The Story of the Filter...Part Three (yay! today!)

This post could also be called "God has a sense of humor and likes to watch Wendy get frustrated!"

So a few days ago I start to notice that the pool isn't really filtering like it should be. I get out the calendar (thinking there is NO way it has been 8 weeks!) and low and behold, it had been 8 weeks. Good grief, here we go. I think I realized this about Wednesday. I was busy with Chase's arrival and knew that Saturday would be the day. I don't think I mentioned in previous posts how disgusting cleaning the pool filter is. I thought this was just because I didn't back wash prior to cleaning it. I learned today that this was a mistake. I put off cleaning the filter until around 6:00 tonight. I noticed on my way home that the sky was starting to get dark, but was determined to get this done (remembering that I don't have a free day until mid December, of course). I start to look at the pool and realize that it is looking a smidge green. Since I have managed to get the hang of this pool thing down I DO NOT like to have the pool in any condition besides perfect. There are also A LOT of leaves in the bottom, because contrary to popular belief fall actually begins the first weekend in August in Oklahoma (or that's how it appears based on my backyard). This is what the weather looked like when I started to clean the filter:

Notice the rain???

So here I go. I try to back wash the pool before, to little avail, but better than nothing. I have little problem getting the filter open and the filter out, I even manage to get it to the concrete! This is the before:

Notice the white goop on it? That is what I hose off. I spray the sucker down and end up with this:

It doesn't look all that different, but man, oh man, does it filter better. I think I'm home free on this filter cleaning thing! Until I start to put it back together...it starts POURING! I manage to get the whole thing put back together without too many more problems. I come in, write the first filter blog entry, start the second, look out at the pool, it's stopped raining, but I can see all the leaves and the green. I just cannot bear it...out I go at 7:45 to vacuum the pool. There were SO many leaves! I had to clean out the pump basket about 6 times (prior to the this it had been about 2). I have now dumped chemicals in and I'm hoping by tomorrow the pool will look like this again!