I was so excited to wake up to the sound of rain against my window this morning. The relentless drought in California is like a constant pressure in the back of my mind; a niggling worry that never lets up. To hear that spattering of water filled me with relief and joy.

Unfortunately, it didn’t really rain very much or last very long, but as I was getting ready for swimming I didn’t know that would be the case and so it was with a sense of gratitude and celebration that I made my way to the bulb with Angie this morning. Colleen was there when we arrived—the only other car in the parking lot.

It was no longer actively raining, but the air was moist and heavy; warm even and we were all surprised to discover that the water was pretty warm, too. The difference between out and in was insignificant and with the gray clouds and silvery water, the boundary between sky and sea seemed porous altogether. 

We had a beautiful swim. It was good to catch up with Colleen, who has nearly fully recovered from her shoulder surgery and is back to her early, solo swims. At the end, Marcia joined us; her usual 8 am crew didn’t come out in the rain (or maybe it was the time change that kept everyone in bed).

The beach was deserted as well. It seems the walkers and dogs also decided to take the dark morning and scattering rain as an opportunity to stay cozy in their beds.