Plains teens build igloo in park

They're probably not going to go into the igloo realty business, but for a first time snow building, it wasn't bad.

Two Plains teenagers built the igloo on the basketball court at the E.L. Johnson Memorial Park in Plains last weekend. Nick Hill and Greg Tatum started the project Friday by shoveling the snow into the center of the basketball court. Liam Lyman helped them on the first day. Once done, Hill and Tatum burrowed out the inside of the mound of snow.

The structure was about 14 feet wide, 18 feet long, and around six feet high in the middle on the outside. Inside, the 18-year-old Hill guessed that the ceiling is about four feet high and about three feet wide. The entire project took about 14 hours. "It's bigger inside than it looks, and it's cozy in there," said Mike Tatum, Greg's father.

Tatum and Hill said they're pleased with their igloo and planned to check on it after school Monday. Tatum said they made a snowman from blocks of snow near the entrance, but it fell apart. A few people stopped by and took a look inside, which required crawling on hands and knees through the narrow entryway.

"It's nice in there," said the 15-year-old Tatum, who put a portable propane heater inside, along with a bucket for furniture, a small carpet, and a pine-scented candle. They also made a hole through the roof for a chimney. They finished the igloo about 5 p.m. Saturday and had a Chinese dinner, compliments of a Plains resident who dropped it off to them. The two stayed in the igloo until about midnight Saturday night and until about 8 p.m. Sunday.

Seven people showed up at the igloo for hot dogs that Tatum cooked on a portable grill outside the structure. Plains resident Donna Maughlin provided the hot dogs and buns.