About once a year, the small river slough behind our home freezes over. In the past years, its hasn't stayed frozen for long, maybe a few days, and there hasn't been a chance to actually get on it when it has been frozen.
This year was different.
It was a brisk sunny Sunday in the early afternoon. I had spent the morning with my girls and I was anticipating a full afternoon of studying at the library but then I saw colours flashing between the trees behind our home. I stepped outside to hear the scraping of skates and the slapping of hockey sticks. The water had frozen over and my camera was calling!
The three boys and their dad who usually play street hockey on our street had taken to the ice and it was quite the scene to photograph. I've photographed them on the street before, so they were open to some ice hockey shots of themselves.
It was just days before this that the girls and I had actually made to our local arena for a little bit of skating fun.
I took Kevin's point and shoot to capture our first skate of the season. (so the photos are a bit dark and blurry)
This girl
insisted that she was going to do this all on her own.
I'm not sure where she got this idea. It was her first time in real skates and even before getting on the ice she was saying that she wanted to do it all on her own.
We had a great time though. No frustrations, no upsets, no major falls. They were keen to get out again.
That next time came soon after, but Kamille was in class so I took my keen-to-do-it-on-her-own girl to give it a second go. I opted for a more reliable and safe skate with my girl at our local arena because I wasn't sure how to gauge the stability of the ice out in our big backyard, and it was the middle of a weekday afternoon and not many around if we did get into trouble.
Little skates. Aren't they ridiculous!?!
She was excited,
and we had the entire ice to ourselves until a father-daughter couple joined us.
She cracks me up. Always trying to give it a go on her own.
And she loved it. She skated only seconds on her own, but she was so determined.
We even managed to get a photo of ourselves from some nice man who offered to take it!
It was so great have that ice behind our home last more than a week. Throughout the week, it was like total Canadiana with bunches of kids out there skating right after school hours until the sun set. And on some nights there were even lights set up along the outlined rink. I loved seeing movement under the spotlights and through the trees behind our home. I was determined to get out there myself, and Kamille was willing to give it a go with me!
What a fantastic day for a skate. The sun was shining and the warmer temperatures created a softening, almost slushy surface.
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| so much sun! we could barely look one way! |
Without the aid of anything, and despite the ridges of ice that had formed in the soft ice with many people skating all day, Kamille did amazingly well on her own!
It was great to be out there and taking advantage of it!
Not long after this day, Kamille's Kindergarten class went to our local rink and I was able to attend to watch her skate with her friends.
She really enjoys skating. I think that she thinks that its a challenge that she can manage and work on. She's got confidence, in spite of her falls.
She makes the extra effort without even being encouraged to do so, like its her personal challenge.
And she will continue to learn, improving her abilities each time.
As someone with a history of figuring skating and being on a precision team. I know how much fun skating can be! I think some proper lessons will be on the agenda for next year for this gal of mine!
With days of sun, it was only a matter of time before our patch of ice would be gone. It was nearly two weeks that it stayed. Again, on a weekday, while home with Karis, we ventured out to see how things were and if the melt had happened. We opted not to skate but to walk along the long slough to see what it actually looks like. We'd never really get to see it in that way, now would we!? With so much skating happening each sunny day, the lines and edges made from skate blades froze overnight and the surface was quite bumpy and easy to walk on.
We were able to travel further down the slough than we had ever walked along its edge.
We were able to see things we hadn't ever noticed before from the water's edge.
And when we wanted to, we just sat and enjoyed our gorgeous scenery.
Oh my sweet thing.
I love spending time with you.
And that was it for our ice experience and it wasn't long after this day that we no longer saw people enjoying the ice.
It was so great while it lasted and gave us such an interesting perspective of our big backyard. Most of all, I was excited to see how it sparked an interest in skating for my girls.
But as much as we loved it, a wet slough allows for our winter swans to return.
We traded our of people on skates for that of three gorgeous swans that cruised around the last patches of ice that slowly melted away.
I really look forward to our winter to come. I do hope we get the same experience out in our backyard as we had this year.
