I am fortunate enough to have a very flat yard. Several years ago I came up with
an idea to build a small ice rink in that very flat yard. Over the next few years
the rink grew to 72 feet by 32 feet, and it is about 8 inches deep when filled with
water. In the fall, around Thanksgiving, we set the rink up and fill it with water.
The rink freezes for most of the winter and is a great deal of fun. In the spring
when the ice thaws we drain and disassemble the rink. Although the surface area
of my yard is mostly flat, the property itself is raised on a hill which goes down
to the road and eventually to the storm drains.
This year, in order to drain the rink, I decided to try bowing the long side of the
rink that runs parallel to the road. I had intended to create a small area where
the water would be released; it would run across the yard, down the hill and into
the street drains. All this sounds great in theory, but in reality it was not so
glamorous. Oh… it started to work, but shortly into the draining process one of
the corners of the rink decided that there was far too much stress involved and it broke.
This event took place only a week after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Not to
minimize the event in Japan, but it is truly astounding what power there is behind
moving water. My entire ice rink emptied in a matter of seconds, taking leaves,
mulch, branches, 2 hockey sticks, three pucks and a volley ball down the hill,
across the street and depositing it all into my neighbor’s yard.
Over the next few hours my wife and I shoveled, raked and swept up the mess
in our neighbor’s yard and driveway. The neighbor was not home, (thankfully).
Explaining what happened to my neighbor was far less dramatic than watching the
water end its trip inches from the entrance to their open garage.
Again we are not trying to minimize the disaster in Japan with my own little
tsunami. However this event has enlightened us as a company to give to the Japan
relief. This year along with our usual contributions to the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, local youth sports, and local disaster relief, we have made a
contribution to the American Red Cross specifically earmarked for Japan Earthquake
and Pacific Tsunami relief.
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