Don’t laugh.

The AOG pool was frozen solid this morning when the competitors arrived for the 15 cm freestyle – so the event was hastily changed to speed skating.

Nobody informed Stanley, who was Team Blackbirds swimming hope for a medal.

I laughed when Stanley hopped along the deck rail and without pausing leaped into the pool for his customary morning warmup. Finding it frozen the versatile swimmer immediately change into speed skating mode and skated across the pool. However, he will lose points for his clumsy exit when he fell out of the pool onto the deck rail.

When I finally stopped laughing and grabbed the camera, he gave me a look that implied he is going to submit an appeal to dbifulco and the governing body.

The extra when I can find and free up one, is of the frozen solid bird bath. Blackbirds and others regularly bathe there - when it is not frozen.