Happy Fourth

Today I set myself the goal of getting our "water feature" set up, and I accomplished it. First, I had to bucket all the old, yucky water out of the pond. Then I cleaned the plastic pond using paper towels and a white vinegar/water mixture--it had some green and brown slime. When it was all clean, I attached a new pump to the fountain. I was quite proud of figuring out how to do that on my own. I filled the pond with water, positioned the fountain, submerged the pump, and plugged it in. Nothing. I could feel the pump vibrating, and eventually I disconnect it from the fountain and could feel it pumping water, but no water was going through the fountain. By that time, it was late afternoon, and I was tired. I talked to my dad about it, and he came down to help. I thought the hoses must be plugged, but he blew air through them and found they were clear. It was the fountain itself, the manneken pis (replica of the famous Brussels fountain) who had a urinary tract blockage, as it were. My dad took him to the garage, where he cleared it out with a nail or wire or whatever he found there, and now his flow is free.

Getting the manneken pis set up is an important part of my summer. It's great to sit out on a summer day and listen to the water.

Little kids love the mannekin pis. They burst out laughing when you start it up and soon afterward announce their need for the potty. The power of suggestion.

This evening, my folks and I will observe the Fourth of July by eating a red, white , and blue dessert: strawberries and blueberries on vanilla ice cream. It is my dad's favorite brand of ice cream, a local product, Edaleen. My dad is something of an ice cream and milk aficionado, as he grew up on a dairy farm.