My Own Little Spa

Three  years ago when the grandkids were coming for a summer visit I bought an elaborate inflatable kids' pool.  Grandson #2, who was 14 that year, huffed and puffed and blew it up.  It was oval, not too very big, and had a slide that took LOTS of air to inflate.  I thought it was pretty cute, but it was a dud.  The little kids barely spent 10 minutes total in that thing.  At the end of the summer I got rid of it (cut it up and threw it in the recycle).

The next spring as my friend M. and I were walking I kept noticing a large round green object leaning up against one of their storage sheds.  When I asked what it was, she told me it was a stock tank, used for providing drinking water for cattle when they were in a pasture with no natural source of water.  I mulled this over and then asked if it would be possible for me to borrow it when the grandkids came that summer.  This was possible, and her husband kindly trucked it over to our backyard deck.

I cleaned it up with the power washer and some Sani-Gel, and filled it with water.  Since we had lots of good hot weather that summer, the pool warmed up nicely and was just great for splashing around in with the little kids.  It's 10' across and about 2' deep.  Three kids have lots of room to play, and two adults and one child or two children and one adult fit in with room to spare.  It was great!

Last summer I bought a pool cover for it: a blue bubble solar blanket that heats the water (a bit) when the sun is out.  Again, we had lots of fun playing in it, and Grammy found out that it's just lovely after the grandchildren have gone home again, to have a little soak out there among the trees, flowers, birds and evening sunshine.  I think I had more use out of it myself than we did all together.

This summer L. brought the "stock tank/kids' pool" back for me to use again.  And Jim found out how to make hot water come out the outside tap, so we can fill it with warm water, and not wait for the warm weather to boost the water temperature.  (I had been contemplating buying a stock tank heater for this; they're only around $25.00.)

When D.D. #2 and her family were here, we were blessed with just two days warm enough for playing in this wonderful pool.  The other days we took the children to the indoor pool in town, and that was lots of fun too.

But now that summer weather (high 20's Celsius) 

has arrived, Grammy filled the pool again.  Sometime in the afternoon or evening I put on 

my bathing suit and go float in the pool.  It's soothing and peaceful.  I relax and listen to the birds and absorb the beauty of the trees, shrubs and flowers all around.

This is just one of the sights I see from my "spa", the wishing well on our deck and the old apple tree behind it.  Care to join me?