Happy Monday, Friends! Did you have a nice relaxing weekend? We did, with the exception of opening the swimming pool. We did it ourselves (again). And Lacey was on hand to supervise!
Every year my husband and I open and close our backyard swimming pool ourselves. And every year I think to myself, why don’t we hire this out? But, it never turns out to be that bad and we are happy to have saved the $400 or so the pool companies charge for this service.
Frankly opening the pool is easier than closing it. This weekend we had hoped to trick our sons into coming home to help, but they didn’t fall for it. So, once again it was Brad, me and Lacey. Lacey’s job is to make sure she is constantly under foot and in the way. When she is not she has her head between our legs so she can get a better view of the process. If you know Lacey, you know how this goes. 😉 Here is the pool cover right before we removed it. Not pretty.
The first job is to remove the mesh cover. Once the cover is pulled back we drag it out to the driveway (with Lacey standing on it and us fussing at her to get off) and we brush it off and pressure wash it. Once it’s dry we fold it and put it in a mesh bag for storage. It’s not a glamorous chore so I didn’t document it with a picture. This is how the water looked after we took off the cover. Yuck.
My husband turns on the power and unplugs all of the drains and vents. We dumped two 5 gallons containers of chlorine in the water and then added the Algaecide & Stain and Scale. Then we plug in the vacuum (Polaris) and let it work its magic. The water is still cloudy after two days so I’m taking a water sample to the pool store for analysis. It’s great because they test the water and print out a sheet of instructions and chemicals needed to balance the PH and clear the water. This is how it looks today. A little clearer but still a ways to go. (someone needs to cut the grass)
In a few days the water will be clear and safe for swimming! Lacey has been very patient. I think she is waiting for the official go ahead before getting in for her first dip (of MANY) of the season. Meanwhile I got out her baby pool and she seems content with that for now. We certainly don’t want her drinking the pool water yet, especially after her recent emergency vet visit. It’s like having a toddler….. But, she is worth it and we adore her! She loves putting her toys in the pool. The indoor shark made its way to the pool, but I had to stop her before Big Lamp Chop went for a dip.
The patio is coming along slowly but surely. In Pennsylvania you aren’t supposed to safely plant annuals until after Mother’s Day, but since my parents are coming this weekend, I may bend the rules. My sad Arborvitae trees didn’t survive the winter. So we took them out and need to find something to replace them. I like the height of the Arborvitaes since it provides a privacy screen from the street to the patio, but they get root bound so quickly. I’ll see what they have at the nursery. I also need to clean the patio furniture and umbrella.
We have a few other big yard projects on the to-do as well. The old hot tub area is in desperate need of attention along with my herb garden. And since we fertilized the lawn, the grass is growing like gangbusters! I love yard work, but this is crazy! Plus we have 6 months and 10 days until the wedding. Yikes!
So, Lacey and I are off to do our yard work. Anyone want any Hostas? I’m digging them up from around the patio area. Later I’ll stop by the nursery and pick up some goodies for my planters and urns. After all, we DID save $400 on the pool opening so this will go a long way at my favorite nursery! Happy Monday and happy May! Thanks for stopping by! xoxo Dell
TIP: Don’t wear flip flops to open a pool.
