I remember when Mary Lou said

'You want to walk me home from school'

And I said, 'Yes, I do'

She said, 'I don't have to go right home

And I'm the kind that likes to be alone

As long as you would'

I said, 'Me, too'

And so we took a stroll

Wound up down by the swimmin' hole

And she said, 'Do what you want to do'

-Jim Stafford and David Bellamy

A full-on tent in a very nice back yard is what I found out back. That and a load of proud and smiling men who at first glance had every right to be proud. My engineers stood front and center, they had gotten to do their thing at its core level and had done a bang up job. I wanted to see what was inside the tent but was led off on a tour of everything else first.

It’s amazing what an organized group of people can get done in a very short period of time. The grungy, weed pit of a back lot had turned into what I could only call a beer garden. The BBQ’s were already running full tilt and there was goat or lamb on one of the spits, the other looked to have a side of beef roasting.

There was a griddle of sorts and sausages and spring veggies were being cooked there. They had thrown together some long tables as well with benches and random chairs. We had a lot of people there and kids were already eating under the sharp, supervising eyes of the motherly and grandmotherly sorts.

A quick fence had gone up around the entire compound and while not granting privacy it did form a demarcation line. The work of the engineers however was on display at the wellhead and it was the distribution system they had created that was a marvel of DIY ingenuity. The new pump had four times the output and would allow two person operation; two kids were working it now, because, you know – it was new and fun so they all wanted to do it.

There was a swivel output director which let you send the water to either big tub or simply into a bucket, any spill was directed back into the well. It was all engineering stuff but really cool to look at, I understood but couldn’t afford to let myself get caught up in it.

What did matter is that we had cut that barrel in half and gotten two huge tubs to use, one of which was set outside and currently full of frolicking children. There was a small platform next to the tub with an impromptu shower station set up. Since the well pump was higher up the hill, each pump of the well could send a cascade of water to clean or even simply cool with. All of the runoff was directed into a benjo ditch which directed it back down to the river. Excellence in afternoon engineering.

Adult were even stepping in fully clothed just to cool off and clean off from the day’s work. Peter and Sheriff where having a slow, quiet argument behind me about ways to permanently power the pump but I simply ignored them and let them have their fun. The kids were having a grand time in the pool, there was good food and all we needed was music.

Ever present Amos heard me say that and left without a word, that young man had great initiative if nothing else; well he also had a beautiful young girl he wanted to impress. That guy would have no problem keeping a good woman happy.

The tent still waited for me but I had a fresh cold beer and I wanted a cigarette. While I had been touring my reluctant rocker had been moved to a fresh new porch extension where it overlooked the entire scene and even offered a nice view of the river flowing down below. I sat in that chair and sipped my ice cold beer and smoked a cigarette, everything tasted of success right now. Happy people everywhere, laughing kids, food cooking and a cold beer.

I wanted to savor this moment before I went off to savor the next. I had learned long ago to never rush through the best moments of life. The sound of kids having fun, people chatting calmly in the background and just the environment around me was soothing. The men were jostling in line for food now, the beef had a bit to go but everything else was starting to be eaten. I could hear noises of the kitchen through the wall behind me and could smell sweet beans in the air. The afternoon breeze had kicked in and was starting to clear the humidity a little and a little makeshift band had started up over in the corner. They were still trying to get it together but every once in a while a nice slice of music would emerge. Life was grand.

I snuffed my cigarette and picked up my fresh cup of cold beer; it was time to explore my tub.

There was a gravel path leading to the tent and it crunched under my feet with every step I took, it was a large tent but then again it was a very large tub inside. I pushed through the overlapping canvas that served as a door and walked into a really nice set up. Crude but very nice.

We had deck style plank flooring with gaps and of course the tub of water dominated the entire area. An inviting tub of water containing an inviting female. Not a surprise but still a pleasant site that brought a grin to my face. I walked towards that water nymph but merely received a splash of water in return as she said with a giggly voice, “Shower first silly.”

Well, hell there was a bench there and even a cot if you needed a rest or whatever. The whatever was the important part, a lot of people wanted to use this tub so certain activities were banned by manners and hygiene.

I stepped into the small shower area and pulled the handle, a small stream of cool water started to pour over my naked body and it felt good.

It felt even better when a caressing set of hands started to soap my back.