herbiehancock

Lost and Found at the City Pool A towel, some shorts, a pair of shoes Lifeguards are surprised by what they find. A thermos, T-shirts, soggy suits The kids leave these things behind. At the end of the day, swimmers go home. What’s left is gathered and hung to dry. A fence becomes a lost and found, an odd exhibit to passersby. “Careless kids,” their parents say, but I think they’re just carefree. A forgotten towel doesn’t mean that much. Kids are kids. That’s how they’ll be. There'll be plenty of time in days ahead to keep track of this, and that, and the other.  Now’s the time to have some fun. Sit in the sun. Splash a bit.  Make a memory with your brother.

When I was growing up, we had a pool table in our basement. We spent much time, my siblings and I, playing games of eight ball and nine ball, and I have fond memories of that time. It is an interesting game that combines skill and luck and strategy. Having good eye hand coordination and some math skills so that you can figure out the best angles to approach and hit the ball can help your game a great deal. It makes me smile now because my sons have been building similar fond pool table memories with my father-in-law. Ever since they were tall enough to reach over the edge of the pool table with a cue stick and knock a ball in a pocket, my sons have been playing pool with their Grandpa in his basement. They are both now taller than their Grandpa, I believe, but they are still enjoying games of pool with him in his basement. Here are some photos of my two "little" boys playing pool with their Grandpa during a visit with him over the Thanksgiving break.