Christmas Vacation

The smell of chlorine greets us as we open the door to the pool. Kids scatter, the older to the 210 foot raft water slide, the younger to the swallow area. Water rushes into a 160 gallon dumping bucket. Kids scream and scramble when it releases its cargo. Kids laughing and splashing can be heard as the bucket uprights itself and refills. I step into the hot tub and sit next to the whirlpool jet. I relax and pick up my bottle of water. I allow the cool water to linger in my mouth.