Outdoor rink update

I guess its time to update the status of our little outdoor rink project.  I have been busy shovelling snow off it and I was really wondering if it was ever going to come together.  Today however Seth and I were able to finally skate on it.  It is curently -22 with the windchill so it was a short skate but we were there.  It is still a bit uneven and bumpy but I skated on much worse as a kid.

I have gotten into a good flooding routine now and have become efficient at first working out the kinks and then finally flooding the surface.  The biggest challenge is thawing my outdoor faucet so I can flood.  This requires about 10-15minutes with the heat gun everytime.  This is not bad since I have devised a way to set the gun up and leave it while I prep the hose, scrape the ice, or what ever I need to do that day.  Then once the water is running it only takes me about 10-15minutes to flood the small area and I have to roll up the hose and take it inside for the next flood.  If its really cold like today, I have to go through the whole process again, which is no fun, but after today has been worth it.

Seth's favorite thing to do was jump into the snowbanks.  He wasn't much interested
in practicing stickhandling.

With the weather forecast calling for some clear skies and cold temperatures I am hoping that by the end of the weekend the ice will be much smoother and nicer.  My lower end is great right now but I still need more ice to cover the bumps at the upper end.  Still a work in progress as it likely will be throughout the winter.

Keep your head up :P