A beautiful thick fog greeted us for our swim at the Albany Bulb this morning. I love a foggy swim, the way it erases all the familiar landmarks and you feel like you could be anywhere. I love the muffled feeling to the air, the mystery, the peacefulness that seems to settle over everything when… Read More Coldtober Day 15
Friday night Arwen, Sheila, and I ventured to Keller beach for a low tide, sunset swim. It was cloudy, but warm, the sky just barely tinged with color. The water was clear and cool and we had a love, relaxing swim. The next day, Sheila and I went back to Keller for a late morning… Read More Coldtober days 13 & 14
This morning was all pastel pinks, silvery greens and pelicans swooping in from every side. It was the most perfect kind of morning down at the Albany Bulb. No matter where I go or how beautiful those places may be, nothing beats my home waters. As Colleen said of my potential blog post this morning,… Read More Coldtober Day 12
Last month Sheila and I were signed up to do a two-mile swim at Whiskeytown lake. It was a decision made in a flurry of excitement after doing a race at Donner lake the month before. We were woefully unprepared, but were still very disappointed when the swim was canceled due to low participation. Given… Read More Whiskeytown Lake (Coldtober Day 11)
Today’s swim was a quick dip as we are starting the long road trip back and had to catch the morning ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. Leaving this beautiful place (and especially my beautiful kids) behind leaves my heart heavy and a stormy swim was just the thing to fit my mood.
It was another beautiful day with the Cold Water Addicts. The weather was a little bit more seasonally appropriate and the clouds put on a spectacular show. So many friendly swimmers came out. The water was incredibly clear and, though it was hard to get in, I am acclimated enough now that once I was… Read More Coldtober Day 9
The last three days have been spent happily reuniting with Eliza and Hazel in Victoria. My heart feels whole being back with these two. But I’ve also been swimming. On the 5th we arrived in Victoria and after seeing Eliza’s beautiful house, meeting her roommates, and marveling at this side table she made… We went… Read More Coldtober Days 5-7
Well, Coltober did its work of revitalizing my daily swimming but not daily blogging! I am struck by how difficult it is to blog every day (or ever) and reminded anew that the greater accomplishment of my year of swimming was not the fact that I managed a daily swim, but that I actually wrote… Read More Coldtober Days 2-4
Time is hurtling forward and somehow it’s October again. As I did last year, I’m participating in Coldtober this month. Every October the Irish mental health organization, Helplink, puts on a daily cold water swim challenge called Coldtober to raise money and awareness for mental health. Last year, it was a no-brainer for me to participate–I… Read More Coldtober Day #1
For Halloween Arwen and I dressed up like wild swimmers and jumped into the bay at the Berkeley Marina at sunset. The water was 60 degrees, filled with the light of the fading day and the energy of the coming storm. Our goal was to get out to HS. Lordships before the sun dipped below… Read More Halloween (Day 304)