So how did you or do you cool off for the summer? Today there are many swim clubs or private pools to keep one cooled off. Different times meant different means of keeping cool.
When we were kids there was the sprinkler, used not only to water my lawn but water the kids. We couldn’t have it on too long and it had to be moved around so as not to ruin the lawn.
At our house we had a sprinkler system, so you had to run around to keep cool. Since the sprinkler was on a timer you had to sprint around the yard. Not the best method to keep cool but the most convenient.
Then there were those adorable little wading pools, blow them up and sit in them, splash your friends and get cool. How about that, splish and splash? Don’t I wish I had invented it.
Pools got bigger and they became big enough for family fun. When we bought our house there was an above-ground pool. Not sure of the dimensions, but it was big enough.
It was fun until our neighbor decided to clean out the attic by tossing wooden boards out the window. You guessed it, right through the pool liner and all.
The pool emptied out right into their basement, and all we had was a pool crumpled into the grass. While it may sound like a sad story, we got a new pool assembled and it was a minor inconvenience until pool time was restored.
As teenagers we were prone to “pool hopping” or “pool crashing.” Somehow, we seemed to feel there was safety in numbers and most of the time we knew the pool owners. I seem to remember some pools on Maplewood Road.
There were a few pools that were private clubs, like the Riverside Golf Club. Luckily, I had friends whose family were members.
Today we have more swim clubs in the area, including the Riverside Swim Club — we should say the new Riverside Swim Club after extensive renovation.
Of course, there is one more option for keeping cool — air conditioning, be it central air or window units.
I have been keeping cool at the Woodlands at Cantata and more recently, with this short stopover at MacNeal. Not sure where I’m off to next, but it is closer to home. Lots of good people helping me.
