“If you should rear a duck in the heart of the Sahara,

no doubt it would swim if you brought it to the Nile.”

~ Mark Twain

As August approaches, it’s clear that this summer is a hot one. Last week I began writing about summer weather and swimming pools. The allotted column space was filled before I came close to dipping a toe into the water. Now allow me to continue. In doing so, there comes relief from the heat: the icon of Southern California living, the backyard swimming pool.

Children and ducks both seem to have a natural affinity for water. Our family moved from Glendale to La Crescenta when I was 3 years old. Back then, moving was considered a big deal. Sentiments shared over moving “way up there, by the mountains” were similar to those expressed by pioneers who traveled west in the 1800s … seriously. The 210 and 2 freeways were years from being built, so we braved our way up Verdugo Boulevard in the heat of the summer of 1957. There was no air conditioning in the turquoise blue Pontiac Chieftain, so perhaps there was a comparison to be made to our trail-blazing ancestors. At the end of our trail – a typical suburban ranch house – was a built-in swimming pool.

The 3½-year-old little girl was immediately entranced by the sparkling blue water. Lured not only by the water but also by the encouragement of her big sisters, she was swimming like a duck before the summer’s end. Not only was I swimming, I was also diving – nine feet down to reach the bottom of the pool – to gather the precious pearls thrown there (small La Crescenta black granite rocks!). You would have thought I had discovered the Eighth Wonder of the World!

Swimming pools have a history that stretches back to the cultures of Greece, Rome and Egypt around 2500 B.C. Their modern-day popularity really started with swimming clubs in the 1800s. The beginning of the modern Olympics in 1896, which included swimming competitions, provided more traction for the popular and relatively new American sport and recreational activity. For most people, the swimming pool was only a dream; the reality was reserved for the rich and famous.

In the early 1900s, most Americans still didn’t know how to swim. As the population continued to move west, this was about to change. Why? The weather was ideal with a mild Mediterranean-type climate. The rest of the country looked to Southern California and those dreamers – not only the rich and famous – who were building pools. By the 21st century, the number of residential swimming pools in California was estimated at 1.1 million, of which 60% to 75% are in Southern California.

If you know where to look in the Crescenta Valley, the deep and squared cement remnants of old pools can be found. Ask Mike Lawler.

Looking ahead to the end of next week, the weather is stuck on “auto pilot.” The extended forecast is a typical summer one. Daytime highs are expected to hover around the 90-degree mark, while the nights will be in the upper 60s.

I hope it isn’t too chilly for a swim!

Sue Kilpatrick is a

Crescenta Valley resident and

Official Skywarn Spotter for the

National Weather Service. Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick