It has been wonderful having our niece Kavi stay with us for three months on her gap year between high school and college. In February her boyfriend came down from Canada to stay for a week and I took them out on the ice-covered mud of our lake in the rain to do a little photo shoot of them. I asked them to have fun and act crazy. Little did I know how far that could go! Although i probably should have guessed...

We started with them slipping and sliding all over the ice, jumping up and down, giving each other piggy backs, dancing, you know all the "normal" stuff that two fun people will do on ice. Then Paul suggested we see how far out we could go. I was nervous - we'd had a couple warm days and I wasn't sure where the mud ended and the water began, but I said I'd follow him. If he didn't fall through, chances were I wouldn't either. He kept going, and after a while I couldn't see mud anymore. Then all of a sudden, a big slab of ice that we were standing on completely gave way under our feet. My only concern was the very expensive camera equipment I had in my hands and I literally jumped back onto the "safer" ice, only dousing one foot in ice water.

I have to confess that my concern was not exactly for Paul and Kavi's safety as much as first getting my camera safe and then snapping pictures of the absolute shock on their faces as they fell chest deep in icy water and struggled to get out. I may or may not have been laughing hysterically at them. Sorry, Paul and Kavi, but I know you can look after yourselves!?! it was a very memorable and fun afternoon!