I've been showing you a few winter activities that can be fun. I showed you kids sledding down a hill. Then I showed you some people ice fishing. Now here's another one, ice skating. The people in this picture are playing a game of hockey, which involves skating.I took this one at Sumac Pointe while I was there. These people are having a great time playing hockey. They cleared off the ice to make a skating rink, so they could play. The ice appears to be plenty thick enough to hold the weight of all these people.
This is more evidence that there is plenty to do outside when it's cold and snowy. The ice on top of the water seems to create so many opportunities to have a different kind of fun. Things like swimming and boating aren't going to happen this time of year.
There is only one problem with all of these icy events. I said before that I was afraid to go out on the ice myself, but it's okay for other people. Now I'm going to show you part of the reason why I'm afraid.
Here is a place only a short distance down the street from Sumac Pointe. Somebody made an ice skating rink here too. You can see it right behind the sign right there. As you can see, the sign says, "Danger, Ice Unsafe".Why aren't there any people playing on this one today? Look in the middle of the rink. It's a little darker than the edges. I don't trust it at all! Actually, there is snow on the edges. That's probably why the colors are different, but I'm still not convinced that the sign is wrong. It's better to be safe than sorry.
I'm sure there is really nothing wrong here. It was still cold enough to make this ice very safe. The people back there skating and having fun were all perfectly safe. But I have seen way too many movies where somebody inevitably fell through the ice.
Now for the reason I came back to Sumac Pointe! I would have made this a separate post, but it was too related to the other part. I came back specifically to get a shot of this sign. I took a few pictures of it last summer, because I thought it was out of place on that warm day.It was posted right at the water's edge, and I didn't see any ice. I guess it would have been unsafe if I tried to walk on it then. It struck me as funny to see it back then when there was only water. So I decided that when winter came, I would come back and take another photo of it when there was really ice on the lake.
These two photos are very close to being identical, except for the different seasons. Everything was taken from just the same spot. The only big difference is the picnic table that is now gone. Somebody probably pushed it into the water. It's now frozen under the ice.
That's it for today. Like I said before, I have some new and different things coming. They're still similar to my other things, but new and exciting all the same. I have some wintertime things that will only get better when the warm weather gets here. I can't wait!Related Posts
I'm with you; I wouldn't be walking out on any ice either! That sign is there for a reason.
ReplyDeleteI am writing something that are indirectly related to this post.
ReplyDeleteVisiting and writing in your comment column is now more like coming to a carnival. Everbody is enjoying and making maximum fun of it.
Great!!!!!
Our lake is frozen solid and has a few FEET of ice,so no problem. Many people drive their TRUCKS on it. (Not me!) but it is certainly safe to walk on and fish through. My husband goes ice fishing. Not me. I am a wimp. Not about the ice,but the cold. He doesn't bring a heater with him. But the fish caught? Yummy!
ReplyDeleteWow! Ralphy and Ratty won? I LOVE IT!!!
Interesting that you have people playing on outside ice over there. I grew up skating on a pond (I was never very good), but it seems like there is too much snow to be able to keep the ice clear and hard in places near enough to people for skating. Lots of ice fishing here though.
ReplyDeleteKaren - That's right! I'm not sure who decided it was safe anyway.
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Rainfield - Your current post is a great one. With your help, we'll try to make this the best and biggest carnival on the planet.
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The Retired One - I don't have any way to know how thick our ice is. I love fish, but I like the store bought kind the best. That's most of my problem with it. I hope I see Ralphy again.
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Sharkbytes - Somebody must have gone to a lot of work to clear the snow from that ice. I only tried skating once in my life. The skates were too big, so it went badly, and I haven't really had another chance.
the sign during summer looks out of place indeed :) and how the ice made the lake look vast.
ReplyDeletewish i was one of them there playing hockey right now .. i don't if its safe as i have never gotten a chance to walk on ice but seeing any pictures looks like real fun.
ReplyDeleteBetchai - I was thinking the same thing about the ice making the lake look so big. I kept telling myself to include it in the story, but I forgot. I'm glad you said something about it.:)
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Bikran - I sometimes want to go on the ice too, but it's also my inexperience that stops me. I think it would be unwise of me to go out there without having the proper information. It really does look fun though.:)
Sorry I missed playing tag. I caught a bad case of Zombie flu and am just returning from my experience as an undead. I can't believe I missed the month of Jan.
ReplyDeleteI got out yesterday and got some ice photos myself. I saw where someone was attempting to win a Darwin Award. Snowmobiling on river ice is a sure way to win :)
WiseAcre - Don't worry about the tag, I'm just glad you're back.
ReplyDeletePeople do way too many risky things on the ice. We had a few snowmobilers disappear on one of our lakes a few years back. I'd only walk out on the ice if thee was an official sign saying it was okay.:)