Timing and the Pool

Dude - the pool 'bot.

Finally, everything worked right this year and we got the pool opened by Memorial Day.  Although I'm opening the post with a photo of my hero, Dude, the pool robot, the before and after photos below really tell the story of how difficult it was this year.

Dude is not the only hero of this tale.  Our friends at Uncle D's in Luray had a big role to play as well.

See, apparently, that warmer than average March we all enjoyed wreaked some havoc to all the pools under those covers.  We owners were lollygagging around, thinking, well, I don't take the cover off until April.

But lo, the paramecia and algae were getting busy down there in the tepid water.  And then you're going to have to call in the professionals. A few times.

So far, Mary and I have been in the pool a total of six hours, by the way. Our cost per hour of use will get down to something we are not embarrassed to say out loud by the end of the season.

Here are the before and afters.

Poor Dude - he's in there somewhere.

As we left Memorial Day afternoon.