thanks for the suggestion - I'll try the "skimmer socks" - I've already been doing the old nylons thing whenever I cut the grass around the pool.

For the last week I've been running the filter 24/7. Last night I vacuumed the pool (definitely some green on the bottom which has me puzzled as the chlorine has checked as low as 2 over the last 3 weeks but never lower) and then backwashed for a full 5 minutes/rinsed a full minute. Added water overnight as well as an additional 3/4 gal of bleach per the bleach calc - chlorine was 12.5 when I got home - that got it up to 18.
Checked this a.m. and it was 17.

Filter still going - will vaccum again this evening. Still kinda' waiting to hear if I need to add BS to get the TA up.