We joke with a handful of neighbors that some of us do have certain burdens to bear. These are in the form of "other" neighbors - those that reside next door to each of us. While we have rules in place to prevent certain things, a few oversights seem to slip right by.

Our "hell" is in the form of a blue swimming pool. It's the rubberized above-ground version that you see in back yards through the summer months. This one is a permanent resident. In fact, this is a second generation, larger version. The first one didn't come down in the fall; the pump died, scum and other nasties set in, and the rest was history. At some point, the actual owners (relatives of the residents) decided they wanted to take a swim. The volunteer cleanup crew gave up quickly, so "Sis" bought a new one.

Here it sits, within view of my studio window. As summer waned - the year before last - the pump died and it remained in the open through the winter. Summer came again with no pump and a pool full of tepid water. Yes, I must show a picture of it, so you can enjoy our view - our burden. That is not an air mattress you see floating on the water - that is some sort of blossoming growth that is especially enjoyable. We won't discuss the surrounding vegetation here.

Perhaps someone will want to go swimming one of these days and they can start this process once again.