Change of Seasons

In one day the leaves have begun to fall. Our pool is still open as we await the tarp's return. The dogs have been so hard on it we had to send it off for repair. Wouldn't you know they said it couldn't be fixed. Fortunately, it has no holes, just loose straps that run across in a checkered pattern. It'll fit tight as a drum for the winter and keep unwanted rodents and debris at bay, that's all we really need for now.

Speaking of rodents, Ecclesiastes (the snooper in the pic) and Cocoa Bean (who's off somewhere else in the yard) still swim in the frigid water. They don't know it but every time they retrieve a toy from this still clean reservoir, they get a bath of sorts. With this handy feature at our finger tips, we don't mind dilly dallying the close. In due time the rains will invade, guck will accumulate on their paws, and it'll take more than the toss of a toy to get them clean. Case in point: less than a year ago, when our son Drew visited with his two dogs, we stood on the deck in the cold misty night air trying to concoct a way to effectively clean 16 paws before letting the herd in to trample the carpet. The pool would have been invaluable at that moment.

We're willing to fish leaves out of the pool for now. In time we'll have no choice but to close, which will force us to clean the mongrels ourselves after a good play. It's always kind of sad to close the pool as the summer season comes to a close. But life goes on.

What will you miss about summer and what do you look forward to as fall approaches?

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1