Hans Brinker; or, the Frozen Pool

Yes, the pool did freeze over – the night after it snowed last week, Thursday, and it’s been frozen ever since. It did snow a little bit more yesterday, but it was such a damp snow and intermixed with periods of rain or sleet, that I didn’t get a clean white sheet like I wanted. It still looks cool, though – the surface is “frosted” and we’ve been throwing snowballs over the fence and they’re still there, sitting on the ice. It’s thick, too, apparently, because – I kid you not – an animal crossed the ice last night!!!

I woke up this morning and looked outside first thing, taking note of the weather. In spite of yesterday’s slush-fest, white patches still remain and this morning we have fog. I looked down at the pool and noticed where the snowballs mostly landed – in the middle near the deep end. Then I noticed some sort of track crossing the shallow end. I thought, it almost looks like an animal crossed the pool…

Then I looked at the steps leading up to the pool enclosure, which still have white snow on them, and there were clear, crisp paw-prints leading up to the fence and over to the edge of the pool. I think it was a raccoon or something. I wonder if the little feller did it on a dare or if he had some other motive? (No food in the pool area, that’s one of the rules.)