Deer Support: Wim Hoofers

 Time:  Friday, May 5, 7:00 a.m.

Water:  46.7

Air: 51 according to my car.  Cloudy.
Waves: Chop out of the South, some bumpiness
Clarity: Less than zero
Wetsuit Kru:  Lydia the Tattooed Lady
Skin Kru: Fyn, Laguna Mike, Showgirl, Dragonfly

Shore Support, Kru:  Sunny Luna Laguna, Lt MJ

Shore Support, Other:  (in order of appearance):  Ducks, Gulls, Deer, Wim Hofer

Next swim:  12 noon Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.  Sunday looks especially promising.

Arriving a little early, I walked down the path and watched a flock of seagulls fly down to and land on "our" beach.  Some enthusiastic ducks were already present; clearly there was something good in the water.  A ripe smell to the air suggested we might best launch from a different spot.  Fortunately the rest of the Kru concurred and we set up just north of the North barrier.  We noted that waves were now breaking over both the former land bridges to the rock piles.

Photo:  Fyn, Dragonfly and Mermaid Princess setting up while Sunny Luna and Laguna Mike head down to join us.

Laguna Mike plunged in first and set off to the South, sending all of the gulls into the air.  Fortunately they settled back on the south beach where they were.  TTL also headed south but around the rocks and further out to sea.  

Fyn was crowned Coldwater Queen for the day, completing more than 500 yards skin with a total immersion time of about 10 minutes.

The deer were not in the forecast.  Three appeared on the shore near The Birches and, pausing to drink from the Lake, proceeded toward us, pausing at Sewer Pipe, at which point they appeared to notice us.  We studied them and they studied us.  Quick on the uptake as always  TTL captured them in pixels.

I had never seen deer before in 6+ years of Klode Kru-ing.

"That's some unusual shore support!" commented Fyn.

"Wim Hoofers," quipped Showgirl.

I glanced away for a second and in that instant they bounded away up the bluff, white tails flashing.

Free Floating

 Time:  Friday, April 28, 7:30 a.m.

Water:  47

Air: Estimated at 50.  A little warmer than last Friday.  A few moments of sunshine when it counted.
Waves: Pretty calm.  Wavelets.
Clarity: Sparkling
Wetsuit Kru:  Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Lt. MJ, Fyn
Skin Kru: Showgirl, Dragonfly

Shore Support:  Ducks, Helicopter, 2 women Wim Hofers

Next swim:  12 noon Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.  Friday  7:30 a.m.  Other times by appointment.

Sign o' the Times, the Buoy is in!  Https://seagull.glos.or/data-console/2  In response, poetic grumbling among the Kru:  

Lamprey:  "oh how I love the buoy, yes, but...when it is inaccurate or broken, especially, all in the Klode crew, myself included, make fun speculation, choice words a myriad of facial expressions and a damn good time."

Showgirl:  "Yeah the buoy is like an asshole member of the swimming group"

This morning, Showgirl completed her first swim/run around the rocks of the 2023 season.  Dragonfly made it to the second rockpile and back.  Somehow failed to ask the wetsuit people where they went, but  they did make it back.  Below is TTL and Lt. MJ floating free.  Fyn still off somewhere to the North.

KONINGSDAG!

From Kahuna:  This Thursday, April 27th is King's Day (Koningsdag). Choosing to bike a bit more and drive a bit less is one thing that folks can do to help reduce pollution and fight climate change (and in the process benefit personal health and local businesses).  To get this year’s prime biking season rolling, Greater Shorewood Bikers is again organizing a KONINGSDAG (KING’S DAY) CELEBRATION, to be held this Thursday, April 27^th, starting at Three Lions Pub (then rolling on to Café Hollander and Café Benelux).  Full details available at the Greater Shorewood Bikers' Blog.  The event is FREE, but your drink purchases and donations that day benefit the Wisconsin Bike Fed.  Mayor Johnson has officially proclaimed Thursday KING’S DAY! in Milwaukee, as has President McKaig in Shorewood.  The forecast for this Thursday looks pleasant, so I hope you can stop by, or better yet, ride by.  I hope to see you there.

  

Another Friday. Cold.

 Time:  Friday, April 21, 7:30 a.m.

Water:  43.7

Air: Estimated at 50.  Partly cloudy, chill wind as we hit the water.
Waves: Very calm
Clarity: Murk
Wetsuit Kru:  Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Endorphynn (provisional nickname, will see if it sticks)
Skin Kru: Showgirl, Dragonfly

Next swim:  12 noon Saturday and Sunday.  Friday  7:30 a.m.  Other times by appointment.

Calm and beautiful morning.  TTL always nails the shot:

Wetsuit swimmers to Rockwall.  Skin swimmers to Rockpiles.  Still TOO cold, but we're there.  (Weekend swimmers already going to Flat Rock!)  In other vital news, Showgirl unveiled a new bleach blanket, as her old signature one literally disintegrated into dust.

                                             Endorphynn (maybe just Phynn in future), Showgirl, TTL, Dragonfly

Early Bird Special

Time:  Friday, April 14, 7 a.m.

Water:  44.8

Air: 46 according to Garmin, hazy sunshine, cool breath off the Lake
Waves: Very calm
Clarity: Clear
Wetsuit Kru:  Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Lt. MJ, Corryn
Skin Kru:  Linda the Lamprey, Luna Laguna, Dragonfly
Shore Support:  Adam

Next swim:  12 noon Saturday and Sunday.  Friday morning at 7 a.m.  Other times by appointment.

The willows were showcasing their beautiful Spring Green colors and the peaceful scene welcomed us back. I was going to title this blog Opening Day, but almost everyone has already been swimming at least once, and some, like TTL and Luna, continued right through the winter of 2022 and early 2023!

Wetsuit people swam 20+ minutes to varying distances ranging from Birches to Rockwall.  Skin people swam up to 10-12 minutes (ok it was Linda!)

The beach is a lot shallower this year, with the South Rockpile now on a little peninsula with its own mini north and south beaches.  So you can no longer engage in the popular "swim all the way around the rocks" as it would now be a swim/run.

 The water was cold but not as cold as the 38 degrees that some had swum in recently.  The early a.m. air was much cooler than the hot sun of my swims earlier this week, and I experienced my first afterdrop of the season.

"With the gear it really wasn't that bad once your face got used to it," commented MJ.

"It was great!" said TTL, speaking for us all.

The grins in this photo (MJ, Corryn & TTL) speak volumes! Rock pile peninsula visible in background.

Three Lions Beer

Wanna hang out with Kahuna?

Those Kru members interested in such, or better yet visting with the Patriarch, Showgirl, Dragonfly, Ice Dog and probably other Kru members, are invited to gather at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 16th, at Three Lions Pub in Shorewood, for a beer or other libation. Perchance to dream of the chill embrace of the Lady of the Lake and the taste of Pitsch in a summer to come. Cheers.

New Year's Day - Sunday, High Noon For Auld La-ang Syne!

 I'll take a cup o'kindness, dear

Fo-o-or auld la-a-ang syne....

Hear ye, hear ye, members of ye Klode Kru

Let us gather together

For the traditional New Year's Day at the beach!

Come one, come all.

High noon, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum....

Wait, make that Killepitsch!

Be there or be square.

We'll drink a cup of kindess yet

For Auld Lang Syne!

(should be so dope)