 Well, the cold temperatures may be unbearable for some, but it's just right for making ice, and the city of Bemichie Parks and Recreation Department got an early start on flooding the outdoor rinks today. Crews will be out daily for the next couple of weeks preparing and flooding each of the city-owned rinks. We'll take multiple floods to build a solid base, and while there are many people ready to skate, park staff is asking for patience. Today is the first day we've actually put some water down over the past couple of weeks. We were fortunate enough to get a little bit of snow, and we came out with the pickups and packed the snow on while it was a little bit warm, so Mother Nature helped us out a little bit to create a little base for us to flood on. We're trying to ask people to keep off as long as they can. I know everybody's anxious to get out and do some skating, but it sure helps us out if people can stay off them so we don't have to clean them before we flood them. The outdoor rinks usually open in time for Christmas break, but park staff members are optimistic for an earlier opening date this year. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.