Morning Skate at Gawler

Being a cloudy wet day it wasn't good timing to get a young fella his first pair of skates (you can't go skating cause it's wet?!).  So instead, Me Nan and A went off to Gawler to get some skating in in the public session that runs before the Hockey Day in Gawler starts.

N hadn't skated for years, and not on roller skates for decades, so she was a bit trepidatious about the whole thing.  But after the initial inevitable stride-fall sequence she gave herself time and the floor respect and by the end of an hour was motivating around with some sense of rhythm and a positive sense of self.

Young A, bless 'im, was keen to give it a go and, apart from a little sitdown to watch every now and again, kept going also for the full shift.  He started off at about the point I'd last seen him on the ice, working his way around the edge and holding onto my hand for dear life in the parts of the circuit where there was no accessible barrier for little hands.  After a wee word from one of the rink maidens about keeping his eyes/head up and taking little marching steps (marching, not stepping or walking, is the key word methinks!) and a few falls some of which hurt, we were doing circuits without falling (our record was three).  Near the end, I asked him if it was time to get off, or should we press onwards?  The answer?  Onwards!

A good hour and a half; fun, progress made on the part of both N and A, and a good morning activity for me prior to heading back later to Gawler for the last game of the night against the Bumpers.

And, here's to the Rink Maidens of Gawler!