New Improved Blog!

The other day I decided it was time to install the newest Blogger template. It has lots of new features.

I really didn't want to do it but I guess I'll just have to learn to deal with whatever it does to my blog.

Actually the transition pains weren't that bad. And the changeover forced me to make some overdue improvements to my blog.

Where are the missing sidebar links? Most of the changes are hardly noticable. The most complicated one was moving all my links to a separate page. They no longer run down the right hand side of the screen for yards and yards. They are now easily called up by hitting one link at the upper right side of the opening screen.

All the links are now on one page and it loads very fast. Getting back to the main blog is a snap too. Try it.

The Pool Is Open

The pool is looking good, the water is clear and the palms and palmettos are green and healthy.

We had a very chilly spring and the pool took forever to get warm enough for a comfortable swim. Usually we are in the pool every day after the first week of May. This year it was early June before we could really enjoy the water temperature.

Now the weather is so hot here in Northwest Florida that it is trying to break 60 year old records. And the pool is almost hot.

Ducky helps steer leaves to the skimmer and in emergencies keeps the chlorine level up.

Lightning Strikes Again

Early in the afternoon last Wednesday, the 27th, in the midst of a heavy thundershower we got hit. There was no delay between the flash and the boom. And it was very loud. Luckily the power stayed on in the house and the air conditioner still worked.

When the storm had passed we discovered the strike had fried all the outdoor electrical outlets including the ones that power the pool pumps and filters. Later we found that the bathroom power outlets were not working either.

In the backyard next to the pool a big chunk of concrete was missing from the pavement and little pieces were all over the place.

The electricians arrived on Friday for repairs and found the the lightning tried to get in the house through the main circuit breaker in the garage. It damaged only one circuit before the outdoor breaker kicked in.

The folks at our local pool supply store said the lightning probably destroyed the pumps and the motors. But as soon as the power came back on the pumps worked fine. And best of all the power surge didn't hit the new air conditioner compressor and fan.

It was our second lightning strike in five years. The previous one was in the afternoon of June 22, 2004 -- just two weeks after we moved here. That strike was much more serious with damage to the plumbing. The repairs required jack hammers tearing up some of the foundation of the house. Noisy, dusty and dirty repairs.

After getting the air conditioner replaced earlier this month and now electricians all over the place, we look forward to a long time without visits from salesmen, estimators or repairmen.