It was Wendy’s (one of the regular 8 o’clock swimmers) last day today and a big crowd showed up to see her off. The conditions were lovely—one of those days when I arrive at the Albany Bulb and am immediately shot through with gratitude that I get to swim here. Silky calm water and overcast,… Read More Swimming, Food, and Community (Day 254)
I met up with Arwen at Keller Beach this morning. We were greeted by a turkey vulture eating the carcass of something (we didn’t investigate what) that had washed up on the beach. It was a creepy way to start the swim, but once we got into the water (and past the eelgrass), things improved… Read More White Rocks (Day 253)
Back in 2008 when I was still living in Montreal, I joined a writing group in California in anticipation of our move there. I was taking a leave of absence from my job at McGill in order to try my luck at fiction writing and knew if I had any chance of taking myself seriously… Read More Celebrating Kira (Day 232)
Arwen, Sheila, Angie, and I went out at the Albany bulb this morning—the first time the four of us were all swimming together since early June. It was cloudy and cool as we ventured into the low low tide. The bottom grew increasingly muddy, my feet sinking into the muck, as I searched out deep… Read More The Chatters (Day 224)
Each day since I’ve been back I’ve had the pleasure of reconnecting with friends and swimming spots. Today was Angie’s return. She’s been in Ireland all summer, away longer than I was, and it was a delight to have her back. It was another beautiful morning; a little wavier than yesterday, but mostly calm. Purple-gray… Read More More Reunions (Day 222)
It was a beautiful morning to return to the Albany bulb; even better to swim with Sheila, Arwen, and Colleen. By all reports, it’s been a wild and windy summer in the bay, but this morning the water was calm; the light glowing golden and the city in the distance framed by purple-gray clouds. The… Read More Back to the Bulb (Day 221)
Today feels like it’s lasted at least a year. We woke up at 4:10 am Quebec time (1:10 CA time) and headed to the airport for a long day of travel. Hazel and I had minimal delays, but Eliza was stuck in various airports for hours upon hours (she’s still in the air as I… Read More A Very Long Day (Day 219)
I celebrated my last night at the lake with a beautiful sunset swim at the sandbar. I haven’t gone for a night swim all summer nor have I made a trip to the sand bar. The sand bar is a shallow, sandy-bottomed part of the lake where, on a hot day, sometimes you can find… Read More Sunset at the Sandbar (Day 217)
I was supposed to go to yoga at the club this morning and Karen offered to feed me if I came by her house after. For a variety of reasons I didn’t make it to yoga and so I decided to swim over to Karen’s instead. I set off on what is now my usual… Read More Lunch Date (Day 213)
It was a little cold and blustery today, as if Autumn was whispering from the other room; not here yet, but promising she’d be arriving soon. Isabelle and I went over to Karen’s to lounge in her lovely screened-in porch and soon Diane joined us, then Kevin, Eliza and Lulu. We drank tea and talked,… Read More Gratitude (Day 210)