The pool seemed to be at a stand still while a lot of underwhelming stuff went on. After the hand seeded deck went in, it was a couple of days and the lawn sprinkler guys came in to redo the back yard. Or should I say what bit we have left that is grass :) That was on a Saturday. The following Tuesday (last) the clean up guys came in. The removed all the junk soil lying around (big balls of dry clay), all the debris (wood forms, chipped rock pieces, etc., and put in top soil. We were slated to be plastered on Friday. However, Thursday night, Mother Nature, gave us a much needed soaking. No plaster Friday, as the forcast called for rain off and on. Forcasted all weekend. PB scheduler tells us we are first on the schedule for Monday AM, around 7:00, barring weather. Plus, the access that has been used us super muddy, especially with the new top soil. I guess I should be used to the surprise show ups, but alas, we are caught off guard once again. On the east side of our yard/house, we have put up our temporary redneck fence of goat wire and T posts as a yard for our bird dog, Deacon. Our bedroom windows are in the fenced area. Access to the pool is on the other (west) side of the yard. At 6:20 AM Saturday morning, and thankfully Deacon has an inbred soft mouth, Deacon is going M-A-D. It is not a normal "Im after the squirrel on the fence" bark. It is one where you wake from a deep sleep but still cobwebs present, and know things arent right. Hubby and I both bolt upright in bed and then we hear the foreign language chatter and I suppose the "Oh Hell" in Spanish. So Dave runs out. Its the plaster guys. Once the fog clears from our heads, we are excited. The guys waste no time in starting up the circular saw to cut off various PVC pipes, thus letting the whole neighborhood in on our morning! By 11:00, we are filling the pool! YEAH! Acid wash the deck on Monday along with pool school to learn how to run it all. Getting ready Cleaning up The first Glob goes on. We went with old fashion (classic) white plaster. While we looked into a colored plaster, we had a budget we really were wanting to keep to (all cash) and we had to pick and choose where we wanted to spend the money. The boys really thought the blow torch? Was cool. Finally, filling with water that is not from a gully washer! 11:00 AM Saturday 3:00 PM Saturday 7:30 ish PM Saturday 7:00 AM Sunday We still have a lot of work that we need to do ourselves, like a dry creek area where we have two serious drainage areas, grass, fan for the arbor, and finishing the grill island, as soon as the cultured stone arrives, and plants. I am sure that other projects will creep.

I have worked on many of both builders pools. The only thing that ever bugged me about East Coast was the tendency to tie drains to skimmers. Run them individually to the equipment pad and plumb the drain so it can send heated water to the bottom. After that, dead heat. Both have skill sets that are similar enough but can do different things with their designs better than the other. Both have built some absolutely amazing pools in my area. It's always a pleasure working on them vs. some of the basic stuff. Overall feedback I have heard from my customers have been pretty positive. Sometimes, E.C. seems a bit slower in progressing. If I was building in my back yard, I would use Scott because I have known him for some time and know I can trust his judgment in the areas I'm not qualified to make and not worry, and his sense of urgency to get things done. Yes Scott, I would plumb my own pad. You wouldn't expect me to to do other wise, now would you. heheh. One day, when I hit the lottery... Scott

sklka--the housekeeper would take care of the pool. (I have cleaners who come every other week and take care of the filth in the house--I call her a housekeeper for lack of a better word, but I guess 'sanity saver' isn't a job title, but she mostly doesn't clean.) Also, I think anyone with children who doesn't have a very strong system is in the same category as people who leave loaded pistols in their nightstands around small children. It's not a matter of "comfort." It's a matter of actual risk. I'm fortunate that I could write a check for the pool right now. :) My business is finally doing very well. I do want to save for an au pair, though, as that's the only possible way I can have a 4th child and not go crazy. I can work pretty well with a baby on my lap (and have done so with three), but I do need some breathing time. My husband is not a fan of moving. (Also, Hitler was a bad man.) I doubt we will ever leave this house. I'm overimproving for the neighborhood, but I so don't care. If I'm staying here forever (and my husband has been told by multiple upper-level managers that he's considered a core member of the company and they will do anything within reason to keep him--he's famous enough in his field that his name on contracts brings money), I'm going to have the house I want. Even if he loses his job, there are companies lined up to poach him. Even if all that falls apart, I'm the primary breadwinner, and he could just create products on his own and I could support him while his business takes off. My husband was emotionally attached to our first crappy apartment in NM without working AC, to give you an idea of how much he gets attached to places. And he hated New Mexico. tcufrog--we will have the fence as well. The cover is backup and for particularly determined neighborhood children who might decide to take a swim. The alarm system will be hardwired and integrated into the design. Locks up top only works until a kid can reach them on a stepladder, though that's where we'll place them, anyway. Mine are...exceptionally inventive. ourgeorgiahouse--I know what drowning looks like. :) I've taken water safety courses and am a certified diver, so I've done some basic water rescue practice, too. The fact is that if my poor kids depend on me to TAKE them to the pool, it will happen at most 6 times a season. Now that I have a FT housekeeper, that can be more often, though at a sacrifice of other things. The pools are a good distance away, especially those that don't completely suck for children. "square or rectangle, and larger (believe it or not). Put a large bank of straight-edge steps, and sitting shelves in a couple of places where the water is deep so there is the ability to get out of the deep end as well." The diving well can't have any obstacles, but I do have a shelf planned along the rest of the pool. Even in the 3.5' deep area. And yes, it's angular. A true L. The baja shelf is on the short leg of the L. There will be no pool without a safety cover!

I think most are reading this wrong. I don't think the OP is concerned about the cat getting into the water as much as she's concerned the cat getting out into the outside. I'm reading it as the cat is an indoor only cat and they would like to be able to have the indoor only cat out with them in the pool area without escaping outside. But maybe I have it wrong. I think a pool enclosure is probably less obtrusive than anything else if you landscape around it as well with large pots strategically placed. A fence wouldn't stop the kitty without it being really tall and having something to prevent from getting over which I think would be more unsightly.