The pool guy took a long look at the heater that’s attached to our inground pool at A Bitty Better in the Liverpool neighborhood of Galeville and gave us his opinion about why it is not working in this first season of our ownership.

It could be the heating coil.

It could be that the squirrels made it their home for too long of a time.

One thing was certain. When water was running through the dang thing for renters, it flooded the next-door neighbor’s yard.

He’d be glad to come back and give it a longer look after the initial open-them-up rush had abated.

Dollar signs, I saw, imagining the worst.

My dear wife Karen bought an inexpensive solar cover online instead.

Catching the rays.

We spread it out carefully.

She says she can feel the difference with a toe (or finger) in the edge.

The end of June through September could be marvelous. If we can circumvent the leak.