The cement pond……what a wonderful invention…….thank goodness for the pool…..
We are fortunate to have a swimming pool in our backyard. Now, we live in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia where it can get hot – damn hot – in Summer. Although it hasn’t quite reached the dizzy stiffling heat of previous summers (thank you universe!), it is certainly hot enough for a quick or not so quick dip.
I have a 7 year old daughter, and there is no doubt hours of boredom are avoided by having a hole in the ground with chlorinated salt water. Lily practiced her newly invented swimming stroke the “Free-breast” (freestyle arms and breastroke kick) which she is yet to perfect and we both played dolphins, squids, crazy dives and Marco Polo in the pool for hours today. This makes my sleep reluctant daughter less prone to insomnia and provides lovely bonding moments for the entire family. At this stage I should also point out that, in 2003, it was my partner, Mark’s, idea to get a pool. “I won’t swim in it. You’ll have to clean it if you want a pool”, I warned. Well, let me tell you, when I was 7 months pregnant and it was 42°c + in February at my baby shower, I thanked Mark from the depth of my swollen feet, as did my “shower” goers, for the kidney shaped swimming pool, as we bobbed around in what became more of a warm bath but still gave some semblance of relief from the oppressive heat.
So, thanks to the back yard pool. You no doubt are responsible for the production of many of our Olympic champion swimmers, but more importantly, you provide another avenue for good, clean family fun (well, sure clean to a point – we still need a shower to get the chlorine off the skin!).
We have come a long way from the “Great Bath” which has been reported as the first known swimming pool dug during the 3rd millennium BC in what is now modern-day Pakistan. It was 12 x 7 m (not a bad size!) and lined with bricks covered with a tar-based sealant (thanks wikipedia!). I am sure glad pebblecrete and coloured LED lights came along to make them all so pretty.
So, hip-hip hoorah for the back yard pool! Here’s to dippin’ again tomorrow! (: