The pool is right there. RIGHT THERE. I have been thinking about it since October.
I’m Jasper, and I am a water dog. Part Labrador Retriever, which means my relationship with water is less of an interest and more of a calling. A biological imperative. A fundamental truth about who I am as a dog.
And the pool is right there. And it is still closed. And I am dealing with this the best I can.
The October Wound
Let me explain how this started. Every fall, my humans do something called “closing the pool.” They put a cover on it. They shut down the pump. They add chemicals. And then, for approximately six months, the pool just sits there covered while I walk past it and think about what we had together.
The last swim of the season is always bittersweet. I don’t know it’s the last one until it’s already over. I’m in the pool, shaking water everywhere, absolutely in my element, and then suddenly it’s done for the year. I didn’t get to say goodbye properly.
I have been thinking about this since October.
The Pool Watch: A Dedicated Practice
Starting in March, I begin what I call the Pool Watch. Every morning and every evening, I check on the pool. I walk over to the edge. I sniff the cover. I assess the temperature situation as best I can through the tarp. I report back.
My humans find this amusing. “He’s doing his pool check,” they say, like it’s a cute behavior instead of a completely reasonable and necessary security protocol.
The pool doesn’t know I’m coming back for it. The pool needs to know. This is why I check.
Temperature Concerns (That I Don’t Have)
People keep asking: “Isn’t the water too cold?”
No. The answer is no. The water is never too cold. I swam in October when the water was cold. I swam in late September. There was one memorable occasion in early November involving a very wet me and some very surprised humans.
Temperature is a human concern. I am a Lab mix. My body has opinions about water and those opinions are: yes, always, immediately.
What Pool Season Actually Feels Like
People who don’t have pool dogs don’t understand what pool season means to us.
It means I’m standing in water in my own backyard. Water that doesn’t move away from me. Water I can walk into and walk out of on my own terms. A controlled water environment that is RIGHT THERE at any given moment.
The sound of the pump turning on in spring is one of the greatest sounds in the world. It means the pool is alive again. It means we’re back.
An Open Letter to My Humans
The weather has been warm. The sun has been out. I have been patient. I have been doing the Pool Watch every single day without complaint (the whimpering is not a complaint, it’s communication).
I understand there are things that need to happen. Chemicals and filters and whatever the pump situation is. I understand these take time.
But I also understand that the pool is RIGHT THERE. And I am RIGHT HERE. And the math on this seems pretty straightforward.
Pool season. Soon. Please. I believe in us.
In the Meantime
While I wait, I have developed coping strategies. Puddles after rain. Any creek or pond on our walks. The hose when my humans water the garden.
It helps. But it’s not the same.
Nothing is the same as the pool. It’s right there. It’s always been right there. And spring keeps getting warmer.
Pool season is coming. I can feel it. I’m ready. 🏊