Slip and Slide

The best fun on a Saturday, the absolute best fun on a slightly snowy, and drifting kind of a Saturday is to pack up a picnic and go. The weather was cooler than it has been. Wind was dervishly dancing ice flakes across the roads, creating snow snakes. Grey and dismal, it was a perfect day. We bundled up the girls, and went.

Admittedly, the girls were quite the delightful array of rainbow shades. Imagine bright pink snow suits. Orange hats. Pink toques. Green vests over pink suits, and purple scarves and stripy gloves. Wicked sunglasses shaded their eyes and yes, they were styling all right. The good thing about it was they were warm.

Driving out, we headed south to the hill. Week days, we usually make do with the small hills with playgrounds. The round slip and slides, or the turbo long slides provide enough entertainment and are fabulous. However, sometimes you just need that extra thrill. So, today we went to the hill. The hill is Vista Ridge and on it's slippery powdered in slopes are those tube runs. The thrill seekers were chasing speed.

The journey is a bit of a drive. But once there, people pile onto a snow tractor and sled, and trundle down the ski run to the tube park. We raced down and the girls insisted on being the first to choose their tubes. They might be more cautious about other things, but tubing isn't one of them. We got our tickets and sped down on the first run of the day. It was fabulous.

The ice stings color into already rosy cheeks. The tubes spins and cavort as they gathered speed. All you could hear was the highpitched squeals of delight as they cannoned down the run. They were already off the tubes and running up the hill to the carpet lift. By the time we trundled up to the top of the largest run, Uncle was getting off the tractor. More shrieks of delight.

The morning was spent sliding down and sipping hot chocolate on the way up. It was fantastic. Icicles frosted the sunglasses, and toes dangled over the edges of the tubes. Faster and faster they went. Of course, this thrill had to be followed by more treats. I left them on the hill with Uncle on the hill, who promptly spoiled them rotten for the rest of the afternoon.

Finishing with the tube runs, they were treated to McDonalds for lunch, the YMCA for climbing apparatus and then Tim Hortons' for a snack. I am still wondering why I was surprised that they went to bed so well. Ah - uncles are the best in the world and I am grateful. It truly is the best kind of day!