Backyard Rink

 

There haven't been any updates for a while because the Northerns have been out in the back yard skating. Today, there is no skating - it was really warm today. Right now, at 9 pm, it is 57 degrees. Normally, that would be good, but when you can see things like rubber duckies floating on an ice rink, it makes the Chief Icemaker unhappy. The temperature is predicted to stay above freezing for thirty-six more hours.....

When there is ice, this is after-work central. This messy corner is the hockey locker room at the Northerns' house. There is a lot of gear crammed into the bag and spread out all over NorthernMommy's normally nice area (it'll get cleaned up in the Spring, promise!)

Good ice day. (Well, the ice is a fair bit pebbly and rough, but y'all can barely see that in the photo!)

Testing - Ice Day #1

 

NorthernDaddy was going to detail the whole rink building process and all the fun things that went into the miracle of having ice in the back yard, but then he realized that the account would be boring. Instead, he'll share a few notes on things learned in the process....

 

- It takes a lot of water to fill even the smallest rink. At 16' x 22', this rink is small. It still took running a hose for more than eighteen hours (spread over four days) to fill to the minimum depth.

 

- Resurfacing is an art. For those ice-impaired readers, resurfacing is the process by which the skate grooves and bumps on the ice are filled/removed to make a smooth surface to skate on. In short, it's what the Zamboni does at a professional rink. Lacking a Zamboni, it's gotta be done by hand. There are as many techniques to resurface ice as there are backyard rink makers - everyone's got their own particular method.

 

- Resurfacing can will become an obsession. There are scores of internet posts on favorite methods and the discussions in the locker room at hockey practice center around backyard rinks. NorthernDaddy has only had three nights of rink maintenance, and he's already chasing perfect ice. (Hot water bucket dumps are the current favorite for his rink.) (What should the rink be officially called? "Northern Ice"?  "Dinky Rink"? "Frozen Duck Pond"?...Any ideas?)

 

-Many internet posts on the subject of flooding (resurfacing) are potentially deceptive. You can read tales of leisurely outings to the backyard to let the hose gently pour out onto the ice while drinking a favorite beer. NorthernDaddy isn't sure where this kind of thing happens, but it sure isn't in Northern Vermont. It's really cold - hauling a hose out of the basement is work (gotta keep the hose from freezing) - there sure isn't any beer drinking going on here!

 

- Hockey pucks disappear into snow banks fast.  Finding them is quite difficult. Finding them while a four-year-old helps by whacking at the snow with a hockey stick (yelling, "Find the puck!") is darn near impossible, but heaven help you if you quit looking before you find the puck....(Good news: pucks are available in 12-packs for $15. Keep that in mind.)

 

- There's an old saying about backyard rinks and the removal of snow/skate shavings at the end of each skate session. It goes: "If you skate, you shovel."  Well, not if you're four. Four-year-olds don't have time to shovel. Mothers of four-year-olds get a pass, too. They have to accompany the child into the house to remove hockey gear. New saying: "If you skate, Daddy shovels....."

 

- Pressure cracks in ice can be alarming. Imagine, late at night, in the dark,  a rifle going off directly underfoot. Be sure to include the totally irrational stab of fear that the ice will break and you'll fall into the water - you know that the water is no deeper than 8", but your brain forgets that for a second or two.... 

 

- There is no better outdoor winter fun than skating on one's own backyard ice rink.

 

- Fresh ice on your very own rink is absolutely beautiful at night. Sure, it's really stinking cold, you can't feel your toes, your breath is freezing to your beard, it took ten minutes with a propane torch to thaw the water spigot, and your gloves freeze to the hose, but it is totally beautiful to see fresh, glass-smooth ice on a rink that you built.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slow Going

Building a frame: two hours.

Installing liner: four minutes.

Filling rink: Sixteen hours and counting.....

 

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Three sessions of just over five hours each of running the hose. It's the slow hose, but that's okay. The "fast" hose is powered by the household deep-well pump. The slow hose pulls from a shallow well and feeds the outside spigots. Seems better to fill slowly rather than risk messing up the household water supply.

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Deep end of the rink has 6.5" of water and the shallow end has 2". There's just one small spot that needs to be covered - it seems that there is a tree root pushing the liner up in that little spot. It'll take about another two hours of filling to cover it up well. Temps today and tomorrow are mid-30s. Tomorrow night, negative single digits.

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Should have skateable ice in a few days!

 

 

 

Bring On the Cold

As Winter approached last Fall, NorthernDaddy mentioned that a ice rink the backyard would be a really cool thing to have. Things got busy, and the rink stayed a thought in the back of everyone's mind until last week when NorthernMommy pointed out that there are only two and half more months of cold weather left. In more or less words, she said, "Time to put up or shut up." It might have been a less pleasant conversation than that, but she made several good points that got things moving. In the space of one week, the rink liner was ordered, some plywood for the side boards was found (free!), and the frame was put in place. The only thing left is to lay out the liner and flood it with water - a process that is dependent on a few days of good cold weather.

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When the liner carton was opened, it was discovered that NiceRink sends a hockey puck along with one's order. Not expected, and very cool surprise. Unfortunately, NorthernDaddy believes that as soon as LittleNortherner wakes up in the morning and sees the new puck, there will be a big ol' fight over exactly who the puck belongs to. (NorthernDaddy, of course!)

 

At this time, flooding is expected to kick off on Thursday night. If things go well, you will soon see a blog post on the cool new rink. If things go south, well, sooner or later you will see a blog post on the whole disastrous endeavour!

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Cross your fingers and hope for cold weather!

Seeking Warmth

Despite the fact that there was a heating oil delivery last week and NorthernDaddy has eased up on the thermostat restrictions (cranked it all the way up to 70 a few days), LittleNortherner has started to "camp out" on the heat registers. He'll grab a book or some toys and sit directly on top of the vent as the furnace blows hot air.

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This is where he was found yesterday - under the table and on top of the vent.

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Not quite sure he's cut out to be a Northerner....

 

Mad Scientist

Needing a break from NorthernDaddy teaching the youngster about manly things (like fighting in hockey, belching at the dinner table, and lighting things on fire), NorthernMommy busted out her inner Bill Nye the Science Guy and taught LittleNortherner about chemical reactions.

 

Some water and dish soap, food coloring and hydrogen peroxide, and a measure of yeast (Aughh! They're using the good SAF baking yeast! Stop!) -- mix and pour it all together, and see what happens.....

Wait until LittleNortherner sees what happens when a few Mentos are added to a big bottle of Diet Coke!

Circus Monkey

NorthernMommy is getting old. Sounds harsh, but it's the truth: she's even got one of those things that "old" runners have. That's right, a Physical Therapist. Due to her insistence on logging all of those miles, running races, and um...oh yeah - getting old, she's developed the need for professional help.

One of the treatment options is to massage muscles with a foam roller. NorthernMommy opted for the nicest foam roller on the market these days (Triggerpoint's "The Grid"). This thing is deluxe: heavy-duty construction, sturdy-yet-soft vinyl, and excellent craftsmanship. It is the foam roller to beat all foam rollers.

 

To LittleNortherner, it's a toy for his gorilla gymnastics. Thirty seconds after it came through the door, he was up practicing his barrel walking.

 

Darn Circus Monkey!

New Year's Eve

You think adults know how to party? Not a chance. Ain't no party like a young kid's party!

 

No idea. He just wandered downstairs like this...

A bunch of kids that can't tell time; ring in the New Year at nine pm, and they'll never know the difference!

 

LittleNortherner just woke up and staggered into the living room. He saw the two photos above, and his only comment was, "Yeahhhhhh. That was fun."