When I was in elementary school at Thurston, Kindergarten through fourth grade, I always walked to and from school and home for lunch. The easiest way to and from school was to walk around Thurston pond then between a couple of the houses to head up Bluet Dr to my house. Actually I kind of doubt it was any shorter, and being a dirt trail with no winter maintenance, I am sure it wasn't any easier. It was however much more interesting than the sidewalk.
Thurston Pond was one of my favorite places when I was little. In the summer we would go fishing there and the community pool was right next to the pond. In the winter when the pond was frozen over, we would go skating and play ice hockey there. I had a friend named Corey, and his dad used to test the thickness of the ice. He had a flagpole in his backyard where he would put a green flag if it was safe to skate on, or a red flag If it wasn't.
It really didn't matter what time of year it was, I hardly ever made it to or from school without getting at least one foot soaked during the trip. I remember a lot of really cold walks to and from school where my feet were soaking wet and the cold would be eating through. There was one walk home where I got a lot more than my feet soaked.
Back when I was in elementary school the pond has two islands. If you were standing in the Orchard Hills Pool parking lot facing the pond, the island on the left was at the shallow end of the pond near the school, and the island on the right was at a deeper section. When the pond was frozen over, I would walk across the pond rather than the trail because, well it was more fun.
One day I was walking across the pond. I am pretty sure I was with someone, but I can't remember who. I got to the second island which had a little bay and a large tree stump sticking out of the water right next to a deep part of the pond. Being a deeper part and having a tree stump protruding, the ice wasn't as thick. I can still remember those last few moments as I was walking across and hearing the cracking sound and the ice parted beneath my feet and I plunged through into the ice cold water.
When I fell into the water, I had on boots and a heavy corduroy winter coat. I scrambled for the edge of the ice, but each time I tried to pull myself up, more ice would crack and I would fall through. I remember one point looking up though the water and seeing ice above me. I'm not sure if it was one of the pieces of ice that had already broken off or if it was the ice sheet itself. Somehow I got out from under the ice and got out of the pond. I remember very little after this point except how cold I was and how solid my coat had frozen.
When I got home, my mom got me out of my clothes and put me in a bathtub full of cold water. I was so cold that if felt as if I was being dropped into boiling water and being burned alive. I don't remember anything beyond that.
I have a lot more respect for ice these days. When I look at a lake with ice on it, I am extremely reluctant to step foot on it. If I want to go ice skating, I will be much happier on a nice smooth rink.
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