Party Pool PIX  :-)

Whenever I need to visualize a calming thought, I have no trouble choosing a venue.  Following are just a few of the many shots I took this summer of the PP.  When I arrived the end of June the sunflowers were not blooming, but as the summer progressed so did the profusion of color; since I'm posting in chronological order you may also notice that.  FYI It's entirely possible I snapped as many pix at the Party Pool as all others combined, trying for that perfect shot, but of course <G> will not post all of them. 

This view, to the east, is what I would see upon my early morning arrival. The overexposed green on the right is a little meadow where the does often grazed, though the fawns tended to stay closer to the trees.

Now I'm in the pool,

swinging my view southward

until I am looking west, over the valley,

to where the water flows out of the pool

and down to the swimming pool.

I never tire of this view, and of course the clouds changed all the time -

it just got prettier and prettier as the sunflowers started blooming.

Even with my toes photo-bombing it's a wonderful view!

It's going to be hard to choose a favorite for my art quilt...

This is the trail from the swimming pool up to the party pool, which is 'hiding' right behind the sunflowers.  The creek on the left is the overflow from one pool to the other.

Yes, these sunflowers.

If you look past all the color you can see the beginning of the trail to the Top Pools.

This is the view from above, on the way back down  from the Top Pools.

Yes I know these next 4 shots are similar... just can't choose a favorite!

Of course much of the time there were other people in the pool. 

Warren was a master builder:

and he always had an approving audience, like Reina!

The deer were well aware of our presence, 

and there was never any need to stop conversation on their account!

Other critters included damselflies, much smaller (and I think prettier) than the dragonflies.  Damselflies were perfectly happy to land on me and visit, but usually my camera was safe on land.  I was lucky to catch these guys.

And speaking of critters, Bob was back 

prowling the pool over Members Weekend.

Will with Booster

who of course was not inclined to soak

 but instead hang out by the John Lennon memorial (at the base of the post with hooks for hanging towels/robes in the previous picture) until Will comes to his senses and gets out of the water.

Ilene and Mike

Artie and Donvan

Christine, 

who sculpted Ganesh

and a flutterby.

Lil with her family

and finally here I am.  

Forget who offered to take this picture, but it came out great!

Of course I wasn't always relaxing...here are the steps 

after I scrubbed them of moss and 'deslipperyized' them.

Now that I've played at the hot springs I really should get something done - like make a second pass at the mail!