Bhskittykatt vs Mother Nature -- FIGHT!!

[bhskittykatt]

Last night, and all day today, we have had an epic wind storm. However, the pool must still be opened. We were having an employee picnic/pool party in the afternoon, so I had to get it up and running.

I came to work to find the pool pumps clogged and the skimmer baskets overflowing. There were more leaves than water in the pool. To add insult to injury, someone had tossed rocks and one of our pool signs in the water as well.

I tried to restart the pumps, but they were badly clogged, so I backwashed them while skimming the surface of the pool. The wind was blowing leaves into the pool faster than I could skim them.

Bhskittykatt: 0
Nature: 1

I finally got the pool pump working briefly. I started vacuuming the pool. However, there was so much debris, I kept getting clogs. After much struggle, I managed to get the pool vaccumed.

Bhskittykatt: 1
Nature: 1

When I looked back at where I'd begun, though, it looked like I hadn't done anything!

Bhskittykatt: 1
Nature: 2

I did manage to fish out the pool sign and the rocks without having to dive in for them.

Bhskittykatt: 2
Nature: 2

Once I figured the pump was cooperating enough, I let it run and do its thing. I emptied the skimmer baskets TWICE before I had to leave to buy picnic supplies. It seemed to be clearing up the pool, so I was happy.

Bhskittykatt: 3
Nature: 2

When I got back, though, the pumps were clogged, again! More debris had collected in the pool, and the skimmers weren't picking any of it up.

Bhskittykatt: 3
Nature: 3

I got the pump running, again, and went out to vacuum the pool...again. Other MOD came out and helped skim while I sucked. Suddenly, a heavy gust of wind blew threw. It picked up two of our recliners, tossed them end over end, and then landed them in the pool!

Bhskittykatt: 3
Nature: 4

We fished them out. I told Other MOD that this was getting to be ridiculous (at this point, it's 1pm...I started working on the pool at 8:30). Other MOD said I could stop when the wind stopped. I wanted to toss her into the pool.

The pumps were now cooperating, so we got the pool skimmed (+1) and vacuumed (+1), and it looked like we were finally winning!

Bhskittykatt: 5
Nature: 4

Then, the pumps suddenly stopped, again. I backwashed them. Still clogged. I backwashed them again. Still clogged. I emptied the filter 5 separate times. I could not get it to work!

Bhskittykatt: 5
Nature: 5

Eventually, I fetched Other MOD, to show her the pool pump simply wasn't working! I started it up. We watched it. It started up.

Me: "Great, it starts up for you!"

But hey, it was working! Hooray!

Bhskittykatt: 6
Nature: 5

The pool was now clean, the pump was working, and things were looking up. It was still windy, though. It was so windy, it blew in a cloud. Suddenly, the sun was replaced by a downpour. At this point, Hubs had started cooking the food (he was recruited, since none of the employees can grill worth sh*t), and was moving everything under cover. The "pool" part of the pool party was cancelled.

I'd spent over four hours fighting with that pool to get it clean and ready, and no one was going to use it.

Bhskittykatt: 6
Nature: 6

Alright, we'll call it a draw.

[dalesys]

A lot of poolishness.

... fishing the drowned mice & shrews out of the skimmer ...

[AccountingDrone]

Thats ok, we were using our hot tub for stock water while the power was out, and Rob accidently left the cover off when he had to run inside briefly and he came back to a flock of geese going for a swim ... so once we got power back he had to drain, clean and putz around with it, then refill it, shock it and heat it before we could use it again ...

I suggested heaving some assorted veggies in to float around with the geese and take a picture of the giant stew pot first, but he got grumpy and refused to do it