Just an update. Upon further inspection, when the pump was running, it appeared as though you were all correct in regards to the skimmer. I do NOT have a weir so that was not a problem, but the water level, although it appeared below the opening was actually ABOVE the skimmer opening on the inside where the basket is. Therefore, ZERO skimming was happening. The surface of my pool had some nasty black things floating everywhere!
The good thing is that I was able to shove my garden hose down that drain looking thing (shown above), afterwhich I stuck the other end in a return. after clearing out the bubbles in the hose, I placed the hose tip just under the surface and lo and behold, I drained just enough water that the skimmer started skimming again - SUCCESS.
Thank you once again TFP experts and contributors. I LOVE this site!