Rumson-Fair Haven folks, it’s cold outside! But it’s only cold enough when the pond freezes over.

Since it just might be cold enough to skate, and school’s out for holiday vacation time, we figured the Retro Pic of the Day would take you back to a day in probably 1970. On this day, the infamous call on the ol’ rotary dial phone (to a number that started with  Shadyside) was made to see if the ice was safe enough to skate on — and it was.

So, that day we opted to get geared up in high Fair Haven fashion, hold hands, glide, stumble, fall and freeze on Schwenker’s Pond. Dad came along with his Brownie camera, capturing that initial chilly, somewhat terrifying first skate moment.

This editor was never a very accomplished athlete, much less coordinated. There were lots of bumps and bruises at the end of that excursion. The sister, though, was another story. The outfits, we thought, were pretty hip.

Remember those stocking hats with the tassel on the end? How many times did yours get caught on the skate blade when you fell? Ahem …

No matter how war torn, that first skating day of the season was a hit on Schwenker’s or McCarter’s Pond. It was a plus knowing that the ice was thick enough to not fall in. See? Those little things are important.

Remember when there was that phone number to call to check if the ice was frozen enough for skating? Anyone remember that number?

Send us your Rumson and/or Fair Haven skating pics of the past at evd@rfhretro.com and we will post them.