I grew up along the Susquehanna River and much of my childhood activities revolved around the conditions on the river. In the winter when there was ice on the river we would ice skate. Those were fun times and everyone in my neighborhood would gather after school and skate or play hockey and when it got dark we would build a bonfire to extend the fun time. We would do this night after night and every weekend as long as the ice was safe because we knew it would not last long and if we missed the opportunity there was not a guarantee the river would freeze again for several years. [...]