The Unofficial Beginning of Summer

     All weekend, in honor of Memorial Day I was reminded that freedom isn't free, and that I shouldn't forget the true meaning of the holiday.  I watched a delightful small town parade, complete with marching bands playing Yankee Doodle, firetrucks, veterans and American flags.  I must confess though, my heart was really aflutter because Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer.  And I LOVE summer.

     Here, in Upstate New York, Memorial Day is the O.K. on planting your garden.  No more pesky frosts (although I jumped the gun this year, it has been so warm I couldn't help myself).  Memorial Day weekend is also Open Your Pool weekend here.  VERY exciting, even though our summers aren't very hot and you have to be of an age that violet lips and uncontrollable shivering doesn't bother you to swim on most  NY summer days.  Some people feel that the amount of work involved in maintaining a pool isn't worth it for the fourteen scorching days we get here each year.  I, myself, don't even have time to complete my regular chores since Dorothy has been born, so pool maintenance is out of the question for me and Ariel works eight days a week so he's out too.

     We do have a lovely pool, however, and we DID open it this weekend.  Our beloved Clara took charge of the cleaning, good girl, and Enzo added a few new features.  Last year we added a slide.  This year Enzo installed two diving boards and a fountain, very smart.

     Now all we have to do is get through this last month of school (always a bummer) so we can fully enjoy our back yard paradise.

Clara cleaning the pool.  Yes, in a witch hat.  Don't ask me why!

The Jones Family Pool
all tricked out
for 2012!