Continuing Anthology of a Hockey Mom -Operation Rink

Now that the holiday season is upon us and the weather is taking a turn for the cold – there’s only one more activity to add to an already full November and December in our house. The Ice Rink – my husband’s pet project from late November until the spring thaw every year now for the last six years.

With every passing year, our backyard rink gets bigger and more elaborate. Adjustments are made to the yard even during its off rink season to ensure the best conditions for the ice rink installation and maintenance during cold months. This year, we are apparently incorporating a locker room of sorts with a bigger warming area.

Board and posts are installed right now. The husband and young hockey player are waiting for the right time to fit the liner into our big huge ice cube tray that takes up 2/3 of the backyard. Soon, flags with advertisements will be going up and the rink will take its real shape with the help of Heineken and Hockey Night flags and posters. No, we don’t serve up the brewskies but it does make for a colorful sight, especially at night skating. Oh yeah, you got it…there are lights too! Some industrial size spotlights that illuminate half of the neighborhood!

After the hardware and colorful décor gets put up, the water will flow. Conditions will be monitored and weather forecasts will be scrutinized until the day of the first layer of ice is upon us. For several years now the husband has taken mental notes on just when is the right time for the first watering and has it down to a near science. He is a scientist and I say near because there is always some kind of glitch that makes the following year’s rink that much better. Learning from near misses is always an advantage.

One year, Mr. Science decided that only between the hours of midnight and three a.m. were suitable for laying down layers of water, one trash can full at a time. His methods have evolved from those first few early years and now he employs all sorts of equipment. Usually, my gardening equipment.

From sprinklers to edgers to bulb diggers, the rink and garden share employment of these tools. It really is amazing the quality of rink you can get with details. This year the only thing I can think of that has not been done, probably will be. There will somehow be lines painted into the ice. Face off circles have been talked about for three years now, but the technology has not made it to our rink. Lord only knows what Mr. Science is thinking for this!

Soon, there will be weekend backyard skating and the before school shoot-outs just to get a good start to the day. And by luck of the draw, mommie time on the rink. That’s absolutely right. When Mr. Science and the young hockey player are otherwise occupied at school and work, and the rink is skatable, I take full advantage of the ice time.

My Boy Milo, our german shorthaired pointer will go for a quick skate of his own with me in lieu of a walk on most cold days, and it’s a good bit of exercise for both of us. I even attempt to shoot some pucks among my figure eights.

Yes, soon we will be skating again. And although it may seem like a lot of work, if planned right there is a lot of ice time to be had by all. Mr. Science is a bilogist, a scientist still, so you can imagine just how he might get lines and circles into the ice this year. Never been done on our backyard rink before. I better go hide the Christmas cookie decorations and the blender, lest he get to thinking of concoting a paint!

PLJ&H, Jule

Posted by WNV Headline News on November 29, 2009. Filed under Collegiate Sports,Health and Living,Human Interest,Opinion Editorial,WorldNewsVine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.