Whale

Another early swim today. I just started to go into a whole explanation of why and it became obvious no one would be interested - not even me. There were cardio rooms, Peleton bikes, and an injured Achilles involved. Oh pool construction too. All laced with a fine coat of self pity. Yeah, I don't need to bring all that into the world.

I get back to my apartment after walking my dog at about 5:45 and there is a pink glow on the eastern horizon. I'm off to the beach at 6:00 and it's just light enough to not need to turn on my headlights.

There are only two other cars in the parking lot when I arrive. I park in my favorite spot and notice a cool breeze when I get out of the car. I’m also noticing the cold wet grass I just stepped on. Overall, I’m pretty comfortable, but I have a feeling I am going to be warmer in the water.

The tide is low when I reach the beach. I see a runner and a walker and almost no foot prints on this very very sandy beach. I just love the solitude here right now. This is going to change soon as the day moves forward. I don’t really mind a crowded beach - at least as crowded as I know this beach can get. I think more people here is a sign that others enjoy and care about natural beauty. However, this solitude is special and I am happy to experience it.

I wave to the runner as I am about to get in the water. We look at each other and it feels like the obviously natural thing to do. Then after I am in to my knees, I remember that I never took my photo of the water facing due west. I always take one before every swim even though I usually don't save them. However today I guess I should keep and post it since I am talking about it. Besides with this dawn light, it's extra special. So I back up, take the photo and then make my way back in to start the swim.

The water feels good on my feet and once I am swimming it feels good everywhere else. It really is warmer in the water. To anyone on the beach that probably sounds ridiculous especially since they all have clothes on. I suppose they would be colder with the wet clothes.

Oh man this water feels good. It's like a warm blanket protecting me from the breeze on the beach. I'm swimming south and I'm staring at the sillouettes of the palm trees that line the sidewalk up above at the edge of the bluff. The sun has already risen behind them but I can't see it quite yet from down here. It won't be long - maybe 15 minutes or so.

I'm getting close to the south end. Boy I just love this view. There are waves rolling past me and breaking just inshore as I watch their back spray blow in the offshore breeze. The sky is azure blue and the shore is muted below the shade of a glowing cliff. Everything feels still - even the waves. Since time is an illusion, perhaps everything is happening all at once, and if that’s the case, then I suppose everything is still. That wave is just a collection of multiple time slices of shaped water. I’m just thinking out loud here. Well…no...technically I’m not, but you know what I mean right?

I reach the headlands and a pelican is flying around the corner from the harbor - or so I assume that is where it is coming from. I watch it moving along the side of the cliff face and it looks so tiny and the cliff looks so massive. The bird almost fades into the brown color of the cliff and soon it turns to head north up the beach.

I turn around to head up towards Salt Creek. No way will I ever catch up with that pelican. I’m probably just a fourth of the way up the coastline when I see that glow behind the bluff coalesce into a growing ball of fire. I stop to watch it and in a moment, it fully breaches my perceived horizon like a whale showing off for tourists. I suppose that’s what we all are. We are all just tourists making our way through this life before returning home. This breach is magical. Just a moment ago it was hidden and now it is here. Later this evening it will return to the water on the other side. We will all stand watch in awe and then go about our business as if it was never here at all and when it returns tomorrow, we will be equally amazed.

I keep swimming and pass by lots of kelp in the water. I stop for a minute and enjoy watching the sun shine upon the kelp leaves that protrude from the water. They glow gold as if electric. I wonder if they are here to watch the sun just like me. Maybe they will sink back below the surface once all of this settles. I turn around and look north. It seems like I can see the end of Monarch Bay so clearly from here. Three Arch Bay sits just on the other side. A vast plane of gently moving water sits between us.

It doesn’t take long to reach the north end of the beach just below the Ritz. There is another surf competition underway at Salt Creek. An announcer is going over some rules and timelines. I can’t make out what he is saying all that clearly but I get the gist.

I swim back to where I started, easing my way closer and closer to shore. Still not a lot of activity on the beach. The tide is a little higher than when I started. I rise to my feet and walk towards the stairs. I look up and down the beach and I feel like I have happened here during some kind of half time performance. It is quite spectacular. I return to the parking lot and there are plenty more cars here than the two that were here when I first arrived earlier. I shower and then drive away wondering how can I possibly explain what I just saw. I only hope I have provided at least a taste here.