The Strangest Winter

We're having the strangest winter in Chicago.  It has been warm and dry from Thanksgiving on.  I'm not really complaining.  Last year I walked Oreo in the piles of snow and sub-zero temperatures enough for a lifetime.
There is one thing I do miss, though.  We usually take advantage of the local park district's outdoor ice rinks in the winter. We spend several afternoons just hanging out with whoever else is brave enough to skate on the uneven outdoor ice.
The girls like zipping around the rink.  I do more watching than I do skating most of the time.  Even though they are pretty good skaters, I'm always certain one of them is going to fall.  I think it's an occupational hazard to worry about your children, isn't it?
This year the retention pond near our house has some water, but no ice.  As I walked Oreo today, I watch small ripples glide across the top of the water with the breeze.  It was a lovely site, even if it wasn't what I normally see there this time of the year.