The Fox’s Tail: No cottage? Nooo problem!

Blog — By fox on April 30, 2012 1:20 PM

The Fox’s Tail is a blog featuring the perspective from a girl working with a Junior A team in Toronto.

About a week ago, I posted both on Twitter and Facebook asking if anybody had any cool/interesting hobbies or anything they liked to do during the off-season that was unique and not hockey related. (No, golf doesn’t count.)

I was a little disappointed that the only answers I got involved golf, drinking, slo-pitch and going to the cottage. When I lived out west, people used to do crazy stuff in the off-season. I had a friend who is an avid dirt-bike racer, and knew another guy who was big into fly fishing and tied his own flies. (I do have a cool story about a friend of mine who drives a Zamboni and is also a pilot, but that’s for another day!)

However, that being said, it did get me thinking about spending time at my cottage, and how much I look forward to it if I’m living in Toronto in the summer time. Especially this year, since the new “Cottage Dangling’” lineup is out, and I’ve got a sweet pair of Gongshow flip-flops I will be wearing while I am fishing off the end of my dock on a nice summer day. Then I started thinking, what about all those beauties out there who don’t live somewhere that going to a cottage is an option, or if you’re not lucky enough to have one … what could you do to make staying at home a little less of a drag?

And then I saw this ad in the paper. It was so cool, I had to check out their website and tell you guys about it — getting a synthetic turf putting green installed in the back yard! This company, Pro Putt (www.prosportsurfaces.com) had some cool stuff on their site, including a photo of the turf they installed on the roof at the Hotel Le Germain in downtown Toronto, which is owned by MLSE and located across from the ACC in Maple Leaf Square, home of the trendy sports bar, Real Sports.

Work on your short game in the privacy of your back yard! (And wear your Gongshow flip-flops on the green.)

Next to your putting green, you’ll probably want something a little like …

Get your wheels on and bring your twig, cuz it's game on, boys!

No need to drive all over looking for summer ice, just throw one of these fake ice sheets in your yard and you can be outside dangling all summer long, firing clappers in the sunshine. (Don’t forget your sunscreen.)

Obviously if you had something as cool as your own putting green and fake ice surface, surely word would get out, and people would want to come by to check it out. With all these newfound guests, you’d need a comfortable area to entertain, serve up some burgers off the grill, and relax with a nice cold beer (while chirping your buds who struggle hard with the finer points of putting, or keep missing the net completely.)

It’s pretty much requisite in Canada to pay homage to legendary rocker, Kim Mitchell, and if you’ve got a patio, it’s probably a good idea to get some Patio Lanterns.

Patio Lanterns

(Fact: my mom’s friend’s brother in law is an OPP officer and gave Kim that beauty of a lid.)

Not quite patio lanterns, but they'll do. Besides, stuff is cooler when it looks like a beer.

Anyway … there were lots of styles of lighting, but some were a little cooler than others, and I thought maybe these might look cool hanging up in the Gonger backyard palace.

If the weather is hot, you might be a little thirstaaay, especially if you’re the beauty manning the all-important grill. Between the grill basket full of veggies, the salmon burgers, chicken breats and sirloin patties, it’s a big task, almost as important as making sure the bar is well-stocked.

And that’s when I came across THIS beauty. I typed “hockey beer fridge” into google images, and no word of a lie, this is what came up.

Yeah, some guy had this listed for sale in Beaverlodge, Alberta. He didn't say how he got it, but pretty sweet!

The link http://forsale.canada.oodle.com/view/gongshow-sauce-hockey-beer-fridge/2768760047-beaverlodge-ab/ is now expired, but I’m kind of curious about it now. Might look into this later.

Anyway, after you pull a nice frosty beer out of the fridge, you’ll need some cool glasses to serve them to your guests in. I think something like these may do the trick?

Made from recycled hockey sticks. In case you were wondering what to do with your old twigs.

Maybe somebody is drinking Corona or a Ceasar and would like a slice of lime with their beverage? No problem. Just whip out this bad boy and slice away. (Mind your fingers.)

(There were a lot of other really cool things made out of hockey sticks, and if anybody here is handy in that way and has made or is making something currently, please e-mail me, I would love to talk to you about it!)

Once you’ve served your guests something to drink, make sure they’re comfortable by offering them a seat.

Here?

Muskoka chair made with repurposed materials. Looks comfy!

Or maybe here?

Or how about … here.

Ah, the perfect backyard oasis!

As you can see, there’s no need to miss out this summer. Get creative and you can put together a pretty sweet spot right in your own backyard, literally. And hey — with a cool backyard nice and close to home, there’s no question where all the get togethers will be taking place.

Do you have a sweet set-up in your backyard? Let me know! If you’re in Southern Ontario, I might just have to drop by (… with a plate of cupcakes?) and check it out!

- Foxy

Question, comment, chirp? Get at me … Twitter @hockey_foxx or e-mail me at redline_blueline@hotmail.com ..

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