A busy morning and day kept me away from the bay until late afternoon when I finally got to hop into the water. Because I was alone, I opted for the Berkeley Marina where there are always people on the water. Too many people sometimes: I stood on the dock, the wind whipping and watched the windsurfers and sailboats with some trepidation before plunging in amongst them.

The water was lovely and clear; such a far cry from the last time I was here. That time the red tide was at its peak and I took a video of waves that were so dismayingly brown that I didn’t post it because I was afraid my loved ones reading this blog would be horrified by the thought of me swimming through it. Here it is:

Today it was green and clear and beautiful.

I enjoyed the aloneness of my swim today; not thinking about my pace or distance, or the proximity of a swimming pal, just letting the water rinse away the stresses of the day breath by breath.