We have been spending a lot of time outside during this unusually-warm-(so-far) winter, most of it on Belle Isle. Last week a brief cold spell threatened to freeze the ponds, so we threw our skates in the car and headed to our favorite skating spot on the island where we found the top 1.5 inches of the ice frozen (which wasn't quite enough for me to be comfortable with the little ones skating, even right along the shore). Disappointed, we detoured past the traditional Belle Isle ice tree to see a huge "rink" surrounding it. We threw on our skates and I had to drag the kids away from that place so we'd have time for hot chocolate on the way home.
This was one of the coolest places for a guerrilla skate yet. We ran into some friends, a bunch of people stopped to get out of their cars and slip around, and these older girls surrounded my daughter on her skates and said, "You are soooo good. Are you going to be an ice skater when you grow up?" and I could tell that praise meant so much more than anything that had come from me.
This image is Copyrighted. No unauthorized reuse.
