It was a wild day down at the Albany Bulb today. The wind was whipping so ferociously when Angie and I arrived, sea foam was flying up the beach like balls of fluff. The waves were as big as I’ve ever seen them at our little beach. It was slightly intimidating as we got in,… Read More Wild (Day 146)
We are into our second (third?) week of heat and when I stepped out my front door this morning, I couldn’t believe how hot it already was. Get me to the water, I thought. But, surprisingly, it was kind of cool down at the bulb. A brisk wind blew in from the ocean and the… Read More Swimming and Talking (Day 145)
I swam with Colleen to the Point of the Point this morning. For anyone who is keeping track, we measure our swims according to four landmarks: The Little Tree, which is maybe a quarter mile out, depending on how we meander. In the winter or when we are feeling relaxed and chatty, The Little Tree… Read More The Point of the Point (Day 141)
Yesterday’s swim was summer and this morning was winter. It was all whipping wind, fog, and clouds at the Albany Bulb this morning. This was the big tree yesterday and today: While the bay looked wild in its dark greens and grays, it felt amazing. Perhaps because the air was so much colder than the water;… Read More What a Difference a Day Makes (Day 135)
I swam by the cigarette butt you casually flicked into the gutter this morning; the empty Cheetos wrapper you dropped on the sidewalk; the rotting orange you tossed into the grass; the baggy that got away from you and you didn’t bother to chase; the plastic bottle top you chucked, laughing, at your friend, which… Read More Dirty Water (Day 106)
I woke up to sunshine this morning and was immediately excited for my swim, but then I went outside and felt the howling wind. As I walked Lulu I had to brace myself against it; it was the kind of blusteriness that has people running down the streets chasing after their hats. I thought, no… Read More Bikini Beach, Vancouver (Day 94)
Each day at eight you can count on a group of swimmers—Marcia always and whichever gang of regular joins her that day—clamoring into the water at the Albany Bulb and going for a solid 30-50 minute swim. We are often getting in before or after them and always look on with awe as they swim… Read More 8 O’Clock Swimmers (Day 84)
It was another mountain bike race weekend, this time down near Monterey. Kevin and I spent the morning watching Hazel killing it on the track. And then, while she cheered on the rest of her team (mountain bikes races are ALL day affairs), we snuck away for a few hours to find a place to… Read More Lover’s Point Beach and (Not) Facing Fears (Day 79)
I celebrated Saint Patrick’s day this morning with a wild swim with my favorite wild, Irish swimmers, Sheila and Angie. I can’t get over how radically the bay changes from one day to the next. Yesterday was as calm as it gets; all soft rippling water in bright colors, sunlight pouring down, the gentlest tickle… Read More Happy Saint Patrick’s Day (Day 76)
Our most substantial storm in weeks arrived this morning. I was hoping for a rainy swim, which we didn’t get, but the clouds were stunning and the waves rollicking. Colleen, Angie, Kim, and I went out today. The coldest part was running through the wind to the bay in our bathing suits. Once there, the… Read More Stormy (Day 62)