Moonlight Swim

It is that time of the year when not only the days are hot, but the evenings are hot, too. Earlier today we saw a bank thermometer that showed the temperature was 96 degrees. Later, my computer said that it was 84 degrees at 9:00 PM. It is on just such a night like this, that the kids and I like to swim… by moon light. Yes, we love taking a “moonlight swim.”

So, Amy, Rachel, Brandon, Michael and I met down in the backyard at our pool. Oh my, was the water warm. It felt like bath water, as they say. There was no effort getting used to the water. Unlike my 30 minute adjustment period to the water, tonight it only took seconds.

We floated around and enjoyed just lounging in the water. The only lights around us were the flashing fireflies. And, the light that shines on the American Flag over at the ball field.

In the darkness of this evening while in the pool, we seemed to hear more sounds around us. It was easy to hear the cicadas (which are still hanging around our area, even though it is not their "official" year to be here) and the rhythmic chirp of the crickets. We heard a couple airplanes fly overhead toward the airport. We could hear the occasional sound of a dog barking. We even heard the music of a distant ice cream truck. It was so peaceful to be in the pool tonight.

Although, Brandon did create a little stir when he mentioned that he threw his “dog tags” (he likes to pretend he is an army man) up onto the deck. Since it was so dark we were not sure where they landed. We made Brandon reenact how he threw his arm when he tossed his dog tags to the deck. He did this over and over but we couldn't find the dog tags. Eventually, Amy had to get a flashlight to scour the yard, but still no luck. Then, as Amy’s last resort, she called on St. Anthony. Within the next two minutes she noticed Brandon’s army tags hanging from a board at the side of the deck.

Finally, it seemed like time to go back inside and get dry PJ’s on, as it was getting late. Once we got out of the warm water, it only made the air seem so much cooler. Everyone scrambled for their towels.

The pool is empty and everyone is now home. And, even though it is still pretty hot this evening, I feel like I need a blanket. Maybe this is why we like “moonlight swims” so much.