By Dan Corcoran

Playing ice hockey in December can be quite common, but playing ice hockey in December in West Eugene is especially rare.

About a dozen friends played a game of pick-up hockey on Thursday after they discovered a pond off Highway 126 near the Fern Ridge Reservoir had frozen over. For many of them, it's a dream come true to take advantage of this rare opporunity.

The group is skating at their own risk. Fire officials say for the most part, ice in our area is not thick enough to skate on. With temperatures rising in the next 24 hours, they say it's better to just stay off.