When Bryan Hardwick and eight-year-old stepson Keian Zimmerman went outdoors early Saturday afternoon to play in the snow, ambition got the better of them.
By Sunday afternoon, with mom Jody Hardwick joining in, they had completed a free-standing igloo about 10 feet tall in their yard at 716 Kansas Dr.
Construction principles were simple: five-gallon plastic buckets were filled with packed snow then deposited in a circle, with snow patted in to smooth the exterior.
“They built a good, strong base before starting up with the walls,” Jody observed.
In addition to a doorway, the igloo has a couple of windows and its only failing is that its top is open.
Final touches included stringing a light to illuminate the structure, to the appreciation of a steady stream of passersby.
“We’ve had a lot of people come by to see it,” Hardwick said.
The igloo will be around a few days, but a warming trend and rain forecast later in the week will ensure that it is short-lived.
“Watching Bryan and Keian Saturday and helping out reminded me of when I was young,” Hardwick said. “We’d go outdoors when it snowed and stay out all day, no matter how cold it was.”
Snow romp spawns igloo
