Outdoor Ice Skate

I have been watching our little 5 foot swimming pool which is flipped upside down and has about 5" of water in it freeze solid over the past few days. This made me alert to watch out for the freezing of those small patches of water that collect into pools by the side of the road or out in open fields. They are not very deep and they are the first to freeze up. This morning on my way to work, I noticed a great spot only a few minutes from our house. I decided to try walking on it when I passed by it again after work. Sure enough, it was solid. There was a little cracking but no major cracking. I got home, changed my clothes and grabbed my skates. I got my hockey stick and puck out of the garage and headed over. It was about 24 degrees outside and cold but not uncomfortable. A light snow was falling and you could see the moon through a light haze. I laced up the skates and ventured out. I started slow and tested many areas of the ice. There were some parts I stayed away from because of some loud cracking. I think the cracking was due to it being too shallow in some spots. I still had plenty of ice to skate around on. A narrow stretch about 80 feet in length by 15-20 feet wide. What great fun. It is hard to beat ice skating outdoors. I learned to skate with my sister on top of our outdoor swimming pool cover. We would skate for hours. I got started early this year and this is New Jersey to this is a treat. This is really the first time I have ice skated outdoors since those times on the swimming pool cover. I hope for many more outdoor skates this winter. I will keep my eye out for other sites or maybe even make my own backyard rink. I plan to take my son over to the ice after dinner and after he finishes his homework. The moon and street lights will provide enough light to pass the puck around.