Skating Away

I've uploaded my outdoor skating photos to flickr. The girls both got new skates for Christmas and share Daddy's enthusiasm. The thought of skating, to me, is romantic, but in reality I am a little tense and need to learn to relax and enjoy. The whole family has to beg me to go and I am glad they do. The photo above is from a spot we call "Big Pond". It's a wetland area, pretty shallow but expansive. It has changed quite a bit over the years. This year we were disappointed to see that all of the trees have died. I'm assuming it's due to man's desire to control nature. The Army Corps of Engineers is building lots of levees in an attempt to reduce flooding. At this point in time, the effort is causing more flooding. The photo below is the golf course near our house - completely flooded. The ice was wet on top, but very, very smooth!

This whole section of the golf course was flooded, along with the walking path. We were sure to stay away from the ponds.