The "secret project" I mentioned yesterday is a ice skating rink. The girls finally figured it out today. It took Amy a bit longer: she thought it had something to do with a water slide or a slip 'n slide type of thing. I'm not sure where the logic of playing in water in below-freezing temps came from, but that was her explanation until this evening. That's when she went out and discovered that the water had started to freeze.
I found some instructions for building a backyard ice rink. As a first time trial attempt at building one, I decided to stay small and go with a 16'x 32' size. Even then, the slope of the yard is such that I discovered this evening that I'm going to have to install another board on top of the one at the lower elevation in order for the water depth to be sufficient to cover the whole enclosed area. (I wonder what sort of fortune it would take to have a contractor come in and level the backyard...) Fortunately, the previous owners left several hundred dollars' worth of pressure-treated lumber, so building supplies aren't a problem. The only problem is braving the cold to do the building work.
I must be getting better acclimated to the cold, because I was out and about in below-freezing temperatures today with just a light sweatshirt. It was quite dry, so that wasn't a problem. If it was raining or snowing, it would be a different story.
Anyway, I hope that the construction, the filling, and the freezing can all take place before the weather warms up by the middle of next week. It would be nice for Shelley to be able to skate at least one day before it gets too warm and we have to wait for the next cold snap.
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