We usually hold off in closing the pool until the middle of September, but we’ve seen the extended weather forecast, and August never got hot, so we decided to close it today. If this is any signs of how cold this winter will be, we’re wondering if scientists will go back to saying, we’re going into a mini Ice Age, again. It would be beary sad, if we didn’t know we would have an inside Teddy Bear Pool this winter.

Now there are three parts to closing our pool:

1. Cleaning the pool and covering it.

2. Having a big picnic with everyone, and bringing some extra food to store in our Hotel’s storage bins, in case any Small City Animals or Stuffies lose their homes or run out of food during the winter.

3. Playing games together.

We have lots and lots of animals using the pool during the summer, so lots and lots come for our last summer celebration. Cleaning and covering it only took half an hour. It probably would have taken less time, but the geese and ducks wanted to help by diving for every last leaf and acorn that has fallen to the bottom of the pool. (The pool is fairly close to the forest.) The pool water was covered with waterfowl, so, by the time they all got out of the pool, the water had to calm down a bit to get vacuumed well. They did fly to the woods to drop the leaves and nuts, but the kids needed to sweep the sides of the pool from all the little pieces that fell off, as well as all the feathers dropped in the commotion. Still, half an hour of work with that many sure didn’t feel like much work.

After we used the pool cover for a trampoline (the kids favorite part of closing the pool), we gathereded in the clearing, and separateded the storage food from what we planned to eat for our picnic. The bigger animals carried enough food to store in all the bins in the basement. That’s enough food to feed all the Stuffies and Small City Animals in Philadelphia for an entire day, so everyone should be fine during the winter.

By the time we came back from dropping off the food, the rest of the animals had already set up blankets, tables, and enough grills to give everyone places to sit and warm food, if they likeded warm food. In one section of the clearing, the stale food for the pigeons and rats, the nuts for the squirrels and mice, and the duckweed and minnows (kept in a baby pool to keep them fresh) were all laid out for those who prefer their food cold.

We talkeded about the summer, building the inside pool, gardening stuff, and plans for the winter, while we ate all morning. All the little ones were playing Capture the Flag in the woods, except for Dee, who was with her Grandpa Axlerod and the older Stuffies discussing the latest ‘spearmints they were conducting.

After eating our first meal, it was naptime. After our naps, we all joineded in with Capture the Flag. Of course, with that many playing, it’s a much quicker game, so afterwards we playeded or-ga-min-eyed games – three-legged and six-legged races (the four-legged animals had to tie six legs together, to make it fair), sack races, and a variety of egg races. Axlerod and his smart buddies, s’plained the rules of each game and refererereded, so we learneded a few new games, while they figureded out the difference in speed between the various types of players and the varied ways we all had to run. Dee taught us that they calleded that “field testing,” but it felt like “field running” to us.

We had our afternoon meal during the races, since we all had to take turns to play. By the time the games and food were done, it was time to come home for dinner. It’s still warm enough that we’ll go play with our friends at the park, so we’ll decide when to build the pool after the gardening is done.