ON FUN ~ Skating Season...

Edition #8 Thirteen Things about THE BUMBLES - and how we help our neighbor build the annual backyard ice rink... 1. Clear the area for leaves, twigs & other yard debris which may poke a hole through the plastic. 2. Lay out the area - his is approx. 30' x 70'. He changed the location in his yard this year but the size is about the same as last year. 3. Lay out the plywood, stakes and other building components. 4. Stand the plywood on end - his are 2' high - and attach together with pieces of plywood. Drive the stakes into the ground and screw through the plywood to the stakes. 5. Bolt all the corners together with metal angles. 6. Waterproof all the joints with pieces of rubber and old carpet scraps. 7. Lay out tarps on the ground to protect the plastic membrane. 8. Lay out one big sheet of plastic - can't have any joints in the plastic - and get it in place ready to fill with water. 9. We hook up hoses from 5 or 6 houses in the neighborhood and fill it. It usually takes about 10 or 12 hours. It is a big rink and deep in spots - up to 18-24". Good excuse to spend the day drinking and looking at water going into the rink. 10. Wait for mother nature to cooperate with a stretch of cold and dry days. It has to be more than a week of solid below freezing weather. This year has not yet been very cooperative. 11. The first day on the ice is the greatest. It is such a sense of accomplishment. It is still a lot of work though, and obviously the success is dependent upon the weather. 12. Lots of neighborhood parties and another good excuse to drink. 13. Maintenance - mainly involves cleaning after skating, occasionally flooding at night to resurface and hopefully not lots of shoveling. Post YOUR Thursday Thirteen and get the code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants