Thursday, July 2, 2020

A Convergence of Perfection

Next Swims:  
     Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, 
     Saturday 8 am - Shipwreck swim at Atwater
     Saturday/Sunday Noon at Klode   
Last Swim:  Thursday 6 a.m.
Water Temp:  68 (est.) with warmer pockets
Air Temp:  70s
Clarity:   6/10
Waves: very slight swell, not quite pond flat, light northerly breeze
Kru:  Diablo and Linda the Lamprey (early shift); Patriarch, Handyman Hank, Pool Noodle, Magic Mike, Ala, her daughter Carolina, Dragonfly; Mr. Anonymous (late shift)
Guest stars:  Andrea & Ashley, first-timer pool friends of Pool Noodle, and Sheila, friend of Magic Mike (has come often enough to need a nickname)

No thermometers today, but  walking down, Handyman Hank noted that the Atwater Buoy said 68 degrees for both air and water.  I learned you can call the buoy at (866) 218-9973 and then enter 45013 as a text to get the temperature.  (I tried just now but the line was busy, not surprising given the gorgeousness of the day.)

Additional driftwood piled up in the Klode corner (near the iron wall on the south end of the beach) as fast as the City is clearing it, apparently.  Maybe new trees will work their way down from New Mudslide with a few more North Easters.

Diablo and Linda the Lamprey were still on the sand when the 6 a.m. Kru arrived.  Diablo allowed that the water was "nice" - THIS was a good sign.  

"Can't beat the heat" said Linda.  
"Too warm," snorted Diablo, more in character. 

The sun was shining, the leaves in the treetops were flickering, the water felt soft, smooth and warm, and any current was minimal--unlike yesterday morning, when even with a reading of 66, the water's disturbed motion  (south wind vs north current) seemed to be stealing heat away from my body.  Because of course we were all swimming skin. Some kvetched about the declining clarity, but hey.  A minor point amid sooooooo much ...yes, I would still call it perfection.

It was a day to go long - many to Mudslide and beyond.  I didn't want to get out of the water and I didn't want to leave the beach.  Patriarch noted how excellent it was not to shiver getting dressed.  Truth - we stood around longer than necessary, just basking.

Pool Noodle's pool friends (Mudsliders all) were much impressed.

"It just worked out," Pool Noodle confided.  "One just moved here, and the other is from Colorado, and she's going back tomorrow.  

"How do you tell them it's not always like this?  

"It was just kind of....a convergence of perfection!"

2 comments:

Wytosk said...

Anyone up for 6, or even 7pm OR HELL 8pm? I’m temporarily really trying to avoid ppl(ok well actually thats always true) and wondering if a later swim would work for anyone?

Synchro said...

There was some discussion last night about returning to the traditional 6pm time. There is notable egress of non-Kru beachgoers around that time (i.e. the teenage fan club/"rockpilers"). If social distancing is a concern, 6pm might be a step in the right direction. What does the Kru think?

p.s. Moondawg, did your calculations factor in total internal reflection and total external reflection at the atmosphere-Lake Michigan interface? Show your work.