Poolside Prowlers

Discouraged by raccoons and other varmints damaging the self-rising pools we provided our children when they were young, we needed a solution. The cycle was endless. Within days of erecting the water attraction, we’d discover claw pokes in the air ring which deflated the pool like a slow-leaking balloon. Duct tape patched most holes, if you could find them, but soon the holes were too great to seal and the air escaped faster than the tire pump could fill the ring.

We visited a local farm store and discovered an eight-foot, hard-plastic stock watering tank. My husband said he could drill drain holes at the bottom and fit the openings with plumbing pipes and faucets. Perfect for our needs, we just had to bring our trailer and haul the giant circle home. A slight oversight on our part.

The ring would fit inside the trailer if stood on its side. But that left a giant blue orb to keep upright as it traveled. Not a problem, my husband said. With bungee cords and tie-downs, he could secure the pool for the short journey down side streets.

Like a parade we headed down the road. Bystanders stopped and stared at the strange procession. I followed at a safe distance, keeping a wary eye on the wobbling cargo ahead of me. At every corner the pool tipped precariously and I held my breath, waiting for all of it to hit the street. Miraculously, it didn’t. We arrived at our driveway intact.

Now another set of problems beset us. The tank, carried flat, wouldn’t go through any doors. On its side, it was too tall to roll through the gated entrance and wouldn’t clear the garage door. I didn’t want it to be a permanent fixture in our driveway. The verse in Luke 14:28 about the man planning to build a house without first considering the cost came to me. What were we thinking?

Frustrated, my husband pruned some bushes on the far side of the house and squeezed the pool through. We rolled it to the backyard and after fitting it with hardware, filled the enormous tub full. My husband gritted his teeth. “Hope you like it. It’s here to stay.”

Today we put the pool away for the winter. Our children are grown, but the oversized problem in the backyard still gets regular use. My husband was right. The pool is here to stay.