My hubby and I finally hauled our ice skates out of the closet yesterday and headed over to the Olympic Oval, the speed skating venue built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, held here in Calgary. The Oval opens up to the public for skating on the ice track nearly every day from August through March or April. If you live here (or are visiting) and have never skated at the Oval, definitely don’t pass up the opportunity – the ice is like no other surface you’ve ever skated on. It’s pristine, smooth as glass and hard as diamond, far superior than any ice in any hockey rink or outdoor pond. I love skating at the Oval, even if the three year old children toddling along on their bobskates around me can stay on their feet better than I can! 🙂
After a few runs around the track, we headed out onto the grounds of the University of Calgary campus, where the Oval is located. I am an alumna of the University and while I attended classes there, I always loved walking along the heavily-treed pathways – it’s really one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Over the years, groundskeepers have been carefully planting and cultivating a huge range of different types of trees and shrubs, so you’ll find abundant diversity on the grounds. With the soft, powdery snow that fell overnight, the landscape was pure winter magic!
This is my 150th post on Flowery Prose – I am so grateful to all of you for reading and commenting! I am having such fun writing! 🙂
Flowery Prose 
Such pretty scenes! Congratulations on 150 posts. I look forward to the next 150! 😀
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Beautiful winter pictures. Wish I had learned to ice skate. If you ever come to Chicago I recommend ice skating at Millenium Park. Strangely, it’s over 50 degrees F today!
That’s downright balmy! 🙂 We’re supposed to get to about 35 degrees F tomorrow, which will melt a great deal of the white stuff. I did a search for Millenium Park – what an amazing place! Definitely a must-see if I ever travel there. Thanks for mentioning it! http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html
Congrats on 150 posts…your area is certainly decked out in all its winter finery…just lovely
Thank you! It is so pretty here right now with all the snow…I’m sure I’ll be cursing it in a few months, though, when I’m itching to get out into the garden. But for now, it’s magical!
What a winter wonderland! And how fun to go ice skating! I can’t remember the last time I was up (or even down) on ice skates. 😉
LOL! Every year, I say I will get out on the ice more often and practice, but I’m still such a terrible skater! I do enjoy it, though! 🙂
Congrats on your 150 posts. well done!
Your winter wonderland photos are beautiful. Yes, you are under snow, aren’t you. I love the trees with the snow on them. The pines are always particularly beautiful. I miss the beauty of winter (grew up in WI & MN), I do not miss the maintenance that went along with it (shoveling driveway and walkways, scraping car windows, hoping your car doors would unlock or even close completely if you got them open)
Skating on the Oval sounds like fun! I always did enjoy skating! Great winter memories.
Thanks so much! Oh, I so agree with you on the winter maintenance part – snow removal is NOT fun in the slightest! It gets really tedious after a few months! But I love days when the fresh snow is so light and fluffy – everything just looks so beautiful! 🙂
The last one is absolutely my favorite. We haven’t had a really pretty snow here in southern Michigan yet and I don’t think I’ll see one before we leave for Florida on the second. I’ve very disappointed. Thanks for the wonderful photos – they have eased my disappointment. 🙂
Oh, there’s nothing like a beautiful snowfall! I’m so glad you enjoyed my photos! Although, I must say, I’m now getting a little tired of the cold and snow here – the windchill is approaching minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 33 Celsius) this morning and it’s not supposed to warm up much for a few days. I think I would really love to head to Florida, like you! Have a wonderful holiday season! 🙂
Thanks, Sheryl. That type of cold is really an energy drainer. It becomes a life & death matter if you don’t take all the right precautions. Take good care of yourself.
Thanks so much for the kind words, I will definitely take it easy out there. At this point, I’m really looking forward to spring! 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful New Year!
Your blog is a true delight to browse through! I could go on & on…
Thank you so very much, that’s so sweet of you to say! I appreciate it! 🙂