I’m writing this from Portland, Oregon, but I started the day with a solo swim at the Albany Bulb in the darkness of morning. It’s a little spooky being alone at the bulb in the dark, but once I was in the water, I felt safely invisible. It was as cold as yesterday (54), but… Read More Solo Swim in the Dark (Day 308)
I woke up to a text from Angie asking if I could go for an early swim and so I got straight into my bathing suit and filled my bottle full of hot water and my to-go cup full of coffee. Light was barely seeping into the sky when we arrived at the Albany Bulb,… Read More Sunrise Spectacle (Day 301)
Sheila, Angie, Kim, and I met up for a sunrise swim at the Albany Bulb today. We arrived in the darkness to discover we weren’t the only early birds: at least four lit-up buoys bobbed out in the bay and several towels, shoes, and piles of clothes littered the concrete circle. The sky was clear… Read More Swimming in the Dark (Day 293)
I arrived late for the 7 o’clock swimmers this morning, but as soon as I saw the glassy water, pink from the blush of sunrise still tinging the sky, I was very happy to be having a solo swim. After yesterday’s big swim, I wasn’t feeling the need to work too hard and the beauty… Read More Birdwatching (Day 290)
Angie and I were at the Albany Bulb before light this morning. At just after 6 we weren’t even the first ones in the water. It was a magical feeling being down at the water so early in the morning, one I haven’t experienced in a long time. The air felt strangely warm, but the… Read More Swimming in the Dark (Day 286)
At my 50th birthday swim celebration, a beaming light of a woman I’d never met before handed me a homemade crown. It was delightfully decorated and personalized and if it surprised me that a stranger would make me a 50th birthday crown, five minutes into knowing Edy, it wasn’t a surprise at all. She radiates… Read More Celebrating Edy (Day 264)
I woke up at five this morning and wasn’t able to get back to sleep. Or maybe I would have been able to, but before I managed it, I had the thought that I’ve yet to do a sunrise swim and wouldn’t this be a great opportunity? Once the thought was there, I couldn’t put… Read More Lac Louisa Sunrise (Day 215)
Sheila and I met at 5:30 for a sunrise swim this morning. It’s remarkable how bright it already is at that time. Even more remarkable was the wild windy surf. It was a different world from yesterday’s tranquil glass. It’s no wonder I never grow tired of swimming here. The waves pitched and pulled me… Read More Sunrise and Waves (Day 173)
Last night was the super flower blood moon lunar eclipse. I had lots of good intentions and even several plans to go and view the eclipse from the water, all of which unraveled as clouds gathered; as 9:00 started to seem really late; as the full weight of a busy weekend had me changing into… Read More Super Full Flower Moonset (Day 136)
I swam early today with Angie, Arwen, and Sheila, my original wild swimming salty sea sisters. It’s unusual for us to all manage an early morning on the same day and it felt like a celebration. Not the least because the bay was in full splendor when we arrived. Tangerine and pink skies, layers of… Read More Tangerine Morning (Day 131)