Yesterday I worked from about 0730 until 1530, with my grandson Michael helping, to execute my annual mid-September mission "Close the Swimming Pool." It was a success and today when I got up early for my AM walk, I looked on with satisfaction at the new 25x45 foot green tarp spread tightly across the pool, all tied down securely with filled water bags placed along the perimeter to make it even more secure from winds, rain and snow which will be the weather norm until I execute another annual mission, "Open Swimming Pool."
In-ground swimming pools are fun to have and use when you have young kids involved, splashing about, diving crazily into the deep water at one end, and floating about on all sorts of cheap, air filled devices that will generally last only one season. However, when the kids grow up, they tend to spend all their time on chairs and lounges at pool side, sunning themselves, never wanting to do the crazy stuff they once did, or many times never even getting wet...except from sweat. And so, the pool is left to the older folks, who generally float or bob about with sunscreen slathered all over exposed body parts, trying to stay as cool as possible. For example, it's been years since I dove or jumped off our diving board, and I never swim laps anymore.
For us today, our pool is generally a weekend affair, and only when the weather is what we call a "good swim day." In the meantime, I have to periodically backwash the large sand-filter and electric pump that keeps the water circulating and clean 24/7; check the skimmer basket daily to empty all the collected debris, including dead bugs, mice, frogs, snakes and (once) a chipmunk. I also have to walk around the pool with long-poled brush in hand once a day, keeping the bottom and sides relatively clean. Adding chemicals on a weekly basis is also a chore (expensive one too) and that involves making sure the chemistry of the water is OK. It's a "chlorine" amount versus "PH" (alkalinity) battle. Shall I mention I never "got" chemistry when I took it in school? Thankfully my wife "gets" it, and our daughter teaches middle school science and thus speaks chemistry very well. So, we manage fairly well throughout the summer, but we do have our challenges from time to time...like this year when the electric pump motor shorted out and had to be replaced.
Anyway, my "pool" mission is complete for another year. Thankfully!
