Sheila and I met at 7 am at the Albany Bulb, both of us in the mood for a good, hard swim. The water looked tumultuous but calmer than it’s been and the low tide made for a lovely, early morning beach scene.

Getting in isn’t as easy as it was last week–the temperature is cooling down a little and I’m no longer able to easily put my face right in. So Sheila and I had a head-up chat for a couple of minutes before getting down to the business of swimming.

Then we got into our zones and swam out to the point. The water was energetic, but not especially wavy. The air was cool and gray. I caught glimpses of birds swooping in and out of my line of vision every time I lifted my head to breathe. 

As we were finishing up, the clouds started to lift and the sun illuminated the city as if it were a magic kingdom.