I had some fun-filled time off; so much so that there was no time for daily posts!  The weather cooperated so my grand-daughters and I could enjoy the warm temperatures and fresh air.  

Most of our time was spent at the outdoor ice rinks.  There are two snowbank rinks within minutes of my home and another that has been cleared on Astotin Lake at Elk Island National Park.  We made the rounds and tried out all three.

The day that we visited the local rink at the elementary school, the wind was warm but gusting.  The girls would start at one end of the rink, put their arms out and let the wind push them across the ice so they could land in the snowbank at the opposite end.  They picked up some pretty good speed by the time they reached the halfway point.

The rink at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area had some snow on it but that didn't stop the girls from having fun playing freeze tag.

This is the first year that we tried skating at Elk Island.  It is only the last couple of years that there has actually been an area cleared for skating.  This time an area is cleared off for anyone wishing to bring out the hockey sticks and a 'path' is cleared to skate around Archer Island and back.  The ice conditions were great and our timing was perfect; as we were leaving a number of vehicles full of skaters arrived.  The park staff have placed a fire barrel with wood close to the shore and moved picnic tables around it for visitors to enjoy.

It was great to see so many people enjoying the outdoors as much as we did!