Wanna Skate?

                             

No, the roads are not icy!  I want to qualify my entry from yesterday and let you know the roads were cleared rather quickly even though we got so much snow.  Sure there were smaller developments whose streets did not get cleared immediately, but the majority were clear of snow and we have what is called salt that gets dumped to help melt the ice.  Hence, that is why you don't buy a used car from a Yankee who drove the car up north :)  

We really didn't get anymore snow, but the temps stayed rather cold.  Any standing water that wasn't deep quickly turned to ice.  As a matter of fact, I did a little skate action in the parking lot at work.  We have a few low lying spots that iced over and I was too busy yacking and not watching what I was doing or where I was going.  I didn't fall, but it was pretty comical watching me try to catch myself.  My arms flapped like I was trying to fly and I dropped my bag and purse.  I am just thrilled I didn't drop on my butt!  Then I slid right on to dry pavement and screeched to a halt jerking, like, well, a jerk!   

I do remember, however, growing up and loving when the street I lived on iced over.  Mind you I didn't drive back then so I had no concerns.  We had a shallow pond at the end of our street.  In the summers we would 'hunt' for polly wogs and in the winter when it froze we used it as a skating rink.  All the kids in the neighborhood hung out and as soon as we got home from school we would make our way there.  If the street was iced over, we would put our skates on and carry our boots.  We would skate to the end.  It was always a blast as the street had a hill and you would get the ride of your life on a good day.  In a matter of seconds you were at the bottom and ready to go.  The trick was not to hit any dry patches!  I should ask my Mom exactly how many pair of skates I ruined because I would hit that patch.  Not once did I get hurt, but I did tumble on more than one occasion.  

Endless hours of fancy figure skating and even playing hockey.  Yes, I played.  LOL  I wasn't any good, but I knew the rules and I could skate.  After Christmas we would make the run for the discarded trees.  We would drag them to a spot near the pond and at night we would burn them and have a great bonfire.  A wonderful treat on those cold nights.   OMG!  As I write this I remember the little old couple that lived about 5 doors from the pond.  They didn't care about the fires, but it was like a game each year to see if we could snag their tree.  For some reason they didn't want us to take it.  They wanted the garbage men, and only the garbage men to take it.  Several years the little old man would run out the door as someone tried to grab it off his front lawn and he would scream and shake his fist.  I wish I grew up before they moved on, I'd love to know why.  We never asked we just yelled back and moved on to another tree.  

Aaahhh the memories of winter and skating!