Summer in the city

You know those stereotypical scenes of kids playing in the spray of the fire hydrants on hot summer days that you always see on the news? I've never witnessed it. I've lived in cities for many years now and I've never seen it. That is, until yesterday.

Driving home from an errand, my car got "washed" not once, but twice by spray from the fire hydrant. I also had to slow down so the kids could move before I drove by since they were all in the street playing in the water spray. And several of my neighbors had little kiddie inflatable pools sitting on the sidewalk in front of their homes. In my neighborhood there are no front yards, so the sidewalk becomes the location for grilling, picnics, gathering, and apparently, pools. Each pool had several kids in it, all armed with super-soaker style water guns, and they were nicely offering to "cool off" the people that walked by. They were having a great time.

Aaahhh, summer in the city. The hum of window A/C units, people on the porches, kids in the street, the bell of the water ice truck, the music of the ice cream truck, and the flash of lightening bugs. I love it.