Poolside

This summer has been hot, hot, HOT. I'm very grateful to live in an apartment with central air, but nobody likes being cooped up inside when the sun is (mercilessly) shining. You feel guilty, like you SHOULD be braving the heat to be doing something summer-y and fun, because god only knows winter is just around the corner. I hate winter.

So I'm very glad that Mel & AJ have brought back the famous kiddie pool:

Mel & AJ have an abiding love for smoking stodgies in the pool, which is apparently a tradition of theirs most evenings when they come home from work. The couple that smokes together... drops their ash into the pool. (AJ!)

When the shadows begin to lengthen, we light citronella torches to ward off the stinging beasties:

Although the pool is still as warm as bath water, we get out in the evenings and toast with mint juleps, made with fresh mint from the garden:
We cool off, refresh and drink bourbon to try and ease the sweltering heat and maybe, possibly try to forget that this is the last summer Mel and AJ will be here. It isn't an easy thing to think about, so we work hard to cram all of the love and fun we can into this hot and sticky season.