I need to set up the outdoor shower for nighttime use on the back patio. It's a luxury in the city to have a secluded yard like this, when most people have neighbors who can see into their yards. Going outside naked is one of the luxuries of childhood (my kids played naked in the little wading pool and in the shower sprinkler thing my mother sent them). But it should also be enjoyed by adults. This shower head attaches to the hose and the water running through the lines now is plenty warm enough.

Growing up in Seattle I remember summer expeditions when we were allowed to sleep in the back yard in a pup tent, but down here the idea of sleeping outside in the heat and with fire ants means Texas children have missed one of the joys of childhood.

Now, Texas children could enact some of the dramatic episodes of cowboy western programs, like the rattle snake crawling into the sleeping bag while you're asleep. Like quick sand and piranhas, this was a staple of television drama when I was a child.