Being as I am, a great big scardy-cat around water, it is interesting to find that I have made peace with the wet stuff. This was not some great big revelation on my part, nor was it a deliberate attempt to subdue my phobia. This recent detente has come about from the application of plastic and air. In other words, an inflatable swimming pool.
An inflatable pool is everything that an in-ground pool is not. It does not have a deep end. It does not have a pool filter. It does not stay refreshingly cool in 100+ degree temperatures. It is not deep enough to swim in if you are an average adult sized human. If you invite your friends over to an inflatable pool party when you are an adult they will not think it is cool or hip. An inflatable pool does not ooze ambiance, nor does it remind you of a tropical oasis. Although there are many different models and some of them are quite large, ours is not. In fact, our inflatable pool looks almost as if some incredibly large insect decided to start building a bubble nest on our lawn but then got distracted.
However, what is great about an inflatable pool is that it is nothing like an in-ground pool. It not only does not have a deep end, but it holds a reasonable amount of water, so you don't have to go broke filling it nor do you have to feel any guilt about having one during the worst drought in 100 years. It does not have a filter, but it does not need one because when you are finished using it for the day you just empty the water out (which can be used to water the garden since there are no chemicals) and you can refill it with fresh water the next time you want to set it up. You also don't have to keep it in one place and in fact by moving it from place to place you won't even kill the grass. Although some are relatively small, a moderate sized inflatable pool can hold two adults with ease. Our pool in fact not only has enough room for two adults, but also has enough room for a Border Collie and Westie as well. The best thing about our inflatable pool is that it cost us just $25.
Our biggest trouble with our pool is training our dogs on pool etiquette. We have a two pool system. This means we have a hard sided plastic kiddie pool that we got for our Border Collie set up just outside the larger pool. The rules are that you must enter and exit the big pool via the plastic pool. This is very necessary because we want the delay the inevitable 'pool becoming a muddy pond' for as long as possible. Now our Westie follows the rules, but he pretty much has to because the sides of the inflatable pool are too tall for him to comfortably climb without assistance.
The Border Collie on the other hand can easily clear the pool edge - and from a distance of about 15 feet away when she is running. It takes every bit of 'dominant dog' posturing by me and my husband to get her to comply with the wading pool entry system. Once she is in the pool she has several favorite things she likes to do. One of these is to bite the water and stick her face underwater while blowing bubbles out of her nose. This really revs her up which often means she will come over and attempt to nibble on your ears or even your neck. When she stands up, the pool at its full depth will only just reach her belly, so she likes to sit down to let the water get on her back. If the water hose is still running she likes to chase and bite the water stream as well. All of this takes place within about sixty seconds because she will then leap out of the pool and run over to a garden bed to hunt lizards. We are not sure just exactly what sort of primeval thing is being played out, but once she is out of the pool she is instantaneously transformed into obsessed lizard huntress. This often means we are transformed into frantic lizard guardians. So, it is true that a swimming pool can help you burn calories.
The Westie on the other hand is an enchanting pool partner. Once you help him into the pool he takes on this beatific look as if in some sort of transcendental zen like state. The water is usually deep enough that it almost covers his back. This causes this little back legs to occasionally float. He does not swim, but slowly walks around making little uff-uff grunting noises. He will come to life if we squirt the water hose in the pool and will madly attack it, leaping like some sort of slow motion Westie/Manatee creature. Sometimes though he prefers to do pool sitting which is where he climbs on top of whatever part of me or my husband he can reach. This is annoying because of his dagger like assortment of nails, or as I like to call them, his tools. After a few minutes he is usually done and wants out where upon he then likes to roll in dirt and hay. This turns him into the abominable dirt dog and makes us have to hose him off before we can allow reentry into the pool.
Definitely a two thumbs and two dew claws up winner in our books. So, bring it on Mega-summer, we are all keeping cool in our unattractive but perfectly functional inflatable pool.
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