The Morning Ritual

 March 3rd, 2023

A flashback to my summer of  2018 when I worked full time at Muir Grove.

When work assignments were being given to the summer staff at Muir, Regina and I were selected to clean the pool in the morning.  Mr. Hills wanted the pool spotless, the water pristine and the pool deck hosed and scrubbed down before anyone was up for their morning swim, which meant that Regina and I had to get up at sunrise to get the pool beautiful.

Summers at Muir are beautiful, but sunrise can still feel a bit brisk.  I had tossed all my clothes into the car when my mom dropped me off for the summer, announcing I was going to be naked the whole summer, but the first morning of pool duty, Regina showed up in a heavy sweat shirt and I was naked and shivering, hosing down the pool deck.  She ran back to her place and brought a sweater back for me.

The first week of our schedule, Mr. Swan arrived with is two little girls, Belle and Gretchen.  The swan girls were obsessed with the pool and couldn't wait for it to open.  Mr. Swan let his wife sleep in and brought Belle and Gretchen just so they could watch us get the pool ready.

The second week, the mornings were much warmer, and Regina and I cleaned the pool naked.  The second week, Mr. Swan decided to sleep in with his wife, but the two little Swan girls were pressed up against the gate, eagerly watching up clean the pool.  

"Would you like to help?"  Regina asked them and they eagerly nodded.  We opened the gate the the two naked little girls joined us, picking up leaves and sifting anything floating of the surface of the pool with a little net.

This became our morning ritual, and when we were done cleaning the pool, I would walk the two naked, exited little girls back to their parent's cottage where they would rouse their mom and dad out of bed.  It was a beautiful beginning for many beautiful days.