BlOtlancastoF Firming; Saturday,' Fabraary 6, *
t,
remy Longenecker, son of Barry and Jackie
Longenecker made this snowman on a cold day. Later, the
weather grew warmer—warm enough for this snowman to
discard his hat.
You need go no further than
your own backyard or the immedi
ate neighborhood to enjoy winter
time recreation. With a foot or two
of snow you can rig up a thrilling
sled run on a gentle hill. If you live
in real snow country, you can build
an igloo, a winter equivalent of a
treehouse. If no handy pond or ice
skating rink exists nearby, you can
still enjoy ice-skating by creating
your own backyard rink. And for
something truly different, try
cleaning your rugs with snow - an
exhilarating exercise with practi
cal results.
Here are tips for creating a wint
er playground from ‘ ‘Back to Bas
ics,” ($21.99) published by Read
er’s Digest
If you’re too young to manage a sled by yourself, below,
then there’s nothing like a sled ride pulled by someone else.
Enj
oy
« »
♦
Homemade sled run
Set out a curving downhill
course by packing a pathway sev
eral feet wide through the snow.
Smooth out large bumps. Build up
snowbanks along outer edges of
curves. The run will improve with
use provided it is kept in repair by
filling holes and packing down
new snow.
Creating a backyard rink
A spell of cold weather, a little
snow and a level plot of ground are
all you need. Scrape the snow
away from a rectangular area
(about 15 feet by 25 feet or larger),
then pack up snow around the bor
der of the cleared area to a height
of a foot or so. Wait for a cold night
(20 degrees or lower), hook up a
garden hose and cover the area
ng W
nter In Your Own Backyard
with about an inch of water.
The next day, when the water
has frozen, set the hose on spray
and add another one-half to one
inch. After several such treat
ments, the ice will be ready for
skating. Keep the rink in good
shape by clearing off new-fallen
snow and by resurfacing the ice
with more water when it becomes
rutted. Be sure to drain the hose
and bring it indoors after each use;
in cold weather a hose can freeze
and crack in minutes.
Building an igloo
A full-sized igloo takes two or
three hours for an experienced
team working together. Here are
the steps to follow:
1. First, tramp down the snow to
pack it. Lay out a circle as large as
you’d like the igloo to be.
2. Use a machete or ice saw to
cut 'A - by VA - by 2A -foot snow
blocks. Each block weighs about
40 pounds so get them from a near
by area. Place the blocks around
the circle, then trim to form a spiral
ramp.
3. Lay succeeding spirals from
inside the igloo. Trim the base of
each block to give it an inward tilt.
Lay the blocks so that vertical
seams between blocks do not line
up on top of one another.
4. When the walls are three to
four, feet high, cut a temporary
opening so blocks can be slid in.
Plug the final hole in the roof with
a wedge-shaped block that serves
as keystone. Chink roof and walls
both inside and out with snow.
5. Build an entranceway by tun
neling under the igloo. Finish by
erecting a protective arch over the
entrance tunnel.
Cleaning a rug with snow
For this cleaning method the
temperature must be well below
freezing and there should be at
least four inches of fresh dry pow
der snow on the ground. Place the
rug outside for half an hour to
allow any grease particles to soli
dify, then spread the carpet on the
snow and jump back and forth over
its entire area. Shake the rug out
and repeat the process on the other
side. Continue until the mg is
clean. You can use the same
method on wool blankets.
Cynthia Keller, 9, and her sister Sheri, 6, bottom right, can’t resist playing
snowdrift while waiting for the school bus.
Daughters of Earl and Bonnie Krlder of Meadvllle, left to
right, Kelly, 7; Janelie, 5, and Kendra, 3 months, enjoy eat
ing suntanned snowmen.
Build An Indoor
Snowman
Winter days don't always include snow. Janelle and Kelly
Krider offer this suggestion if you’re bored and longing for some
white stuff to make a snowman. Raid your mother’s kitchen cup
boards to find some stuff to make an indoor snowman. It’s yum
my enough to eat.
„ , . _ peach half for the bottom part of
Suntanned Snowman the body and apricoi half for head.
1 canned peach half Using peanut butter as “glue,” cre
-1 canned apncot ha a te a face with raisins, cherry and
peanut butter almonds. Use chocolate pieces for
2 raisins buttons, carrot sticks for arms and,
1 maraschino cherry f or hat. Cut one mai ,hmallow in
1 slivered alrnond ha lf and flatten one half, putting
3 chocolate chips ha togcthcr like a top
2 dun carrot sucks taL Use re aining marshmallow
2 large marshmallows to cut out mi ttens. Use the celery
1 stalk of celery wtth leaves for a broom . Place
real cottage cheese, drained e cheese aroun(j the t 0
To make the snowman, use crea * snow
n a