Delightful, homey, schmaltzy, beautiful but for me teeth shattering cold.

Having spent too many winters waiting for the 15 Overlea as the wind snapped around every corner I tried to hide behind I find the ersatz "Skating Ponds" found at places like the Staples Center or some southern California shopping malls to be more tempting then the real thing. I'm not even sure if I could still balance on a pair of ice skates any more. I'll just stay on the sidelines nipping my schnapps at the bar while watching the delightful smiles and giggles of younger people to whom a skating pond is an alien artifact and believe snow only falls on top of the mountains and not in the Valley.

And when the teacher broke the news about the accident, involving little Sven, trying out his birthday skates for the first time, a hushful pall fell over the classroom. Until Ole, in the back row, raised his hand and asked, "Where's his skates?"

The aerial view of Blue Earth doesn't show any lakes, and the "rink" looks a little too neat to be a body of water. This is likely a field that's been cleared and flooded. And subsequent snowfalls have been cleared to the sides. Wonderful photo.

[Like it says in the caption, "skating POND." - Dave]

Breughel comes to mind - I've been lucky enough to see some originals in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Growing up in PA we had a pond that froze over every winter. I was the kid sister of an older brother who tagged along to go ice skating wearing my strap on, two blade per skate. What wonderful memories I have of those days so long ago.

You don't want to be the one kid who didn't get new skates for Christmas. Actually, I'm waiting anxiously for the lake to freeze here!

Another fabulous shot from the Minnesota Kodachromes series. I really thought this was a painting when I first saw it.

Another masterpiece from Mr Tuttle.

It would be great if someone could pin this location down, who knew Minnesota had so many lakes?

[A possible clue in the first two words of the caption. - Dave]