The First Official Day of Summer

Yesterday was the last day of school — the last day of sixth grade — and the sweet girl announced this morning, with evident joy, "Today is the first official day of summer!"

Technically we know that summer began on Monday with the longest, brightest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere. But the true and official first day of summer for this girl is the first day without school.

And so what did we do to celebrate this once a year occasion?

A dip in the sweet rooftop pool at the gym.

Here the pool is seen at sunset on the day before it opened. The water is still and the sun is setting. Had you been there today when we were there during the youth swimming hours you would have seen a delicious tangle of water wings and floating noodles and beach towels and kick boards and sunscreen and a floating and bobbing and swimming and kicking mix of kids of all ages and sizes and colors in the cool blue water on the ninth floor with a view of the Jersey shore and the Statue of Liberty.

It is a luxury, a sweet summer luxury, to swim in this sweet little rooftop pool with the sweet girl. Some grown-ups without kids braved the youth swimming hours and sat poolside trying to read thick summer novels but their efforts were thwarted by splashing and the sounds of summer joy.

And afterwards, an ice cream for her on the walk home.

Summer. Splendidly officially summer.