With school set to begin next week, children of all ages are enjoying their final days of summer with many spending them wet amid extremely high temperatures. From residents’ swimming pools to public pools, from various creek swimming holes to the Jena Splash Pad, the cool waters found throughout the parish were a refreshing way to spend the last few moments of a summer vacation. Last Wednesday afternoon, July 23, with a “feels like” temperature hitting 102 degrees, several children enjoyed themselves at the Jena Splash Pad. Shown at top, 18-month-old Lilah Adkins pours water on herself in the middle of a summer waterland while (below) cousins Jake Adkins (left) and Chase Jones battle with buckets of water. With Louisiana’s long, hot summers, the Jena Splash Pad will continue to be open through August and perhaps nearly all of September.