Carefree
It’s been a few days since my last swim. I spent all of this last Memorial Day Weekend getting my house ready to put on the market. It’s still not ready but I made good progress. So today I am committed to get in the water. We are back to our morning marine layer pattern but based on the buoy data, the water temperature looks super great. The local buoys are reporting 67 to 68 except San Pedro which is at 65. A La Jolla swimmer said his watch reported a water temp of 70 and he also saw a Sea Turtle! He said it was his third sighting in 15 years of swimming in that area. I’ve heard of sightings here in Orange County too but it just sounds unbelievable. Well La Jolla is not THAT far. Maybe this is the year I see one. Oh man that would be so great.
I leave at 8:45 and I’m just a little chilly as I head down the stairs for the sand. I know I will be warmer in the water if that buoy data is correct. I put my feet in the water after reaching the sand and it feels nice. No aching feet today.
I walk out into the water and by the time I am fully submerged I hardly notice any shift in internal temperature. It’s great to be out here. I linger just for a bit at the edge of the surf as a set of waves come in and then I start swimming south.
The water feels great. It doesn’t seem that long ago when it was a totally different (colder) experience in the water. Honestly, it was kind of great. The upper 50’s are just cold enough to make you feel totally alive and present and get your inner furnace running but not so cold that you are worried about your immediate mortality. Now we are a few degrees above average for this time of year. It’s a more carefree kind of vibe. However my mind wanders more freely without the gravitational force of the cold keeping it in orbit.
The water is so blue. It’s not particularly clear but I am amazed how much more clear it is than south Doheny and Capo Beach. I can clearly see the detail on my hands.
On the way back north I see a new buoy. It is small - almost like a lobster trap buoy and it says “NOT REMOVE.” I guess it’s too small to fit in the “DO.” It gets the message across. I can’t see the orange buoy I started seeing last week. Maybe someone took it? It was so clean and shiny and maybe that’s why this one has the “not remove” message. A few minutes later I spot the orange buoy and it is still just as clean as ever. I’d love to bring out some kind of paint or ink and decorate it but how would that work?
As I am finishing up the swim, I feel more light penetrating the cloud cover above. I’m wondering if the sun is going to break through. It sure didn’t look like that would happen when I started here. I’m definitely seeing some blue sky, but it is too early to proclaim victory.
I pause before swimming back to shore. I can hear the water lapping against the back of my neck and it’s the only thing I hear and it is a delightful sound. Everything here right now is delightful. I’m just at the edge of the surf and I feel like I could stay out here for a while but I have to get back to work. I swim a few more strokes inshore until I can feel my finger tips brush the sandy bottom. Then I stand myself up and it’s back to reality.
