POOL AT 822

On January 31, 1988 there was a record high temperature of 88 degrees.  The next day, February 1, 1988 was our son's 8th birthday...he got a baby calf...the day before would have been a great day to bottle feed that baby outside with all his 8 year old friends...nope...February 1, (his actual birthday) it was 10 degrees with ice.

The birthday party and the baby calf moved indoors.

google

booger poop

This is precisely the reason we went with the choice of the pool liner.  Stay with me here.

We got bids and if you remember...the concrete pool bid was over $85K.   

The pre-form bid was about the same

NOT

The only other person for miles around that installs pools does the pool liners and he has been in the business for 31 years--and it's the ONLY way he will do it in the Texas Panhandle due to the freeze/thaw unpredictable weather as mentioned above.

When you fly over Houston or Dallas, you will notice that nearly EVERY single house has a pool.  They just do...such a beautiful site from above.  I understand it is a requirement.

I think the census in the early 70's touted Hansford County as THE richest county, per capita, in the nation.  Oil and gas, cattle, ranch and farm land.

But not a pool in site.

Too ostentatious, too show-boat, too too much.
(Our pool might be number #7?  in 100+ years
we aren't showin' off..it's dang hot in this town!)

In 2005 Gus Birdwell Elementary was built on the donated fortune of one man.  Gus, who wore all his clothes from the thriftshop and lived in a tiny little home on Dressen Street,  turns out was a mega millionaire.

I can't help but wonder if when he was 80 and very very hot in his tattered wool gaberdine jacket from the Library Thrift Shop, he wouldn't have wished he'd enjoyed just one day, floating in a nice cool blue pool drinking a nice cold Coors with blue mountains.

Unless we win the lottery, we will never be like Gus.

I admire that he left his fortune to build a school for our kids, but I think he could have afforded to treat himself also.  He earned it.

water...what????

for real????

the area will have rock leftover from the house

a concrete area and coping surround

we are still toying with brick or flagstone

we want it to be very contemporary as opposed to very old world

this was a very hard decision that I am still not certain of

she might spill water into the pool, however we do have some awesome copper spitting koi fish

I will be glad to get rid of this covert army shade thingy

but I understand...we have had 100+ degree temps all summer

David the Pool Man says it's 10 degrees cooler under here

Middle East? ish?

this will house all the equipment and be rocked and roofed to match the house

in front of it will be a pergola and some kind of water feature

Mr. B wants a slide made of rocks for Betty...yeah right... I know who wants to slide

ouch

We work hard...we work hard for our money and we don't have that much like some.  (I always tell the children--there will always be someone that has more than you do and always someone with less...so just enjoy who you are)

But we made the choice to enjoy a pool...

and it was a good one

pretend this is Mr. B

and pretend this is me!

YAY for the days of summer that are left!

hot fun in the summertime