"Ford?" "Yeah?" "I think we need a hovercraft"

"... I know how you feel"

But it probably really is a very good way to move around a lake of ice in case of emergencies. I forgot the camera so I used my mobile phone.

As you might have guessed, I went on the ice again today to get some exercise. I originally planned to think about problems I have with some projects I am working on, but it quickly became apparent that I had no such luck... Skating on a lake means cracks in the ice, cracks in the ice mean no mind-wandering of any kind. That I learned in the first kilometre :-P I was thinking "oh, maybe this... or that", when my balance organs went into overdrive and just kept me on my feet. To make things worse, there were two cracks in the ice... But I remained on my feet, be it a bit shaky.

It was weekend, so I was not the only one with the idea; it was pretty crowded on the ice, so overtaking was tricky sometimes. Little children are pretty lucky here, and I am not talking about day care or other benefits, but just plain for their hitch-hiking skillz with mom and dad. Well, mostly dad. A lot of sleds with daddy-the-rednosed-reindeer in front, dragging their offspring over the ice.

Although the lack of mind-wandering makes the experience less useful, the pure enjoyment of skating on a lake is terrific.