BALTIMORE — The sight of sprinklers sent kids running this afternoon in Patterson Park. The Sanchez family - and their puppies - are happy that summer weather is sticking around through September.
"I like this heat," said sixth grader Maurisio Sanchez. When asked if he's ready for it to get colder, he said, "No! I like summer."
The kids enjoyed running around the park's splash pad, while the pool sat empty just a few steps away. But they were having too much fun to notice.
Repairs to the Patterson Park pool weren't finished in time, so the pool never opened for the summer. But if you ask this group of kids, this splash pad is a pretty good replacement.
For Barbara Wilgus, a dip in the pool at Druid Hill Park was her reward after a morning squash lesson.
"I'm gonna swim for quite a while. Then I'll go home, start marinating some burgers and getting ready for a little cookout. Then, that'll end the Labor Day weekend," Wilgus said.
Hailee Bahar had swimming on her agenda as well, but she had different plans for the rest of the day.
"I'm gonna take a nap because I'm sleepy sometimes," Bahar said.
She was soaking up the last bit of summer, but she's ready to take on third grade.
"I'm looking forward to seeing my friends, and doing math, because that's my favorite subject," Bahar said.
Staying cool was not the priority on the basketball court.
"Usually when the sun is real hot, we'll stop for a minute then keep playing," Mike Marks said.
This has been a summer tradition in Druid Hill Park for this crew for about 25 years.
"Oh I love it. It's just camaraderie. It's more about camaraderie than basketball," Marks said.
"So every year they come out here, they have a cookout, basketball tournament, talk to the kids about school and community involvement," said Harriet Wadley, one of the original organizers.
Speaking of school, it'll look a little different for some students in Baltimore this week.
10 schools in the district still don't have air conditioning, so students in kindergarten and first grade will get dismissed early Tuesday and Wednesday, while students in second through 12th grade will learn virtually.
SEE MORE: Baltimore City Schools to make adjustments for schools without AC ahead of high temperatures
The school district will provide an update on the rest of the week by Wednesday afternoon.
"I have friends who have children in City College, and friends who are teachers at City College, and that's one of the schools doing virtual learning this week. You know, it is what it is. Schools need A/C," Wilgus said.
