Skating on Canal - 2011

When you live through an Ottawa winter there are two things you pretty much should try at least once:  (yeah, I know you all wouldn't, but you could : ) )    Skiing, and Skating.  Hey, it's winter after all.  

Each year our youth group goes skating on the Canal, if it works out.  Last year (if you go back to last year's post you'll see)  only CIA went, and it was raining, warm, and wet.  

This year it was just the opposite.  A clear night, and very cold.  -17 C and with the wind chill a balmy -24 C.  This might stop the faint of heart, but not this youth group (well, there were two emails stating that it was WAY to cold to go skating, but I didn't think so).  

Apparently neither did 90 % of CIA/ETM.  Though all didn't bundle up as good as they should have, no one froze on the Canal.  In fact, it was rather warm if you kept moving.  

We took 4 vehicles down to the North end of Dow's Lake and proceeded to the warm change huts to get our gear on.  

 Here are some of our group before we head out in the vehicles.  

 Here are more of the group.  Nice tonsils William.  

 During Winterlude you have to pay to park and skate.  There is a small parking lot off Colonel By drive, and during the week it's free.  Apparently this is not well known amongst my youth leaders.  hmmmmm.  They've been here longer than I have, and I actually knew something about Ottawa they didn't.  I was surprised.  : )  

Here you see us walking the 5 minutes to the change building.  You can't tell, but it's COOOLLLLDDDD!!!  : )  

 Ah, to be able to put your skates on in relative warmth is a nice thing.  Thanks NCC for putting up these buildings.  Here Sarah, Miranda and William get their skates on.  

 Here is the older group getting ready to go out on the Canal.  I still find it amazing  (though I shouldn't really)  how we segregate ourselves between CIA and ETM.   Ah, how often I forget growing up.......

 Guess who!   Yes, it's Ken.  He didn't skate, but he did end up being very helpful as he waited for Megan and Amy and Stephanie to show up from across Dow's Lake.  He looks toasty warm  : ).   He went for a nice walk on the Canal while we skated.  

 As we get older, we often think we've come to a point where we know certain things about certain people.  A nature progression of life, and maybe a pride thing as well.  I was amazed to see Janine putting on a helmet to go skating.  She's a good skier, so for some reason, I just assumed she would be a good skater.  Not so.  Hey, smart lady if you ask me.....though I THINK Fontana thought she looked funny....and Fontana sure wasn't shy about letting Janine know either.  : ) 

 Miranda getting ready to go out there and do some skating!!

After getting our skates on, everyone departed.  Some were slower, some were faster.  Fontana and Rosy were part of the slow team.  (I stuck with Jeannine and Janine as we were waiting for Megan and company to show up).   

 It took a while, but EVENTUALLY Megan and company showed up.  They went to pick up Stephanie, who apparently lives in the country.  They also ended up going to the wrong side of Dow's Lake.  I think I made 15 phone calls to them to make sure we didn't lose them......

 This is just a creepy picture.....  : )  

Who is that person on the left.....the two J's.  

 Yes, group shots are always popular with this group.  They know they'll make it on my blog.  I think they all fell down right after I took this picture....did you not?   

Kevin, too, came later.  He parked on the other side of Dow's lake, which came in handy b/c he could take home Megan and company.  I think he skated way to fast.  His whole body was steaming.  Cool to watch, for us at least.  

 About 1/2 way down the 7.5 KM skate way you can stop to get some great food.  We didn't, but we did wait for those who were way ahead of us to come back.  They didn't, so we turned around and went back.  

 I tried to get a picture of someone else (can't quite remember who), but Rosy stuck her face right in the way.  I think you really CAN see her tonsils....gross......

 Eventually everyone returned back to our starting point.  I didn't see the older group at all this time around, hence very few pictures of them.  They don't look too cold here, do they?  Apparently some of the ETM group went the whole 7.5 KM's.  Nice job.  

 When you go on the Canal, the tradition is to grab something warm to drink and a Beaver Tail.  You can top that tail with chocolate, sugar, garlic, etc.  Here is Jacob enjoying a Beaver Tail.   

 These 4 were standing in a row, and I wanted to get a pensive picture of them.  Two of the 4 cooperated......

 Apparently Hannah and Leah were having a bad hair day and didn't want their picture taken.  

 Sarah and Amy enjoying a Beaver Tail.  My camera lens  began fogging up inside, so things look a bit misty.  Sorry about that.  

 Olivia enjoying her Beaver Tail.  She didn't even share with Stephanie....what's with THAT!!!!

 It looks like Jonah and Jacob skated way too hard.  

They look tired.  

 Hey, Janine has her hot chocolate (or other hot beverage).  You did well on the canal Janine.  Sure was full of cracks though, eh! 

Sandy and Daughter Miranda waiting to leave after a great time on the Canal. Thanks for driving Sandy.  Thanks for taking all those girls too.  I bet they weren't as noisy as the van that Jannine and Janine were in, eh you two  : ) (Tee,hee).  

So, this year we actually got to skate on the Canal.  A cold night, but hey, that's what it's all about.  As Hannah said on her Facebook page  "I'm still cold from Skating...but let's do it again!!!  "  :)