January 30 was a very cold Saturday with temperatures only in the teens at noon.  But the Historical Society skating and bonfire party went on as planned.  A little before 1:00 p.m. we set fire to the pile of wood, put out hot chocolate, marshmallows and donuts, and waited to see if anyone would show up.  Show up they did!  In total we had over 40 people brave the cold weather.  Adults, kids, dogs- all enjoyed the skating, toasting marshmallows and the warmth of the blazing fire.  Photographers for three local newspapers were on hand to record the fun.

Over the past several years we have contemplated a nice winter event at the Squire's Tavern, and the bonfire and skating seemed to be a nice combination.  So starting in mid-January we built a skating rink on the grounds of the Tavern, filled it with water and waited for it to freeze.  Well, it wasn't all quite that easy.  A lot of work was done by a lot of volunteers.  Thank you Riverton Fire Department for your help with the water supply!  Fifty degree weather less than a week before the scheduled day raised the stress level some, but that warm spell was followed by frigid weather and all was well.

We were very pleased with this event and plan to make it an annual happening.  It gave us confidence to have such a great turnout when it was this cold.  New people came to the Tavern, and we even lured some inside to look around.  Thanks to all our volunteers who helped make this possible, and we look forward to a repeat next year.