Did I Tell You It's Hot Outside?...

Well, if I haven't told you yet, I'm telling you now! It's doggone hot outside here in south Florida. A trip outdoors anytime midday feels like being hit in the face with a hot, wet towel...unless you're heading to our favorite outdoor spot. That would be our pool!

These days, we stay indoors until late afternoon to avoid the intense sun, but as soon as she sees the tell-tale signs, Kes grabs her "swimming toy" and starts bouncing around the house. "Hurry up, guys! It's time to play!"

Handsome, Kes and I head out the back door and play in the water until we all get wrinkly. Kes runs up to Handsome once we're in the pool and they "face wrestle". They have a regular language all their own, and it's fun to watch.

Handsome is a showoff. He sits on the bottom of the pool, teasing me because I can't sink (some silly Law of Physics thing that has to do with body fat ratio). Kes teases for us to toss the kong toy (which she knows as "swimming toy") so she can dive underwater to retrieve it. She will bring the toy back to us and beg for us to throw it, repeatedly, until we fear she'll pass out. No one watching would ever guess she's nearly twelve years old!

She waits, impatiently, for the toy to be tossed into the pool.

Then she dives in after it. She'll go underwater, but if she misses it, we have to get it off the bottom and toss it again for her. However, if the stars are aligned properly and it's not too deep, she'll go completely underwater to get her toy.

Once she has the toy, she heads for the pool steps, climbs out and then shakes off the water, ready to do it all over again!

And then there's me. I grab my foam pool chair (which I call my "barge") and float around waiting for someone to peel grapes for me. (Like that's going to happen!)

So, at our house, we all work hard, but we sure know how to stop to smell the roses. Our life together is pretty darn wonderful. Just another joyful way we spend our days here in Paradise.