Disclaimer: This is just a long rant. Feel free to skip if you are short on time. 
We've put a lot of time, money, and effort into the pool this season and have made some great improvements and fixed some minor issues with the help and support of our friends here at TFP. It had been a disappointing start to the season with as cold and cloudy as the weather has been here. We tried to combat this by adding solar panels. Again, the clouds foiled this attempt to get our temp up. We broke 80* once in July, which is good for me, but anything less than 82-83 and DW isn't getting in. 85 is heaven for her. We have been hovering between 75-77 all season. The kids don't mind, but it's not for me.
Finally, this past week, summer finally arrived. A couple of 90* sunny days and the panels finally could work their magic. We were at 82* yesterday and hosted a pool party for my niece who just turned 9. Her 1 year old brother attended as well and took his very first swim, and with a little luck, we had no baby ruth incidents (or any others, as far as I can tell).
90* again today. Checked the pool when I got home from work. 85*! That's a first ever for us. DW was very excited and brought home some fancy exercise belt from work that she wanted to try out in the pool (she's a physical therapist).
The kids were in their suits and we excitedly rolled the solar cover up...BAM!
It appears that sometime between when the party ended and we finally covered the pool up last night when it was dark, a fighter squadron of Canadian Geese attacked our position. I hate those @#$%^ things :grrrr: , but this just takes it to a new level. I dropped a cal-hypo nuke on the pool (trying to get the CH up) and sent the incredibly disappointed kids and wife back in the house.
It's a cruel, cruel world.
We've put a lot of time, money, and effort into the pool this season and have made some great improvements and fixed some minor issues with the help and support of our friends here at TFP. It had been a disappointing start to the season with as cold and cloudy as the weather has been here. We tried to combat this by adding solar panels. Again, the clouds foiled this attempt to get our temp up. We broke 80* once in July, which is good for me, but anything less than 82-83 and DW isn't getting in. 85 is heaven for her. We have been hovering between 75-77 all season. The kids don't mind, but it's not for me.
Finally, this past week, summer finally arrived. A couple of 90* sunny days and the panels finally could work their magic. We were at 82* yesterday and hosted a pool party for my niece who just turned 9. Her 1 year old brother attended as well and took his very first swim, and with a little luck, we had no baby ruth incidents (or any others, as far as I can tell).
90* again today. Checked the pool when I got home from work. 85*! That's a first ever for us. DW was very excited and brought home some fancy exercise belt from work that she wanted to try out in the pool (she's a physical therapist).
The kids were in their suits and we excitedly rolled the solar cover up...BAM!
It appears that sometime between when the party ended and we finally covered the pool up last night when it was dark, a fighter squadron of Canadian Geese attacked our position. I hate those @#$%^ things :grrrr: , but this just takes it to a new level. I dropped a cal-hypo nuke on the pool (trying to get the CH up) and sent the incredibly disappointed kids and wife back in the house.
It's a cruel, cruel world.
