I picked up my granddaughters for a couple of sleepover days.  They know that the drive to Gramma's house takes a while so they occupy the drive time by searching for animals along the way.

We didn't see any wildlife on this trip.  On previous occasions we have seen moose, deer, coyotes and a badger.  This time we saw horses and cows.  They did notice the frosty branches on the trees from the fog the evening before.

When I pulled into my driveway, both wondered if the deer were going to be in the yard.  They checked to see if the grain dish was full but came back to say that it needed filling.  After dumping a pail of feed into the dish and topping up the bird feeders we headed inside but not for long.

Both girls have been learning to ice skate.  What fun!  There is small snowbank rink a couple of miles from home and they wanted to go skating after supper.  We packed up the gear and away we went.  After the last time we were there, I picked up a couple of hockey sticks and a puck that they used  between games of 'What time is it Mr. Wolf?" and our favorite 'Going to the Zoo' song.

We didn't have the slider skate trainer.  Both girls are skating on their own and having so much fun!  We spent an hour at the rink and went back to my house for hot chocolate after that.  

While they fished their marshmallows from the drinks, we planned out the next day.  It turned out to be warmer than expected so ended up spending more time than planned in the fresh air.

Last year they took x-country ski lessons at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  It seemed like only yesterday because I strapped their skis on and they took off on the trail like no time had passed.  I thought I would have had to help them get going but they left me behind so I ran to put my skis on and catch up.

We were at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area trails.  They wanted to go farther than the 'green sign' which signaled the spot that we would turn around so we ventured up to a small hill.  Its gradual grade was perfect for them.  I think both went up and down that hill at least 12 times.

They worked up a thirst so we headed back to the parking lot, grabbed our lunch and found a table in the cookhouse.  We lit a fire in the stove and warmed up while eating.  

They didn't want to leave yet so we put the skis back on and headed back to the hill for another hour.  The temperature was dropping and we skied back to the parking lot.  We decided to see if the park had started making ice at the rink beside the cookhouse.

The area was plowed and a layer of water was put down but it was not ready for skating.  Instead, the girls played on the snowbanks; climbing to the top and sliding down in whatever way worked.  On the way back to my vehicle, we trudged through some deep fluffy snow.  Their little dino-shoes that they got for Christmas were in a bag so the younger of the girls was determined to 'stomp' through the deep snow.  

She did more than stomp, she ran through it.  I'm sure that people wondered what was making the big footprints in the snow.  Sasquatch perhaps?

I thought that 3.5 hours of fresh air fun would have been enough for them.  I needed a coffee and while I was sitting down enjoying it, they brought up the fact that we had not gone skating yet so off to the rink for another hour in the evening.

It's so great to see them enjoy the outdoor activities with such enthusiasm.  They are dressed for the weather and embrace winter and the fresh air.  Participating in skiing, skating and snowshoeing during the winter months will make the season enjoyable and a lot more fun.