Bein’ an old lady alone with a 25-pound dog in lovely Phoenix, well…natcherly I have a swimming pool, right? And natcherly it takes up about a third of the back yard. And, it bein’ a swimming pool, natcherly it has to be kept clean.
In lovely Arizona, maintaining a pool involves much more than a weekly brush-down and a slug of chemicals.
Much, much more.
It really needs to be swept down every day. And it certainly needs to have its chemicals kept current…that would be acid, chlorine, and whatnot.
It’s not very hard, and as a matter of fact this ole’ lady can do the job just fine.
Problem is, a pool requires daily maintenance, not — as some would think — weekly maintenance.
And that causes the ole’ lady to become surprisingly bored with the job. 😀
Just in from the backyard, about five minutes ago. Looks good out there. Thanks to Pool Dude, the guy who comes around once a week and beats back the algae, the water is just plain pristine. No kidding: downright crystal-clear.
Everything else is crystalline, too: the equipment is in good shape, the system’s working fine…nary a glitch in sight or hearing. YAY!
This state of affairs is not because of a busy ole’ lady but because of the Beloved Pool Dude.
Lemme tellya: THAT is a guy who earns his keep. In spades!
He comes around early in the week to clean, service the pump and filter, and apply chemicals. Today, incredibly, is Saturday and that thing is still crystal-clear. He is making it possible for this ole’ lady to stay in her house. Because at this age? NOT A CHANCE would I be able to keep that hole in the ground even half as clean as he does. To say nothing of keeping the equipment running as though it were brand-new.
The pool and the backyard are, taken together, a main reason I absolutely do not want to move into an old-folkerie like the Beatitudes.
That water out there? It doesn’t have anyone else’s germs in it but mine. Well…and a few birds’. 😀
That fencing out there? It keeps the Ruby Doo out of the drink. (Ever had to jump in the pool to rescue a dog? Innaresting experience…) And it serves nicely for the occasional bird to perch on.
That equipment out there? It runs seven days a week, nooo problem no trouble no hassle. Once a week, Pool Dude checks it and administers whatever maintenance is needed.
He’s not the only guy who comes around to keep this place running. We have Gerardo and his crew, about whom you read every couple of weeks. Those guys…ohhhhh Lordie! WHO would want their jobs? Talk about working like horses… They not only beat back the weeds and maintain the desert landscaping in 110-degree heat, they keep the watering system working, trim the voracious trees and shrubs, and control the vines that pile up along the back and east walls. The thorny vines… The ones that keep the prowlers, peeping Toms, and cats out. There’s a reason they’re called cat’s claw vines.
Then we have the watering system guy, who (along with Gerardo) keeps that large and complicated system running. Properly.
And Wonder-Cleaning Lady, who kindly absolves me from housework. Just about all housework, short of dropping the dinner dishes in the dishwasher.
And the electrician, who is certifiably smarter than the average cat. By about 1000 percent…
And the plumber, who understands products and systems that date back to the early 1970s…
How do I love Gerardo and his colleagues? Let me count the ways… WAIT! I can’t count that high!
😀 <3 😀