Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Beach Hazard or.... Time for a Frolic? You decide.

 Last Swim:  Tuesday 6:15am (and many many others that go unrecorded because.... reasons)

Next Swims:  M-F 6:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.;  Sat. & Sun.  8 a.m. and noon.  
(AM swim times are drifting later.  Blog comments may have other swims)    
Water temp: 69?
Weather: Rainy, breezy, cool
Water Quality/Clarity:  Biggish breaking waves, lots of gunk
Kru:  Ala Mode, Lydia the Tattoo'd Lady, Mermaid Princess, Showgirl
Shore Support:  nope

Not much swimming took place, but there was a lot of jumping, body surfing, and frolicking in the waves, all while it continued to rain.


Photo credit: Ala



Thursday, September 12, 2024

Swimming in the Ottoman Empire

Last Swim:  Thursday 6 a.m.

Next Swims:  M-F 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.;  Sat. & Sun.  8 a.m. and noon.  
(That said, 6am swims are getting pretty dark, so that will drift later.  Blog comments may have other swims)    
Water temp: 69?
Weather: Air temp high 50's with a breeze            
Water Quality/Clarity:  crystal clear with slow small swells out of the south.  Pretty much perfect.
Kru:  Ala Mode, Lt. MJ, Showgirl, FlipperGuy, Linda the Lamprey (early)  
Shore Support:  the aggressive seagull continues to try to join the Kru.

It was a small crew this morning.  This happens every year after the brief influx of triathletes comes and goes, daylight shrinks, and temps drop.

We shivered a bit, and decided to go south, if only to see some different stuff.  To say that enthusiasm was low is an understatement.

Anyway, we launched, and arrived at Love Rock.  I was making all sorts of mental calculations about how much farther to go when MJ said, "lets go to that next dark spot."   It turns out that dark spot was kind of an optical illusion, so we swam to the next-next dark spot, and turned around.

Sometime during that reluctant swim, the sun rose, and it became one of the best, most beautiful swims in recent days.  We arrived back in the neighborhood of Klode, not quite ready to get out.  So we swam to sewer pipe.  The water was so clear that the sand below stretches out like a secret place.


Photo Credit: Ala Mode


And what about the Ottoman Empire?  For the last few weeks, a giant, waterlogged ottoman has been washed up in the area north of Mt. Jackass and mudslide.  Like us, the ottoman must have been wishing for a change of scenery, because today it's near the sewer pipe.  Where will it go next?  Only time will tell.

Friday, September 6, 2024

ALL HAIL MY NEW PHONE!

Dragonfly celebrates the new dawn, the awesome lake, and her new phone. 

Last Swim:  Friday, Sept. 6, 6 a.m.

Upcoming Swims:  The Typical/Regular Schedule (all at Klode Beach):  M-F 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.;  Sat. & Sun.  8 a.m. and noon.  (Check blog comments, for additional "impromptu" group swims.)    
Water temp: Seventy something.
Weather: Air temp in the low 50s at sunrise, with a cool breeze whipping off the Lake.            
Water Quality/Clarity:  All rialed up.      
Waves:  Big water.  
Kru:  Finfin Klodecky, Mermaid Princess, Showgirl, Mr. Anonymous, Dragonfly, Aquaman, Ben "I don't see people" Boston, Magic Mike? 
SHORE SUPPORT +PLUS:  Lots and lots of "Senior Sunrise" teenagers.

The water was big enough today that some folks decided just to body surf, and some folks decided it doesn't make sense to go out between the rocks (instead deciding to go in and out from South Beach).  A lot of energy in the Lake this morning.  Well away from the rocks, there was times when it was very much a "two story, split level, lake." Some of us got all the way to downspot, Finfin made it to garage.  One more picture from this morning:



Good luck to all who are racing this weekend!  


Monday, September 2, 2024

Labor Day Special - New Nickname + New Landmark!!

Capt'ns log Sunday September 1st - 2024

Me Last Swim: Monday 9/2 - Noon

Upcoming Swims:  The Typical/Regular Schedule (all at Klode Beach):  M-F 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.;  Sat. & Sun.  8 a.m. and noon.  (Check blog comments, for additional "impromptu" group swims.)    

Water Temps: (per itch-mometer) 74ish 
Weather: 70's & Sunny
Water Quality / Clarity:  Cloudy near shore / clearer further out
Waves:  <1ft 
Kru:  Itch, Brick, Sandy, Magic Mike, Wet Taco, Ala Mode, Mr. Bubbles, Carl, Billy Bobber, Klodecky, Tattooed Lady, Peaches, Luna Lagoona, Kahuna, Mr. Anonymous, Capt'n with shore support from She Who Shall Not Be Named 

Another sensational day for a swim!  Highlighting today's swim were two official proclamations...
  • "Fin-Fyn shall also henceforth be known as 'Klodecky'.... so it has been said and so shall it be!"  <see picture for clues on the story behind the nickname>
  • "The submerged wooden pole by the Great Mansion Wall shall be known as 'Cobra-Kai'...so it has been witnessed and so shall it be!" <see picture for clues on the story behind the name>
Meet Klodecky


Swim Landmark - 'Cobra-Kai'
Labor Day Kru
(Left - Right: Capt'n, Wet Taco, Tattooed Lady, Billy Bobber, Klodecky, Ala Mode, Kahuna, Magic Mike, Mr. Bubbles, Mr. Anonymous, Peaches, Luna Lagoona, Diablo, Itch)






Sunday, September 1, 2024

Not that big...not nearly as ferocious...

 Capt'ns log Sunday September 1st - 2024

Me Last Swim: Sunday 9/1 - Noon

Me Next Swim: Monday 9/2 - Noon
Other Swims after Labor Day: The Typical/Regular Schedule (all at Klode Beach):  T-F 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.;  Sat. & Sun.  8 a.m. and noon.  (Check blog comments, for additional "impromptu" group swims.)    

Water Temps: (per itch-mometer) 74ish 
Weather: 70's & Sunny
Water Quality / Clarity:  Cloudy near shore / clearer further out
Waves:  1-2ft.... not nearly as ferocious as forecasted
Kru:  Itch, Luna Lagoona (a.k.a. Lunatic, Garden Party), Ziggy, Kahuna, Kunu, Capt'n with shore support from She Who Shall Not Be Named & Ziggy

They say you learn something new every day.  What I learned today...
  • Luna Lagoona goes by many names... while Itch rattled of  a very impressive list with associated short stories of how they came to be... my favorites were Lunatic and Garden Party.
  • We're not alone Mateys!  Fox Point has a beach club...complete with a private beach, beach house and a crew of swimmers.  Arrg, I think we might want to introduce ourselves...a beach house sure would be nice for those winter swims.
  • Kunu = Chuck in Hawaiian  (Welcome to our newest nicknamed swimmer!) 
  • Just because a swim buoy (a.k.a. "a Barbie") doesn't inflate it doesn't mean it has a hole in it.  Just sayin'. 
  • When the forecast calls for 3-5ft waves it's not always right.  (okay...so maybe I already knew forecasts aren't always right...) 
  • (...this from a very reliable source...) men should eat 3 Brazil Nuts a day to maintain their testosterone levels 
More Pictorial Highlights from Fiesta Friday




Pictorial Highlights from Sunday's 'rock-n-roll' Swim






Saturday, August 31, 2024

Sensational Start to Labor Day Weekend Swims

 Capt'ns log Saturday August 31st - 2024

Me Last Swims
    Fiesta Friday Swim 8/30 5pm
    Saturday 8/31 - noon 

Me Next Swims: Sunday 9/1 - noon & Monday 9/2 - Noon
(note:...regular 8am & 6am swims are likely also to occur...)

Water Temps: (per itch-mometer) 74ish both days
Weather: 70's & Sunny Friday / 80's & Sunny Saturday
Water Quality / Clarity:  Crystal  Clear
Waves:  Amazingly flat with very slight current from north
Kru:
   Friday: Itch, Luna Lagoona, Ziggy, Syncro, Diablo, Wet Taco, Kahuna, Capt'n with shore support from She Who Shall Not Be Named
    Saturday: Itch, Syncro, Diablo, Brick, Ziggy, Wet Taco, Peaches (a.k.a. O'Rando Boom), Mr. Bubbles, Billy Bobber, Bakhtiari, Capt'n

Ahoy Mates!  If ya haven't been to Klode fer awhile you've been missin' out on some of the best swimmin' conditions...ever!  Not only have we been spoiled with water temps consistently above 70, we're also having a remarkable stretch of flat water conditions...fer our PM swims!  Rumor has it tho, that if ya like a little rock-n-roll fer your swim conditions, ya may be in luck Sunday.  I'm plannin' ta come out both Sunday n Monday at Noon...hope to see ya on the beach!

In case ya missed it... here are a few snaps from some of our August Klode Kru adventures...

8/30 Fiesta Friday Highlights



Saturday's 8/31 Search for a Ripple in the Lake


8/18 Post Swim Rehydration at the Estabrook Bier Garten 



8/4 Klode Kru does Das Fest Adventure











Thursday, August 22, 2024

Kahuna Kafe Kaptivates Klode Krowd

 Last Swim:  Friday, Aug. 22, 6 a.m.

 Upcoming Swims:  The Typical/Regular Schedule (all at Klode Beach):  M-F 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.;  Sat. & Sun.  8 a.m. and noon.  (Check blog comments, for additional "impromptu" group swims.)    

Water temp: 70.7 per Lydia the Tattooed Lady
Weather: Low 60s at sunrise, slightest zephyr from the SE          
Water Quality/Clarity:  Crystal clear.    
Waves:  Flat, amazing, near-perfect
Kru:  Captain, Mr. Anonymous, Magic Mike, Danny, Ziggy, Cindy, Lt. MJ, Michelle, Showgirl, Tattooed Lady, Sunny Luna Laguna, Fin-Fyn, Hollywood, A la Mode, Michelle's friend (Svetlana?) Dragonfly, sorry if I missed anyone!
SHORE SUPPORT +PLUS:  Kahuna providing waterside cafe service, as well as beach-side coffee and Kringle



Pre-cafe swimmers saluting the sunrise. Photo by A la Mode.

Ahoy! What a welcome sight! Kahuna rolling down to the beach lugging a crate of goodies.  All enthusiastically joined him in celebrating 11 years in business with his own law firm - including never missing a payroll!  This day marked the 10th annual Kahuna cafe.  The cafe typically takes place on August 15, but was postponed this year because of bad weather,  and thus took advantage of near-ideal conditions:  Caressingly warm, flat water with only the slightest of SE breeze and current on the way back--which did manage to chill my arms on every stroke.

As each swimmer churned to shore, the great Kahuna himself stepped out to into thigh-deep water to greet them, cafetiere and cup at the ready, ready to fuel everyone up with freshly-brewed java juice.  As you made your way to shore, you could stop at the rocks on the south side of the iron barrier for more hot brew, a choice of lighteners including cream or half-and-half, and a delicious slice of cherry Kringle. 

Truly, one could get used to this!

Here's to many more years of success, Kahuna, active and responsible citizen of village, state, nation and globe - stalwart upholder of Klode Kru lore and tradition -  both on and off the beach!! 

Thank you again for so generously inviting us all to caffeinate and celebrate with you!!