The thermometer, it seemed, had finally passed some magical marker – that specific point of heat and humidity that, to anyone who paid attention, meant just one thing.
It was summer. Finally!
For most, that meant long days in the sun, relaxing and lounging about – but for Aimie, that meant the pool was open and ready for business! Lifeguards were, generally, a pretty in-demand job this time of year… and, well.
Being your own flotation device tended to make that a bit easier, didn’t it?
So, as she tugged on the swimming trunks and the bright red shirt (rated for the pool, of course), she was more than ready for a nice day in the sun.
The walk to the pool was only about ten or so minutes – and, as soon as she got there, it was bustling – packed to the brim with critters trying to beat the heat in one way or another, which meant one more toy added to the bunch just made the party that little bit more fun!
Tossing her towel and belongings that shouldn’t get wet into the little lifeguard stand, Aimie climbed in – lounging as best she could, enjoying the cool water and the hot sun shining down. This was the life, that was for sure.
A few other friends showed up later, and Aimie spent most of the day in the water – swimming, being used to help float after races, and just generally floating about, but as the day finally began to draw to a close, she was more than happy with how well it’d gone.
And to think, this was just the first day – she had a whole summer left!
She was so lost in thought, in fact, that she didn’t notice the little curly-tailed sheepdog puppy making their big cannonball jump directly on top of her, landing with a loud SQRK and a splash that sent water a dozen feet into the air as the puppy bounced nearly straight up, landing in the water a foot or so away!
The dog’s friends cheered as Aimie laughed, the excitement infectious, and the rest of the shift passed by with little fanfare. Soon enough, the time to head home had arrived.
Hauling herself back up out of the water, the inflatable dog shook most of the water clear, and after a quick toweling, she was feeling brand new!
Grabbing her belongings from the stand, Aimie headed for the gate. She paused for a moment, squeaky mitt holding it open, before sighing in content.
It was going to be a great summer.