Having fun

Does sitting on a bucket on a bitterly cold day in the middle of a lake waiting for a fish to bite sound like fun to you?

It did to this family. I saw them ice fishing Saturday afternoon on the lake at Iron Horse Park south of Interstate 80 and got their permission to take their photo. It was too far away to hear so I didn't get their names. I wasn't about to walk out there!!

They are bundled up warmly, with their backs to the biting north wind.

Personally, my idea of fun is geared more toward being inside where it is warm and the bitterness of winter and scorching sun of summer can't find me. Perhaps having a cup of hot tea, watching a movie, reading a book, chatting on the computer with someone halfway around the world, playing word games - oh, I can definitely think of several things more fun than standing in the cold.

It probably doesn't matter to this family if they are catching fish or not. The main thing is, they are communicating, spending time together and building memories. What you do isn't nearly as important as the fact that you do it.

I hope this family caught plenty of fish. Even if they didn't, I'm pretty sure that 15-20 years from now the kids will still be talking about the time they were ice fishing and how cold it was. And, every time they tell the story it will get better and better.

What memories are you building with your family?