Ruby&Ruch

There’s something slightly sad about a outdoor swimming pool in December. This year there’s been a conscious decision not to cover its big blue winter coat but to leave it open and this comes with good and bad consequence.

On the positive side there’s just the relief of not going through the rigmarole of closing the pool up, it’s not like we get really cold weather in southern France and looking at the expanse of plastic cover and tripping over the ropes that hold it in place is a pain and that’s before you get to the physical pains of actually getting the cover on and off, so from that point of view as a person who does not have the benefit of an electrical retracting covering don’t miss it.

However as is ever in life missing out on one chore only means that other chores spring to life, all those leaves that previously landed on the cover now have to be fished out, all the dirt associated with winter storms well that’s straight in and straight to the bottom and that means you’d better get handy with the pool cleaning equipment because that lovely blue pool isn’t so lovely when it’s pea green.

I’d left ours and that’s where it had arrived when I realised my mistake.

The backwash of the filter system was the first job, I should have emptied the actual filters first but that didn’t occur to me until I was watching the continuing black swirl of water in the filtered – oops. Still both Jones got done and the leaves and dead mice that I found in the basket were ejected and the pulsing green soup was a smart at least.

Green. Not supposed to be green is it. New chemicals please.

An expedition to the shops that at this time of year has reduced its holdings of the required chemicals to a little above none at all got me the necessary and into the basket they went, I’d like to say with a fizz but the water at about the temperature of the North Sea precluded any such activity, still more stirring led to a slightly lesser green something a little less dense, something several grades up the tonal register what you might describe as progress.

So, more fishing for leaves in a storm and wet weather gear, more filtering and the path becomes clear it’s going to be a lot more work.

Stage 2 plus :

If you are the owner of an outdoor pool I’m sure you too have come across ‘the pool cleaner’ they are a joy and thoroughly life affirming experience to work with, ours is a Polaris – not the missile system just the in pool cleaning system or robot as we call it, although if the missile system is as temperamental as the robot then the UK défense system has a major problem. We’ve spent many happy hours making the most minute changes to this water powered contraption in a bid to have it travel the base of the pool cleaning for all its worth but what we more often end up with is the dance of a thousand coils as it spins round and round half way down the water column cleaning absolutely nothing but occasionally spraying us with water from its rear end. I think you can equate working with this device as playing the flute with one hand behind your back and some wit has put cello tape over the mouth piece.

But not anymore! Tada, with a single bound a new comer has entered the fray and electronics has hit winter pool life. Throw in, sorry, place the new pool cleaner in the water watch as it disappears into the gloom and be amazed as clean stripes start to appear on the pool bottom – its thrilling, really it is.

What not quite so thrilling is hauling it out and cleaning it up after the first foray, green gelatinous ooze and detritus whilst the rain continues to fall, still more steps in the right direction. More filtering, cleaning, chemicals please.

Stage- next:

At this point with a break in the rain and Christmas approaching I decided to take out the Polaris pipe, this means stick your hand in the cold water and unscrew from the wall, and what we find is its bloody cold and my hand at least achieves the blue that we’re looking for from the rest of the pool, certainly I think the Christmas Day swim is off my agenda.

I haven’t worked out how to get the old rattlebag out yet but it can definitely wait for another day.

Review;

Mmm, a kind of watery green with a view down to an increasingly cleaner bottom after repeated sessions with Dr electric. There’s a kind of floating miasma that the filter systems working on, let’s call it ‘tinted’, better than soup not quite transparent.

Is it worth it, not putting the cover on? Well, i suppose we would have had to do what we’re doing now but in spring so it’s not extra work it’s more bringing it forward, although the joy of pool work in December is a mixed blessing. Still no ropes stakes and covers to contend with and that is a major plus.

Sad, did I say sad, perhaps not sad just a tinge depressing with the occasional uplift as we are delivered from greenness.

Right then: more filtering, cleaning and chemicals please, where did I put the pool scoop?