So I gave up. Last year, I didn't even try.
Then fate and rain came together to build me a backyard ice rink.
This has an unusual importance to me. Growing up in East Riverside, New Brunswick, on the shore of the Kennebecasis River, I was spoiled. The river at that particular location is about a kilometer wide, and every year when it froze it became an instant, virtually boundless outdoor rink for my friends and me. Some years, when we had cold and no snow, it would be like glass. We could skate for miles in any direction with only the wind to hold us back. Montreal has lots of outdoor rinks made by the city, but there is something special about putting on your skates inside your home and stepping outside to skate or play hockey.
When we bought this house with its massive backyard in November 2012, I thought, 'Yeah, I'm going to build a rink.'
So cut to this year, when I had pretty much abandoned the idea entirely. Heavy rains in November and early December created a sort of lake in the yard. This usually happens every spring but this year, that lake was there when the mercury finally fell around Christmas. And within a couple of days, a rink had appeared. Some snow clearing and positioning, and of course, nightly flooding, and we have a functioning ice rink. It sounds strange to say it, but few things in life have given me more satisfaction.
For the past couple of weeks, we've been out almost every day, with lots of neighbourhood friends coming by for games. My son Cormac has come to like it as much as I do. My wife and two-year old daughter have joined us for family skates.
And I've been reminded how good it is to be outside in the quiet winter night. Because the best time on the rink for me might actually be when I flood the ice. That usually happens after 10 p.m., when the temperature has dipped low. I hook up a long garden hose--actually three joined together--to the laundry room faucet, and slowly cover the ice with lukewarm water. This freezes overnight and creates a smooth new surface for the next day. Like a good meeting with a therapist, or maybe a meditation or a run might do for your brain. A good idea for ice rinks and people.
A few days ago, I happened to be in touch with a friend who works in publicity. I mentioned my rink to her proudly. She got back to me a little while later and asked if I'd be interested in doing an interview on the CBC about outdoor rinks. I politely declined. I am no rink guru, I said, but I know someone who is.
So I emailed Pat Niiya, a high school teacher who runs the hockey program in Pointe-Claire, where I live. I had not seen Pat's rink, but it is a bit of a legend in the area. I asked if he was willing to do the interview, and I included a picture of my rink, not bragging, but proud. He emailed me back, happily agreeing to do the interview. And he sent a shot of his rink.
Looking at it, I can't help but think, next year, next year.
