By Barb Little
It doesn’t get much better than this: a frozen pond so slick you’d swear a Zamboni had been over it, a brilliant day – sunny, crisp and clear, friends old and new, four dogs, a seven month old babe in her buggy, hockey sticks and a ball, lawnchairs, hot chocolate and a propane ‘firepit’ for roasting weenies. In the background Begbie and Cartier show off their capes of snow.
We had ventured out on a large pond west of the airport runway for an old fashion skating party. Only three days previous, four trumpeter swans had been seen flocking out of the open waters at the end of the pond, but frigid overnight temps froze it solid and clear as a piece of glass. Not a snowflake anywhere.
I hadn’t skated since 1992. With borrowed skates I only got a couple of feet before I landed on my butt. Determined to get back on the horse, I commandeered the baby buggy, sans baby Cleo, and sailed off to find my ice legs. There are family photos of way-back-when, my dad twirling circles on a pond somewhere here along the Columbia, wearing a scarf, fedora hat, sports coat and long-bladed racing skates with a huge grin on his face. Another Revelstoke moment. Gotcha Dad! We live in paradise eh?
As lovely Lisa who, with Jennifer, made the calls and brought the goodies to make this stellar event happen aptly said “We have to take advantage of these moments, who knows how long the window of opportunity is?”
Here are some delightful photos from this piece of old-fashion, home-made fun:
![There's nothing quite like the discovery of virgin ice. Martin Vanderplaak photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/online-skating-01.jpg)
![A lawn chair makes for a dandy ice vehicle. Martin Vanderplaak photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/online-skating-02.jpg)
![Hey! We could have races! Martin Vanderplaak photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/online-skating-03.jpg)
![This looks like a highway. Martin Vanderplaak photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/online-skating-04.jpg)
![A little broom ball, anyone? Martin Vanderplaak photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/online-skating-05.jpg)
![And at the end of pleasant outing on the ice what could be nicer than cocoa and hot dogs? Martin Vanderplaak photo](https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/11/online-skating-06.jpg)