'The DSM' Editorial - Issue 100 The Pool
Midsummer madness. The heat and solitude of living in the middle or rural France have made us obsess about certain things. A moratorium has now been placed on topics of conversation. I am not allowed to talk about the pigeons in the barn and slipping roof tiles, Anna, the swimming pool, which we were lucky enough to inherit with the house. When the division of responsibility occurred she took on all things poolside. As soon as she is up, she is off to the pool to check on any over night casualties, run a series of experiments to ascertain the pH levels of the water and scoop out any flotsam and jetsam with a net. Any woodland creatures who have sadly not made it through the night are ceremoniously jettisoned over the hedge into the farmer’s field. Anna’s mood can hinge on the performance of the robot that trundles around the bottom of the pool for several hours a day, hoovering up dirt and debris. If he (Roman), has missed a bit on his travels, he goes back in, some...