Better late than never.

My finished pool.

Not the kind related to billiards.

The author took the photo.

I just finished doing 26 lengths in my new pool, shorter than my community pool, which is shorter than an Olympic-sized pool. But it is half past midnight, and I don’t have to compete for space with anyone.

I got the idea for this project back in April.

The best-laid plans of mice and men. — Robert Burns

The phrase “the best-laid plans of mice and men” essentially means that no matter how well-prepared one may feel, their plans may still fall apart due to circumstances outside their control.

In North Texas this year, we had extreme weather. Hurricane-force winds. (Hurricane-force winds are winds exceeding 74 mph (ca. 119 km/h).) flooding, accompanied by so much rain that pool excavation could not progress.

It was almost mid-June before my pool excavation began.

My dog. Leary to jump in the pool. Photo by the author.

It is now almost the end of August, and I finally went for a swim. My consolation is that my pool includes a neater which will allow a water temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 30 °C) throughout the winter…