Scooter go to Swimming Pool
The old outdoor swimming pool at the east end of Skeel St, in Benedict Park. It is now gone.
Scooter good dog. Scooter have boring summer. Scooter family not take Scooter anywhere. Scooter lie down. Scooter like lie down. But Scooter not like “lie down” all the time. Scooter want to run. Scooter want to play. Scooter want to explore.
So Scooter run away! Scooter will come back. Family give Scooter important things. Family give Scooter food. Family give Scooter water. Family give Scooter tummy rubs. Family give Scooter air conditioning. Scooter not dumb!
Besides family need Scooter. Scooter scare away cats, rabbits, and mailmen. Without Scooter mean rabbits would eat Grandpappy’s flowers, mailmen would bring more political mail, and evil cats would take over the world! Cats are very bad. They need to be barked at and chased everyday, to disrupt their evil plans. This is Scooter’s job!
Scooter decide that today is good day to run away. Granny and Grandpappy are at work. Pete is sleeping. Mommy is on computer. Scooter go outside. Sccoter open gate. Scooter smart dog. Scooter use nose. Gate open. Scooter is free! Scooter run!
Scooter run down street and look south. Scooter see Dog Catcher! Scooter not like Dog Catcher! Dog Catcher is Scooter arch-enemy! Dog Catcher has powers beyond mortal men. Dog Catcher pretend to be nice. Dog Catcher say
“Nice Doggie. Good Doggie. Have Belly Rub. Have Ear Scratch for doggie!”
Then, Boom! Dog Catcher put Scooter in Doggie Jail. Bad Dog Catcher, bad! Not today! Scooter go north and make a quick right! Stoopid Dog Catcher!
Scooter put nose in air. Scooter smell Rabbit! Rabbit is mean animal! Mommy say rabbits are nice. Rabbits are cute. Mommy not know Rabbits. Rabbits taunt Scooter every morning! Scooter in yard, on one side of fence. Mean, Grandpappy Flower-eating Rabbits on other. Rabbits say
“Ha! Ha! Stoopid Dog! You no get us! Nah, Nah, Nah!”
Scooter know how Elmer Fudd feel. Today different. Scooter and Rabbit on same side of fence. Scooter follow nose. Nose lead Scooter to two rabbits. Rabbits talk among themselves.
“I think we should eat the white petunias today”
“No, let’s sneak into the backyard and eat those yummy snapdragons. Those dogs are dumb and slow!”
Scooter wonder who they talking about. Scooter is right behind them. Scooter is great hunter! Scooter bark! Rabbits jump straight into air! When rabbits hit the ground, they already running! Scooter chase! Scooter bark! Rabbits are mean and fast! Scooter is great hunter! Scooter is bad runner! Rabbits disappear into park! Rabbits can eat government flowers now!
Scooter is pleased with himself. Scooter is also very thirsty. Scooter not usually run so fast! Scooter stick nose in air. Scooter smell water! Scooter follow nose! Scooter see water. Scooter not pleased anymore. Water is swimming pool. Scooter hate swimming pool. Swimming pool is thing designed to torture dogs! Swimming pool is like big bath tub. Scooter hate baths!
Scooter still thirsty. Scooter decide to go in get drink. Fence all around pool. Fence to keep crazy water loving people away from sane water hating dogs. Scooter go inside building to get drink. Scooter walk into entrance and stopped. The Pete age boy, who was working say
So Scooter run away! Scooter will come back. Family give Scooter important things. Family give Scooter food. Family give Scooter water. Family give Scooter tummy rubs. Family give Scooter air conditioning. Scooter not dumb!
Besides family need Scooter. Scooter scare away cats, rabbits, and mailmen. Without Scooter mean rabbits would eat Grandpappy’s flowers, mailmen would bring more political mail, and evil cats would take over the world! Cats are very bad. They need to be barked at and chased everyday, to disrupt their evil plans. This is Scooter’s job!
Scooter decide that today is good day to run away. Granny and Grandpappy are at work. Pete is sleeping. Mommy is on computer. Scooter go outside. Sccoter open gate. Scooter smart dog. Scooter use nose. Gate open. Scooter is free! Scooter run!
Scooter run down street and look south. Scooter see Dog Catcher! Scooter not like Dog Catcher! Dog Catcher is Scooter arch-enemy! Dog Catcher has powers beyond mortal men. Dog Catcher pretend to be nice. Dog Catcher say
“Nice Doggie. Good Doggie. Have Belly Rub. Have Ear Scratch for doggie!”
Then, Boom! Dog Catcher put Scooter in Doggie Jail. Bad Dog Catcher, bad! Not today! Scooter go north and make a quick right! Stoopid Dog Catcher!
Scooter put nose in air. Scooter smell Rabbit! Rabbit is mean animal! Mommy say rabbits are nice. Rabbits are cute. Mommy not know Rabbits. Rabbits taunt Scooter every morning! Scooter in yard, on one side of fence. Mean, Grandpappy Flower-eating Rabbits on other. Rabbits say
“Ha! Ha! Stoopid Dog! You no get us! Nah, Nah, Nah!”
Scooter know how Elmer Fudd feel. Today different. Scooter and Rabbit on same side of fence. Scooter follow nose. Nose lead Scooter to two rabbits. Rabbits talk among themselves.
“I think we should eat the white petunias today”
“No, let’s sneak into the backyard and eat those yummy snapdragons. Those dogs are dumb and slow!”
Scooter wonder who they talking about. Scooter is right behind them. Scooter is great hunter! Scooter bark! Rabbits jump straight into air! When rabbits hit the ground, they already running! Scooter chase! Scooter bark! Rabbits are mean and fast! Scooter is great hunter! Scooter is bad runner! Rabbits disappear into park! Rabbits can eat government flowers now!
Scooter is pleased with himself. Scooter is also very thirsty. Scooter not usually run so fast! Scooter stick nose in air. Scooter smell water! Scooter follow nose! Scooter see water. Scooter not pleased anymore. Water is swimming pool. Scooter hate swimming pool. Swimming pool is thing designed to torture dogs! Swimming pool is like big bath tub. Scooter hate baths!
Scooter still thirsty. Scooter decide to go in get drink. Fence all around pool. Fence to keep crazy water loving people away from sane water hating dogs. Scooter go inside building to get drink. Scooter walk into entrance and stopped. The Pete age boy, who was working say
cont
“Hi Doggie, Whatchadoin?”
Scooter no say anything.
“I’m bored as hell, pup. I’m stuck here taken money and sellin’ candy, when I should be out there with the ladies”
Scooter think boy is crazy. Boy had more candy than Scooter ever seen and boy want to leave. But, Scooter not say anything. Scooter is hoping boy will give Scooter candy. Scooter decided to work Scooter magic power. Granny teach Scooter this magic. When Scooter do magic he get food! Scooter do “Sit Up”! When Scooter do “Sit Up” at home, Granny goes “Scooter so cute” Let’s get Scooter a snack” If Grandpappy see, he give Scooter some of what he is eating. Grandpappy is very weak to Scooter’s magic. Now Scooter perform magic on boy. Boy say
“Hey, that’s pretty good! Can you do any other tricks?”
Scooter not like the way this is going.
“I got a trick for you.” “The boy say “Why don’t you go over and steal that chick’s bikini top. That would be a great trick! Haha!”
“That ain’t funny, Eric!” yelled a big boy near by. “I told you to stop ogloing my sister!” “I guess I’m gonna have to kick your ass, to get this through your thick head!”
This thing turning very bad! No candy for Scooter and Scooter is still thirsty. Very bad! Scooter turn left and head to the sound of girls giggling. Scooter likes girls. Girls is very weak to Scooter’s magic. Scooter walk into other room. Scooter hear showers. Scooter hear giggling. Scooter smell candy!! Scooter follow nose to candy.
Scooter is following nose to candy. Nose take Scooter outside to swimming pool place. Nose take Scooter over to place where thing stick out over water. Boys jump on thing and go high into the air. Boys land in water. Water go everywhere. Water get Scooter! Grrrrrrrr. Scooter hate water. Scooter shake. Scooter feel better. Scooter feel lucky. No one yell at Scooter today. Scooter sniff air. Candy is near. Scooter look towards thing over water and see little girl. Little girl have candy! Little girl have chocolate candy! Little girl have mother right beside her! Scooter is sad. Mommy’s are very mean with food. They never give Scooter candy! Then Scooter see Mommy get up.
“Stay right here and eat your Snickers, Sarah. I have to go inside for a second”
Scooter maybe get candy from little girl! Scooter walk over. Boy run past Scooter and say
“Out of the way, mutt”
Scooter not care about dumb boy. Scooter want chocolate. Scooter see boy get on thing and bounce hard. Scooter see little girl. Little girl see boy bounce and get scared. She step back and fall into water! Boy land in water at same time and yell.
“Cannonball!”
Little girl is splashing and crying! Little girl is not happy! Little girl go under water! Little girl let go of candy bar! Scooter know she in trouble! Peeple no see little girl! Older girl on ladder thing is close! Older girl is yelling at boy who wanted Scooter do trick. Other peeple see Older girl yell, too. No one see little girl! Scooter hate water. Scooter jump in anyway! Little girl is close. Little girl grab Scooter! Little girl pull Scooter underwater. Bad, Little Girl! Scooter walk hard in water. Scooter try to get to wall. Scooter get to wall. Little girl get to wall. Little Girl let Scooter go. Scooter come above water.
Little girl grab wall and climb out. Little girl is crying. Little girl run away yelling
“Mommy, I fall in! Mommy, I fall in!”
Scooter wonder how he get out of water. Wall is too tall. Scooter is getting tired.
“Hey! Whose dog is that!” yell Older Girl. “Get, him out of the pool!”
“I think he is with that little girl who is crying.” Say Cannonball Boy. “I think she pushed him in”
“I don’t give a darn who he is with get him out of my pool!” say Older Girl
“Ok. Ok.” the boy yells.
Then boy says, quieter
“That lifeguard may be hot, but she is a real pain in the ass”
Boy grab Scooter by scruff of neck and pull Scooter out of water. Boy is mean with Scooter and make Scooter hurt as he take Scooter out. Scooter might bite him if Scooter not so tired and glad to be out of water.
“Whose dog is that!” yell Older Girl “Whoever it is, is in big trouble!
Scooter know what trouble means. Trouble means that Scooter should leave, fast! Scooter decide to run back to where giggling girls were.
Older Girl is not tired of yelling.
“Come back here! I have to report this!”
Scooter think Older Girl can report without Scooter to help. Scooter run. Scooter run. Scooter run more! Scooter is home! Scooter go straight to water dish and drink and drink and drink. Scooter is very tired. Scooter never so tired in life! Scooter go lay down. Scooter hear Granny car. Scooter too tired to go see Granny. Scooter step brother and sisters go see Granny. They run and jump on Granny.
“OK! OK! Get down! Granny is glad to see you, too!” “Where is Scooter?”
Granny walk over to where Scooter is laying.
“Why are you all wet? You smell! “Is that chlorine?”
Scooter just look at Granny and lay down. Scooter need sleep.
Scooter no say anything.
“I’m bored as hell, pup. I’m stuck here taken money and sellin’ candy, when I should be out there with the ladies”
Scooter think boy is crazy. Boy had more candy than Scooter ever seen and boy want to leave. But, Scooter not say anything. Scooter is hoping boy will give Scooter candy. Scooter decided to work Scooter magic power. Granny teach Scooter this magic. When Scooter do magic he get food! Scooter do “Sit Up”! When Scooter do “Sit Up” at home, Granny goes “Scooter so cute” Let’s get Scooter a snack” If Grandpappy see, he give Scooter some of what he is eating. Grandpappy is very weak to Scooter’s magic. Now Scooter perform magic on boy. Boy say
“Hey, that’s pretty good! Can you do any other tricks?”
Scooter not like the way this is going.
“I got a trick for you.” “The boy say “Why don’t you go over and steal that chick’s bikini top. That would be a great trick! Haha!”
“That ain’t funny, Eric!” yelled a big boy near by. “I told you to stop ogloing my sister!” “I guess I’m gonna have to kick your ass, to get this through your thick head!”
This thing turning very bad! No candy for Scooter and Scooter is still thirsty. Very bad! Scooter turn left and head to the sound of girls giggling. Scooter likes girls. Girls is very weak to Scooter’s magic. Scooter walk into other room. Scooter hear showers. Scooter hear giggling. Scooter smell candy!! Scooter follow nose to candy.
Scooter is following nose to candy. Nose take Scooter outside to swimming pool place. Nose take Scooter over to place where thing stick out over water. Boys jump on thing and go high into the air. Boys land in water. Water go everywhere. Water get Scooter! Grrrrrrrr. Scooter hate water. Scooter shake. Scooter feel better. Scooter feel lucky. No one yell at Scooter today. Scooter sniff air. Candy is near. Scooter look towards thing over water and see little girl. Little girl have candy! Little girl have chocolate candy! Little girl have mother right beside her! Scooter is sad. Mommy’s are very mean with food. They never give Scooter candy! Then Scooter see Mommy get up.
“Stay right here and eat your Snickers, Sarah. I have to go inside for a second”
Scooter maybe get candy from little girl! Scooter walk over. Boy run past Scooter and say
“Out of the way, mutt”
Scooter not care about dumb boy. Scooter want chocolate. Scooter see boy get on thing and bounce hard. Scooter see little girl. Little girl see boy bounce and get scared. She step back and fall into water! Boy land in water at same time and yell.
“Cannonball!”
Little girl is splashing and crying! Little girl is not happy! Little girl go under water! Little girl let go of candy bar! Scooter know she in trouble! Peeple no see little girl! Older girl on ladder thing is close! Older girl is yelling at boy who wanted Scooter do trick. Other peeple see Older girl yell, too. No one see little girl! Scooter hate water. Scooter jump in anyway! Little girl is close. Little girl grab Scooter! Little girl pull Scooter underwater. Bad, Little Girl! Scooter walk hard in water. Scooter try to get to wall. Scooter get to wall. Little girl get to wall. Little Girl let Scooter go. Scooter come above water.
Little girl grab wall and climb out. Little girl is crying. Little girl run away yelling
“Mommy, I fall in! Mommy, I fall in!”
Scooter wonder how he get out of water. Wall is too tall. Scooter is getting tired.
“Hey! Whose dog is that!” yell Older Girl. “Get, him out of the pool!”
“I think he is with that little girl who is crying.” Say Cannonball Boy. “I think she pushed him in”
“I don’t give a darn who he is with get him out of my pool!” say Older Girl
“Ok. Ok.” the boy yells.
Then boy says, quieter
“That lifeguard may be hot, but she is a real pain in the ass”
Boy grab Scooter by scruff of neck and pull Scooter out of water. Boy is mean with Scooter and make Scooter hurt as he take Scooter out. Scooter might bite him if Scooter not so tired and glad to be out of water.
“Whose dog is that!” yell Older Girl “Whoever it is, is in big trouble!
Scooter know what trouble means. Trouble means that Scooter should leave, fast! Scooter decide to run back to where giggling girls were.
Older Girl is not tired of yelling.
“Come back here! I have to report this!”
Scooter think Older Girl can report without Scooter to help. Scooter run. Scooter run. Scooter run more! Scooter is home! Scooter go straight to water dish and drink and drink and drink. Scooter is very tired. Scooter never so tired in life! Scooter go lay down. Scooter hear Granny car. Scooter too tired to go see Granny. Scooter step brother and sisters go see Granny. They run and jump on Granny.
“OK! OK! Get down! Granny is glad to see you, too!” “Where is Scooter?”
Granny walk over to where Scooter is laying.
“Why are you all wet? You smell! “Is that chlorine?”
Scooter just look at Granny and lay down. Scooter need sleep.
Note from Bill:
This story takes place at the old Brighton swimming pool, which is now closed. It was closed after the 2010 summer and not reopened. It was replaced by the new water park on Bromley Lane, called “The Oasis”
“The Outdoor Pool” as it was known locally is located at 1701 Skeel Street, which is the northwest corner of Benedict Park. It opened in the 1950s and served Brighton for over 50 years.
“The Outdoor Pool” as it was known locally is located at 1701 Skeel Street, which is the northwest corner of Benedict Park. It opened in the 1950s and served Brighton for over 50 years.