Swimmin' Holes

I was going to write about the fireworks ban this year, but that's depressing. Then, because at my house we're switching to hardwood charcoal from pressed briquettes (better environmentally and recipe-wise, too), I was going to discuss grilling cookbooks and techniques, but that's still all about fire, and this 4th Texas has too much fire.

What we don't have enough of is water. Cool, clear water. The kind you find in Barton Springs and Deep Eddy and Krause Springs and Hamilton Pool (clockwise from upper left), although there's more of it when it rains. (Remember when it used to rain?) So pay attention to the fire marshall this 4th: let the birds make a nest in your barbecue, pack a basket with fried chicken cooked safely in your kitchen, and head for a puddle of water, if you can find one and get close to it. Here's the city's list of neighborhood pools: COA Parks and Rec, and here's Splash Across Texas, a book about Texas swimming holes (a bit out of date: 1999).