Howdy,
Ice rink!
Sarah and Jasper on blades
Oh, yeah.
Good fun and exercise and it holds a sense of adventure in a place like Turlock.
Unfortunately with my struggles to keep my back not too upset with me — and it knows how to let me know when it is! — I haven’t been able to enjoy lacing ‘em up in a few years to get out on the ice. That just seems like a herniated disc scream waiting to happen, to me. That, or a bruise to the butt.
But Sarah has the skating bug and has very much attempted to be intentional about getting some use out of Turlock’s lovely outdoor ice skating rink. Feels like a treat to have it here. Splendid.
If you haven’t yet but want to give it a go, Fields of Ice LINK is only open for two more days — well, three, counting this evening, I suppose — so jump on it. Monday’s a holiday, so maybe you can squeeze in a Triple Lutz or something simple like that. I’d go for the Quad myself, but, you know … the back.
My California childhood has nothing to do with it.
I mean, it looks easy on TV. Betcha if I could get out there it’d be Scott Hamilton back flips one after another. (This reminded me of how someone I know used to talk when he was a young kid: immature, unknowing, and adamantly confident. We won’t take a poll on which of those three things have changed. Just kidding, he’s a fine young man. A leader of fine young people, even. Besides, we can’t say anything bad about him, he’s my brother.)
Anyway, where was I? The year nineteen-ni— Oh, uh, ice skating.
Hands free — way out in the middle, like swimming in deep end. Go, Jasper!
This year it was a 10-session pass winter for Sarah, and I’d say that it seems it’s played out as a delightful season of ice skating for Sarah and Jasper and our niece Lizzy. (Sarah and Jasper have taken Cousin Lizzy twice, and she was getting after it! Especially for a young Turlock girl, yay for the roller blading she’d done in the warm months.)
Too bad for Titus, the minimum age requirement is age 3 and he turns only 11 days after the rink closes. Next year! Watch out for the Ti guy! Maybe it’ll be hockey for him. Charge! We’ll let him try some skates on first … But, then, I’m sure he’ll CHARGE!
The pictures are from the last trip, yesterday.
And here are pictures of a HUGE highlight for Jasper and Titus: in the driver’s seat of the Zamboni!
Ti got offered on first and wasn’t shy at all; he was all about it. Pumped. Then Jasper got the same treatment and it made the skate session ending not so sad.
Ti at the controls!
Look at that smile!
The Zamboni was particularly cool because — well, it was a Zamboni. Duh. But, no, particularly, because we’ve read Kate & Jim McMullan’s book I’m Cool! about a cartoon Zamboni which illustrates a fun, X-ray look into how the work and work they’re doing to help prep the ice for more skating — or hockey!
Definitely recommend the book if you have kids. The boys have really, REALLY, enjoyed all the McCullan’s books related to the I Stink! characters and The Stinky and Dirty Show based on the books. Cute stuff done well. Great kids books.
At the end the two older boys found some snow — really scraped ice off the ground, but that didn’t keep them from putting it in their mouths.
The picture session was hilarious because Ti’s was trying to chomp on it like Jasper for the camera, but decided it wasn’t worth it and said, “It’s too cold.”
You can see it: the effort and his mouth saying it was cold. Maybe it’s “you had to been there” but here are the shots.
Remember, you only have ’til Monday to do a Triple Lutz for me.
Enjoy!
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.
Word Count: 49,289 / On Pace: 49,500 / Year’s Goal: 200,000
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