Tag Archives: skating

Staying Safe

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As this year draws to a close, I’m looking back at those things we did during the Covid pandemic to keep ourselves entertained and yet stay safe.

Thanks to the widespread availability of the remarkable vaccines, often using face masks, adhering to social distancing and staying outdoors in the fresh air we were able to enjoy many of our favorite activities.
During the cold winter, we built an ice rink the the backyard to enjoy the crisp outdoors.


We used igloos at several restaurants to keep our distance from others. And skiing was another way to enjoy the winter.


When the warmer weather arrived the pool became the center of our attention.

One way to practice social distancing was to step into pristine Lake McDonald in Glacier NP.


A long telephoto lens let us drop into the Delicate Arch in Arches NP.


Hiking Fairy Falls Trail let us avoid the crowds at Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone NP

I think most of us are hoping that 2022 lets us enjoy even more of those activities that we miss from the pre-Covid days.

We wish all of you a very Happy and Safe New Year.

Backyard Ice Rink

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A Fun Outdoor Activity

This year winter came a little late to Michigan. The cold weather seemed to wait until mid-January to swoop down upon us. Then suddenly we got a bunch of snow and the temperature dropped.

With the Covid pandemic keeping us close to home, we were looking for an activity that would be fun but safe. My wife came up with the idea to build a small backyard ice rink so that the grandkids could have some outdoor exercise.

After a little thought we decided upon a 20′ x 40′ rink. We made a couple of visits to a nearby hardware store to buy 140 feet of 4″ PVC tubing, a bunch of connectors to keep them attached and a bunch of 2″ x 4″s as a support frame. The hardest part was the hours it took to locate a large plastic sheet (30′ x 50′) to hold the water. After buying all of the supplies we were ready to start.

First we had to clear the snow from the area where we want to build the rink.

Next we carefully laid the plastic sheet down over the PVC frame and then filled it with water.

Hurry up and wait. We had to wait for two days for the temperature to do its trick. That’s how long it took for the water to turn to ice thick enough for us to use.

However before skating we have to smooth the surface using our home-made “zamboni”.

Finally a look at the rink after we smoothed out the ice.
I took the liberty of pretending to practice hockey as I did 50 years ago on a local lake.

The weather has remained cold for February and so the grandkids have been able to use the rink since.

Everyone was definitely tired of being in lockdown. It’s been a boon to getting the grandkids out and about. The skating and hockey has been a very welcome addition to their activities.