Dallas

A friend messaged me. “Huge pool.”  He told me of its location. Veiled language. Subtleties. It seemed worth a look. Dusk was closing in on me.  The house was less than fifteen minutes away. Rolling hills spread out beneath the dwindling daylight. The sun would soon be lost to me…  ”Old friend. Give me just a little more time.” The only reply was a red tinge on the clouds. The air chilled as the sun shrugged. The wants of a puny man mattered little… I quickly found the place. A gravel lane split the fields that loomed in front of the huge home. Palm trees stalked like giant soldiers down the long lane and around the property.  It looked like something out of a Dallas, Texas television show. Cattle ranch. Horse fences and corrals. Another world. I pulled to a stop under a huge stand of trees just off the road. There was very little traffic. I slipped behind the fence and squatted there. Listen. Look. I made my way quickly towards the house and soon was over the rear fence. Cold abandon. The life that the home once had was long gone. The property was a remnant of a by-gone era.

 

A huge square pool sat in the rear of the property. I ran an experienced eye over it. Pretty good transitions were marred by the fact that the surface was completely made up of one inch by one inch ceramic green tiles. It was pretty…  but that was a small consolation. Tile pools are generally slippery and this one was no exception. The light was fading fast. I slipped off the property and drove home. Phone calls. Plans.

The next morning at dawn, my friends met me at the appointed place. We triumphed. We carved. It was unbelievably loud in the early morning light. The nearest property was about a mile away but… Within thirty minutes, we were gone. It was rough and slippery. What had to be done, was done. Thank you to Lorrie Palmos for the images. Skate- Ozzie