Get on the Scoresheet

My fellow backyard rink-builder friend Pete, who I wrote about earlier this season, has entered into a contest for custom ice rinks.  Each unique view on this video is a vote for his rink.  By watching it I think you will see that Pete is in it for the same reasons so many of us are:  friends, fun, and family.

The Hole Is My Theory



Carl gives the water temperature 2 thumbs up

 Cleaning up after the season is over is a brutal task.  My time and energy has been transferred to other things (or perhaps I just enjoy spending it on other things) and the mess that is my backyard sits and waits for me.  Draining the liner isn't hard and there are different ways to do it.  The best - and easiest - way is to sick my neighbor's dogs (and boys) on it.  We spent a half hour throwing a tennis ball into the icy water and the dogs' claws poke hundreds of little holes in the liner, making for a slow, steady drain.  I woke up this morning and the liner was empty.

Jimmy tests the waters



Tilly splashes while Mac looks for the tennis ball



Mason retrieves the ball and drains my liner: win, win

Carl discovers the liner is slippery when wet

Recent Goings-on

Sometimes words are too much and pictures do the job just fine:



First things thirst




Tripping on Alex



Lots of traffic

No Country for Old Men

The year of snow

Danny and Brendan

Brendan and Liam scrape the ice

Remembering our roots and appreciating our chocolate

Audrey's Autumn Tones




Kevin and Alex



RJ is the man



Line Change


 

Hitting in the corner





Caroline and Delaney - are talking about giving ice hockey a try



Caroline and Michael Face Off

Danny gives up a goal to his sister



Moments In Time They Shared Together

$1.oo to the person who can tell me where I got that quote from.

Despite all the snow this has been one of our busiest and bestest (artistic license) seasons yet.  Actually, I have no problem with snow, especially when it isn't wet, heavy, or mixed with rain.  In addition, Danny is old enough that he can help shovel - and does so without being asked - when I am not around.  I used to be particular about how my ice was cleaned but not any more.  Danny knows the rules: before you use it you shovel it; after you use it you clean it.  Since my last post there has been much activity on the Four-em, including:

Danny and Michael played in these outfits in temps that were in the teens.  Beats a couch and a PS3 anyday, in my book.




Caroline, Delaney, Michael and Danny play at twilight.  The girls hold their own pretty well against the competitive boys

 

Thomas, Nick (first timer!), and Danny discover how important it is to keep the last puck available on the ice.  Brendan (out of sight behind the fence) scaled down and up the hill to retrieve it.



The 5th Day of Rinkmas

Temperatures were in the 40's today, but the slab was frozen solid and withstood the sun and temperatures pretty well.  Danny and Michael went out on their boots after dark and played for a while - making it the 5th day in a row that the rink has been used.  Having it up and ready for Christmas break has been a huge blessing.

Forecasts call for 50 degree temps and raining.  I call periods like that, "nature's reset button."

I get more satisfaction from the rink when other people are having a good time on it than when I skate on it.  I like maintaining it (but hate shoveling it) and love it when it's being used.  Debbie's brother and family came over today when I was at work and went out on the ice for a while.

My nieces Becca and Emma with Emma's friend Nicole

Emma helped clean up the rink for me in my absence. :)  Emma has the rink bug.  She is welcome here anytime.

"Uncle Awesome" throwing a snowball at his sister who is taking the picture

Perhaps the best expression ever caught on film here at the Four-em (click on picture to enlarge).  Thank you Boodles.

The busier the better I say.

Flurry of Activity

Since Christmas, the rink has been in regular use.  Danny and his friend Michael were on it most of the day today.  Michael has been his buddy since kindergarten and he does not play organized hockey...

The cool thing is that Michael got skates and a helmet for Christmas. He asked his mother for these things so that he could skate on our rink instead of just playing boot hockey...

...the other thing I like about this is that Danny still likes to play with his friends as opposed to just play hockey.  The two boys were playing all day: skating in slow motion (it's a riot to watch), raising their sticks in triumph, pretending to be injured, and trying trick plays, and just played...

Notice how dark it has gotten since the first picture.  At one point in the day they clumped into the kitchen in their skate guards and I asked them if they came in to play on the PS3.  They said, "No, we need a snack" and they went back outside...



...and the sun set on another day on the Millin Four-em.