 by Dick Butler |
Summer laughs, reflective of winter fun |
August 4, 2009- We formed a line anticipating our turn and the fresh spray of cold cold well water that would soon spray in our faces and trickle down the run.
I viewed the course; 70 feet of moderate pitch, sparkling with reflections off the black plastic from the late day sun. I knelt down, took a few running steps, landed heads up, hands forward, and slapped on my stomach. It hurt a bit later, but it was pure fun amidst the background of cheers and laughter.
If I went too far through the grass at the end, there were thickets and a small muddy stream. I hesitated not to slide too far on the grass runout. The plastic part was fun, the grass part, which provides the braking power, was more fun for the spectators, as we rolled, turned and tumbled to a stop.
Cheap laundry soap, 6 mil thick black plastic, a hose, water, and a grassy hill, a few dare devils, and voila, you can have a "slip-n-slide" on your lawn, the backyard version of an alpine slide without the investment. It's the summer equivalent of a tubing run, walking uphill on ice, or any other winter downhill adventure with absolutely no control of the outcome. It is cheap fun, a barrel of laughs, and did I say very slippery?
Soap up, run for it, dive onto the slide and you will find that soap covered plastic can be more slippery than wet ice on a rock.
For days we were washing dirt and grass clippings from places that are most always concealed. Add a little alcohol to the mix, cold well water thru a hose, and you get the picture.
Equipment and bathing suits are minimal. The hill, the most important part, needs to be freshly mowed, and of course an adequate water supply is mandatory. The more participants, the more laughs, the more raspberries on legs, thighs and bellys.
Upping the home insurance policy limits might be a good idea, if you plan on staging one, as sore muscles and aching backs are sure to result. Icepack and muscle relaxers are good things to have on hand.
This newly found game beats lazy lounging in a hammock or sitting next to a pool. It is exercise with a little danger thrown in.
Enjoy summer, it helps pass the time till our favorite season winter returns.
