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For about one week out of each year, the lake in the backyard will properly freeze over for some glorious skating. 

You would think we could get more than a week, but this flakey midwestern weather can never decide how cold it wants to be, 10 degrees one week, 45 the next, 55 after that, then back down 15… 

Well, this was the week of consistently cold weather.  My great friend and neighbor, Randy, came over with his shovel and away we went, dusting off the 1/2 inch layer of powder to uncover a NEAR PERFECT sheet of skating bliss.  And just look at the beautiful, blue sky. 

So the kids and I skated all afternoon, and even Edwin came out a little later.  And to top it all off, we cranked some outdoor music to keep us warm and float across the ice with us.  Here’s a sampling of our random 2008 Farm Pond Iceskater’s Playlist:

• Drive Cattle Driver, by Slow Cattle
• Stay On Your Side Of Town, by Susan Werner
• I Believe In Spring, by Eleni Mandell
• You And Me, by Neil Young
• Tomorrow Never Knows, by The Beatles
• She’s A Spectator, by Tommy O’Donnell
• We’re Going To Be Friends, by The White Stripes
• Clap Hands, by Tom Waits
• Wrecking Ball, by Emmylou Harris
• Roads, by Portishead
• The Devil’s Feet, by Azure Ray
• Optical Hopscotch, by Guided By Voices
• The Battle Of Who Could Care Less, by Ben Folds Five
• This Thing Together, by Dada
• In My Dreams, by Francis Dunnery