I have fond memories of growing up in upstate NY, especially winters with sledding and skiing. My favorite memory was outdoor skating and pond hockey. My father, wife and I were reminiscing about this today. When we about 10, mom would drop my brother and I off at the town rink after school and pick us up after dark, about 5:30, for dinner.
One year my father decided to build a rink in our backyard: a frame constructed of 2×4’s, a sheet of plastic, water and NY temps. Presto! We had ourselves a 15×30 foot sheet of ice. Every day after school, we had pick up hockey games in the backyard.
Fast forward to 2018 and North Carolina. Harder to find a sheet of ice in the south, but not impossible: Jacob and I used to drive down to Greenville, SC to play on Fridays at a nice indoor rink.
Even more rare in NC: outdoor ice skating. But today, thanks to the recent cold weather, we were lucky to skate our neighborhood lake. Jacob and I strapped on the skates and stayed close to shore. For just a few minutes I felt 12 again, sound of steel against ice, freedom to glide, cold air in the face.
I feel fortunate to pass on this family tradition.
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