Did I say that?

This is our swimming pool. For the past 10 years or so we've used this same pool all summer long to beat the Texas heat. Yes, we realize this is not actually a pool. It's a  poly livestock tank . 

If you've never seen one, it is tough plastic and ours is about 8 feet across and 2 feet deep. Basically, it's our big, indestructible kiddie pool. We bought this one new at Tractor Supply all those years ago, and it looks almost as good as the day we bought it. Children are tough on their toys, but apparently cows are even tougher, because this tank was built to last.  The kids even stand on the sides and jump in to make a big splash, and you can't do that with most kiddie pools.  And surprisingly you can fit several adults in with the kids if you don't mind the splashing. It's been one of the best investments we've ever made.

Most summers I've set up our swimming pool in the back yard, so that folks who drive up to visit us won't see a big blue livestock tank right off the bat. But for various reasons, we had to put it in the front yard this year. No, I'm not proud of it. But like I said, it's been a bargain and the kids have a ball in it.

Last night we sat down to dinner and I looked out the dining room window at the water shimmering in our pool. 

"We need to get a new tarp to cover the pool to keep the leaves out."

Mike said, "OK. I'll take care of it."

Then I said what I wish I'd never said. "When you put it on, be sure that you use the good bungees." 

He looked across the table grinning, with a twinkle in his eye. "You mean the 'company bungees'?"

That stopped me cold.  Oh, how I wish the words "good bungee" had never come out of my mouth! But as Omar Idn Al-Halif said, the spoken word is one of the four things that come not back.

Are these truly our standards? Are we so countryfied that we grade our bungee cords? Sadly, yes. We have bungees that hold the door closed on the chicken pen, bungees that hold rain tarps over sick baby goats. We bungee things to the truck and bungee things closed and bungee things together in bundles. We use bungees on the electric fence and bungees in the garden and bungees in the workshop. And after all that use, some of those bungees are just not fit to be used on the pool in the front yard for our visitors to see.  

I can live with having special, clean bungees for our guests to see, I suppose. I mean, we're happy, the kids are happy, and the water in the pool is clean and cool. I guess things could be worse. By the way, if anyone asks if we ever use duct tape around here, I'll deny it.