Family Day

February 17 is set aside as Family Day in Canada.  All government offices were closed, as was the gym, and a lot of business on our street.  The institute was also closed.  We were invited by Bob and Arja to come to their home ice fishing.  They live an hour south of Edmonton in a secluded spot by a lake, which is frozen solid this time of year.  In fact so hard a pick-up was driving on the lake pulling skiers behind him.  

We met Brother Patrick at the chapel in Devon and followed him the 1/2 hour drive to his home.

The view of the frozen lake from his back patio.

Max and the fishing tent that just "pops" out with a couple of pulls.

Ron Patrick digging the fishing holes in the ice which was about 4 feet thick.

One of four holes he dug.

Trying my luck at ice fishing.  I had a few nibbles and that was pretty exciting for me.  

It's hard to see from this picture, but it was fun to watch the fish come up to the bait and look at the shrimp and sardines we were using with an underwater camera.

Sad to say by the time we had to leave we hadn't caught anything.  But the whole experience was fun and it was nice to meet some of Ron and Arja's family and share with us their conversions stories.