Winning the Weather Lottery

Working in the rain tonight, unstringing the tiny lights that added so much ambiance in the tent on the deck during the party, I realized something - (other than the fact that it can't be legal to write that many pronouns in one sentence) We should be buying lottery tickets, we are so lucky!

In case you aren't as hard-wired into analyzing the weather with an eye toward outdoor skating, let me remind you ... last Friday morning, as we ran errands to prepare, we listened nervously to forecasts that the fog would lift and give way to sunshine and high 30's by noon. Which spelled Disaster with a capital D for 24 hours of good ice for us. Thankfully, the fog kept the temps down and the sun away longer, and the whole ice rink was perfect for the 6 pm start ( in the photo I am cutting the Grand Marshall's ribbon with my skate blade!) Late into the wee hours Friday night this tent was packed with happy people watching hockey, because it was comfortable- cold, but not windy or wet, and the frosting glistening on the trees was magic.. and then Saturday dawned sunny and stayed perfect for the brave souls and energetic kids outside all day. In short, the conditions could not have been more perfect-- for the whole 24 hours!

Just a few hours later on Sunday morning as we sat in the hottub, Ted and I almost didn't recognize the place... misty clammy air, standing water on the rink, the trees look barren and wet and dull- not a trace of magic!

Faced with predictions of rain and ice tonight, we dropped off our son Daniel at the airport, hoping to get back to NYC, and waved goodbye as daughter Michaela and her husband and 3 sons (all under4!) left driving for Duluth ahead of the storm. What a difference a few days make!

So for 2 weeks before (remember our venture well below Zero?) and the days since, there have never been another 24 hours that a SkateAThon would have worked! So now as we take the tent down before the coming ice does it for us- we shake our heads at our incredible luck....How much is that powerball up to now>??