are a kid. We spent countless weekends at the rink (or out on our own ice) for tournaments and that meant hot chocolate, rink burgers (mmmm) and the "transfattiest" fries in the world.

We have started skating again. It had been years for both Bill & I and we both enjoyed it very much as children. Bill laughed at me but there is nothing like being outside on the ice on a beautiful winter day hearing the laughter of people, the shouts of kids playing hockey, the sound of the puck bouncing off the boards and the sound of your skate blades cutting through the ice. Oh, that sound, that glorious, glorious sound...it is invigorating.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our favorite winter hobby.

I'm hoping we can get out a lot more this year, especially as a family. Aren doesn't have skates yet but, he still has fun "skating" on the ice.