Thanks for the reply and apologies for the ignorant follow-up questions. Anyways, here they are:

1. My intention was to lower the water below the return ports (I believe that's what the pool company has done in the past). Would this change anything to the process you described?

2. When do I remove the cap/plug and the pressure gauge from the filter (before or after blowing the lines)?

3. There are two plugs in the skimmer. One is easily removed and the other does not seem to come off. I read previously that this is normal. What is the purpose of this second plug?

finally,

4. I also read somewhere that antifreeze isn't necessary (I live in MD) but I'll take your word for it. So how much antifreeze should I put in?

Thanks again for the help.