My three grandchildren are living with me at this time. Three very handsome boys. Since school is out for the summer, they have to find things to keep them occupied—or their mother has to!

One thing they love to do is to go swimming in our backyard pool. They love the slide and the diving board. Even at their ages, 1, 8, and 11. It’s fun for them and it cools them off when it’s 115 degrees outside. Between their mother

You’d be interested to know that their mother has helped, as have swimming lessons, but they have mostly learned how to swim, slide and dive on their own.

A little bit like Benjamin Franklin. While he was in London, at the age of 20, he taught his friends to swim. He had already taught himself, and had developed cursory swim fins. Yes, he invented those in addition to the lightning rod.

Ben actually considered that if he wanted to remain in England he “could open a swimming school. . .and make a good living at it.” He even proceeded to write a book, “The Art of Swimming”, in 1768.

Nevertheless, he returned to America and became one of our most amazing Founding Fathers!