Jan 14 2015
The Making of the Rink
Making a hockey rink in my backyard is no longer a possibility since I fled the bitterly cold state of Minnesota. Since my departure long ago, I have managed to time my visits back home to the more agreeable seasons of Spring and Summer. A family wedding December 28th 2014 forced my return to the bitter north.
During our visit, I observed my nephew, Jeremiah, work persistently towards completing a hockey rink on the lake behind his house. He started with the snow blower and his three stooges shoveling crew (Matt, Gabe, and Josiah). His friend, Joe, who helps him in all grand schemes was in and out at random. My brother, Mike, assisted with snow blower repair.
Once the snow was removed, Jeremiah put his Jereboni invention to work. He and Joe had invented this contraption with a pump, hose, and PVC pipe. It pumps and smooths lake water over the existing ice to make a smooth skating surface. The entire process was starts and stops, adjustments and repairs, freezes and refreezes.
Along with the ice, the end boards and lights were worked on. The PVC holding the lights had frozen crookedly and had to be moved, redrilled, and refrozen.
The boy put in hours and hours and hours of work and did not give up despite all the set backs. It was great to see the completed rink and Jeremiah doing a victory dance at the wedding.
The video:
Ambitious adventure, so glad y’all got to see it completed and actually skate on it before you left.