Shrek and the Swamp
You know how we have a pool?
A pool my father built when he was just a teenager?
A pool that provides some serious relief from the Aussie heat in the summer months?
And you know how (despite many, many lotto entries)
we still don’t have Sven the pool boy at our beck and call?
And did you also know that our pool pump decided to up and DIE over winter?
So, as Summer approached at a gallop, our lovely big pool actually resembled
the Shrek Swamp in consistency and colour?
Not pretty – you can thank me later for not taking a photo of it
in all it’s mucky glory!
…
It reminded me of when Jeanie and our brother Pig and I were kids
(the pool was built very much pre-filtration)
and Dad would simply skim the leaves etc off the top,
pull the cane toads out,
and in we would dive.
We never expected to see the bottom of the pool,
and were quite amazed at the council pools
with their blue clear stingy-eyes water.
Of course, the toad thing wasn’t so great.
I had dreams/nightmares about diving into a pool
with ONLY toads in it.
*Shudder*
…
Anyway, we bought a new pool pump a few weeks ago
but it just couldn’t handle the degree of Shrek-ness of our pool.
(say after me: ‘YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE SHREK-NESS!’)
We decided to give in, pump out the filth
and irrigate some parched pasture
with the old water and start afresh.
Which is when a lovely big cloud
dropped almost two inches of rain on our house!
Yay! But OY the timing…
…
So yesterday Dad (Pagi), my hard-working hubby (Mr Incredible)
and the kids got scrubbing.
While I took photos.
And I mowed the lawn.
(So what if it’s a ride-on mower!
Laziness is no good unless it is well carried out!)
Ever seen a bush pool cleaned out?
Well, I am here to inform and educate…
if not to scrub!
Pick the lazy bones in this family portrait…
Hello!!!!
You can clearly see where the boys have been scrubbing
You can clearly see where the boys have been scrubbing
and where they have not.
I’m telling you, this pool was FILTHY.
Dash was on hose duty, with Violet wielding a small red brush.
I suspect she was using it more to point out the spots that needed attention,
than actually scrubbing…
She’s a chip off the old block, that one.
(Her Ma is so proud!)
By the time I had done the mowing the pool job was pretty much done,
with just the final sweeping of last bits of brown sludge
into the ‘trap’ hole in the floor of the deep end for bucketing out.
We find water guns most helpful to help cool Daddy off when the sweeping work gets too sweaty… I use the term ‘we’ loosely – cameras don’t like water too much!
As you can see, Dash and Violet revelled in this chore…
They care little about mucky water… it was wet and cool and fun!
We did give Mr Incredible a break eventually, with a pool-side coffee.
With the pool empty and relatively clean, we turned the hose on.
The kids lay on the pool floor and let the water trickle past them…
Our own water park!
Of course the garden hose will take a few days to fill this monster hole,
so I can’t yet give you an ‘after’ photo just yet…
In the meantime…
Heeeeeeeere’s Axel…
the pool-side boot-minder:
He’s about as useful as I am!
13 Comments
Anonymous
Mr I would be much cooler with less face
hair 🙂 Job well done, I really enjoy watching others work.
Axel is such a great pool boy 😉
signed
Theresa in Alberta
Bush Babe
Theresa – HA! Yes, my favourite saying:
I love hard work.
I could watch it all day long!
🙂
BB
Leenie
Cool pool–but Holy Cow! Axel has gotten HUGE! Guess you've heard all the jokes about a saddle for the big pinto.
Jayne
Gawd, I remember the old leaf skimmer we used and putting up with a bit of green muck until the uber-large chlorine tablets and chugging filter took care of it lol.
Does Axel hop into the pool at all?
T Lee
Axel Rocks! The pool seems to be a hit no matter what condition or generation 😉 and we did the trick or treat thingy here tonight and today….IN THE RAIN, uh, huh!
Reb
I love your photos! I am new here (found you via "Life's funny like that") but I wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying the views in another desert 🙂 I live in Arizona in the US. Hope you don't mind me dropping in and drooling 🙂
Reb
jeanie
If I recall correctly, it wasn't just leaves and toads skimmed (skam? skummed?) out of the pool – there was a beautiful layer of green algae that would bloom often.
We always waited for the splash of Dad hitting the water in the morning before joining him, as otherwise we might also be on toad duty…
Debby
But, BB, Axel is watching so intently that I am sure, if he only had opposible thumbs, he'd be a photographer…
Oh, and it would appear to me that you do have a pool boy. Only his name is not Sven.
rhubarbwhine
I wish I could do that to mmy pool. I can't get rid of the black spot 🙁 Great place to play!
Tia
Before we replastered our pool and put the water in, my kids used it for a skateboard park. Have a fun summer!
Mom L
Lord, even those boots wouldn't fit Axel!
I met my first cane toad when I volunteered at a zoo in Frederick, MD a few years ago. Scary beasties – have to keep away from the poisonous gland. I understand they've become a problem in Florida.
I'll be looking for photos of the clean, filled, magical pool!!!
Nancy in Iowa
JFKlaver
I just returned from visiting a peninsula near San Diego, CA. The hotel swimming pool was full of sea gulls and pigeons. My first thought was for their safety–were they drinking the chlorine? My second thought was for the kids swimming in the pool with gull and pigeon droppings. My third thought came in the form of a memory; as a kid I swam in the Trinity River down the hill from our house. Your post is incredible! Made me smile.:))
BOSSY
Awwwwwww, baby's growing up!