HEAVEN

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Tuesday @ 5 pm
Water Temp:  65
Air Temp:  74
Clarity:   Crystal, 10/10
Waves: light ripples, like a boat wake, but without the boats
Kru:  Mr. Bubble, Itch, Handyman Hank, Synchro, Super Hera, Brick, Linda the Lamprey

Warmest water of the season!  Feels like Heaven

Everyone is trying
To get to the bar
The name of the bar
The bar is called heaven
The band in heaven
They play my favorite song
Play it one more time
Play it all night long

Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

There is a party
Everyone is there
Everyone will leave
At exactly the same time
It's hard to imagine that
Nothing at all
Could be so exciting
Could be this much fun

Remember the Appomattox!

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Tuesday @ 6 am
Water Temp:  55.8
Air Temp:  64
Clarity:   Crystal, 10/10 but didn't see the shipwreck
Waves: light ripples, like a boat wake, but less frequent
Kru:  Mr. Bubble, Mr. Anonymous, Mary Jo
Special Guest Stars:  Terri (first timer from Oconomowoc) and Anita (regular Atwater skin swimmer, sixth time this year)

We've experienced divisive disruption!  

So, the baseline facts are that there was a proposal to do a shipwreck swim this morning, but apparently a few hours later, that proposal was retracted.  Somehow, Mr. Bubble missed the retraction.  So, the Kru was divided this morning!  How could that happen?

There are several plausible theories:

• Multiple Personality Disorder.  One minute, he's referring to himself as Kahuna, the next he's calling himself Sandy, and the at other times, he's Alexander.  Very likely that one of the personalities made  the original post and one of the others retracted it.  Kahuna has no recollections of what the other personalities have done, although they know what he has done.  

• Hacking - One of those Russian Trolls has found our blog and by passed all of Google's strict controls.  These trolls not only posted comments, they manipulated the platform so that Mr. Bubble and Mr. Anonymous would not see the retracted proposal.  Their next step will be to hack the August 11th primary and make voters show up at Atwater instead of their polling places.  They'll also re-direct our absentee ballots to the Whitefish Bay Village Hall.  Their goal is to have Whitefish Bay annex Shorewood.

• Paranormal Phenomena - This is the most likely explanation.  There was a disruption in the space time continuum, that kept Mr. Bubble and Mr. Anonymous from seeing the retraction posts, because they were made in an alternate universe (see post from June 7th discussing alternate universes' impact on Klode Kru).  

Nonetheless, the jilted Kru members did their duty and enjoyed their lovely swim.  All hail Anita, who doesn't own a wet suit and swam skin, just like she always does.  

Farewell June

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri 6am, 5pm
                         Sat,Sun noon
Last Swim:  Tues 6am
Water Temp:  60
Air Temp:  warm
Clarity:   crystal
Waves: slow swells
Kru:  TatooLady, Pool Noodle, Patriarch, Showgirl, Sheila, Eric, Linda the Lamprey and Diablo (early)

Not too much to say today except that the water temp was a wee bit lower, though still skin-able.

In spite of last night's storms, the clarity remains.

We swam north.

The pile-up of wood on the beach is gradually being removed, making the beach seem more spacious, yet also not quite as interesting.

In hopes of keeping our beaches open, I continue to remind you to keep your physical distance and put on a mask.  

You're jealous, I know

Throwing this in here to show where all my stuff dries out-- on the garage clothesline! How cool is that?  To be 100% clear, my swimsuit stays on until I'm in the house.

Summer of Abandoned Sandals

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri 6am, 5pm
                         Sat,Sun noon
Last Swim:  Monday 6am
Water Temp:  64
Air Temp:  warm
Clarity:   crystal
Waves: slow swells
Kru:  Magic Mike, Laguna Mike, Kahuna, Thanos, TatooLady, Pool Noodle, Patriarch, Mr. Bubble, Showgirl

The magic days of summer swimming have arrived.

Hard to even know what to say about these latest abandoned shoes.

The water maintained most of its warmth from yesterday, and all of its clarity.  And none of its boats.

We swam north. Pool Noodle nearly forgot to turn around. Once we were back at the beach it was universally agreed to be... the best swim of the season.  (No, really.)

Post-swim Kahuna un-helpfully pointed out that it would have been the PERFECT day for a shipwreck swim. When I asked, "should we schedule one for tomorrow?"  he declared that the moment was past, and it is completely impossible to schedule the kind of spontaneity needed for a shipwreck swim. Nevermind that we have, in fact, always un-spontaneously scheduled our shipwreck swims....

In other news:  Congrats to Mr. Bubble on the first day of rest of life-- he's retired now.

In other, other news:  Congrats to Tom for receiving his swimming nickname.  Kahuna has christened him "Thanos" not after the evil supervillain blood-test company, but instead after the evil supervillain Marvel character.

Also, let us not gloss over Kahuna's words of warning from yesterday's blog post. We all adamantly want to keep the beaches open, and tho we cannot control the actions of non-Kru at the beach, we can control ourselves and set a good example.  Let's continue to maintain our distance and mask up.

Ground Hog's Day

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Sunday @ Noon
Water Temp:  65
Air Temp:  low 80's and sunny
Clarity:   PERFECT AGAIN 11 or 12 out of 10
Waves: steady small ripples, boat wake size
Kru:  Capt'n, Ziggy, Itch, Handyman Hank, Mr. Bubble, Diablo, Linda the Lamprey, Lydia, Dragonfly, We'Taco, Kahuna, Magic Mike, Mary Jo, Showgirl, El Jefe y Senora TBD,  Chris, Synchro, Mr. Anonymous, IceDaug, Panini, 
First Time This Season:  Stickler, The Other Dave,
Shore Support:  NorthShore Nancy, Squeeze-o-Showgirl

Before I get into how wonderful it was today, Kahuna asked me to post a public service announcement in today's blog - it's pasted below.  Quick summary - seeing how beaches have been re-closed in Texas, Florida and other places, it behooves all of us to be as cautious as possible.  Kahuna's PSA shares some specific tips on that.  

Today was Ground Hog's Day - a repeat of yesterday - except that the water was warmer, the weather wasn't as hot and sticky and more people showed up.  Including Stickler - first time this season!

So, great turnout today by the Kru, but unfortunately, also great turn out today by people on big boats who love to park their stuff just north of Klode.  Today, there were also a couple of folks on jet skis following them around.  

Now, normally, I like to promote an attitude of live and let live.  They don't bother us, we don't bother them, everyone's happy. Gezellig is the Dutch word for it.  That was my attitude today, until I noticed I was breathing in internal combustion engine exhaust fumes during my swim 😝😝😝😝  If I wanted to breathe in exhaust fumes, I'd be out riding my road bike on the freeway!

But enough complaining about the one thing that detracted from so many other things that made today a perfect swim day.  Such as seeing your shadow on the lake floor and seeing the line up of colorful Barbies and swim caps heading back in to the beach. 

Kru Covid Public Service Announcement

Some of you recall that beaches were closed in Milwaukee County early this year.  Other places (such as Miami-Dade County), announced this week that they are re-closing their beaches, due to a surge in Covid cases.  So far, there have been over 10,000 cases in Milwaukee County, and 371 deaths.  Others who have come down with Covid, have not died, but have sustained lasting disability.  Every person who comes down with Covid, puts those healthcare workers who must provide treatment to them at risk of death or disability.  None of us want to get Covid, and none of us want to spread Covid to a loved one, a healthcare worker, a Kru member, or anyone else.  Older people are especially susceptible to dying from Covid (and the Kru has many members who are over age 55).  The recent trend in Wisconsin and Milwaukee County regarding the rate of infection has been rising.  It unfortunately is easy to blame beach-going on outbreaks or surges (even if there is little evidence that beach going is a major or minor cause of Covid spread).  If the County or local health departments are considering re-closing beaches, we want to be in a position to be able to make this case:  (1) open water swimmers are not contributing to the surge (by being able to point to the fact that none of our group has tested positive); (2) open water swimmers are using the beaches in a responsible way (socially distanced and masked); and (3) as exercise or beach gathering activities go, open water swimming is really low risk.  You can help make this case.  Here’s how:

1. Live your life away from the beach in a responsible way, so that you don’t become infected, and inadvertently bring Covid to the beach and spread it to other Kru members.
2. Don’t go to the beach if you are experiencing any symptoms.
3. When at the parking lot and on the beach, engage in strict social distancing (stay at least six feet away from anyone who is not a member of your household).
4. Don’t share stuff (like googles or shot glasses).
5. Wear a mask.

Generally, we wear masks not to protect ourselves, but to protect others (especially to prevent the unknowing spread of disease by an asymptomatic person), but it is widely reported that if two people are having a conversation and both of them are wearing a mask, the chances that an infected person will convey Covid to the un-infected person go dramatically down.  The CDC has said the following regarding beach going:

Closer and longer interaction with people who don’t live together raises their risk.  The more an individual interacts with people he or she doesn’t live with and the closer and longer each interaction is, the higher the risk is of getting infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

While the CDC is not calling for the closure of beaches, the CDC encourages staying away from beaches when you are experiencing symptoms, maintaining at least six feet of social distance (both in and out of the water),  and covering your nose and mouth with a cloth face mask (especially in a situation in which you are unable to maintain at least six feet of social distance). 

Covid won’t be here forever.  Hopefully by next summer, everyone will be vaccinated and immune.  Social distancing and mask wearing are annoyances, but compared to the awfulness of spreading or contracting Covid, the above precautions are just not that burdensome, especially given the short period of time that is left in the remainder of the 2020 swim season. 

Best Swim of the Season

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Saturday @ Noon
Water Temp:  60
Air Temp:  84 and sunny
Clarity:   PERFECT 11 or 12 out of 10
Waves: almost glass, some boat wake
Kru:  Capt'n, Ziggy, Itch, Handyman Hank, Mr. Bubble, Liz, Brick, Diablo, Lydia, Linda the Lamprey, Pool Noodle, Dragonfly, We'Taco, Kahuna, Neo, Fred, Super Hera, Magic Mike
Guest Stars:  Jenny and Mary Jo
SUP Support:  IceDawg the Sailor Man

Another fantastic day - I'd have to say literally best swim of the season. Pretty much everyone who swam today later said to one or more people "That was really great!"

The greatest thing about today's swim was the super clarity of the water - not only could you see the bottom while swimming, you could see your shadow on the lake bottom.  Don't think I've ever seen that before in Lake Michigan.  

So guest star, Mary Jo, had some cultural learnings about Killepitsch, from relatives in Bavaria.  In Bavarian street slang, if you say "That's Killepitsch" it means something like "that's totally insane" or "that's ridiculous".  

'Nuff said, right?  We are the O.G.

The Badass Multiplier

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon (unless consensus is 11 a.m, please post in comments)
Last Swim:  Friday @ 6 a.m.
Water Temp:  56.2
Air Temp:  low seventies, cloudy.  Slight NW breeze at bluff top, calm at the beach
Clarity:   Pretty clear, incentive for that initial immersion
Waves: Flat, slight south current
Kru:  Diablo on the early shift.  Magic Mike, Ala, Ala's daughter Carolina, Pool Noodle, Showgirl, Kahuna, Tom (friend o'Kahuna, needs a nickname), Dragonfly.  Brik, late shift.
Shore Support:  Squeeze o'Showgirl

I was first to the parking lot when Kahuna & Tom biked up.  "A fine good morning to you gentlemen," I said.  "Or is it a good morning to you fine gentlemen?" "I get that  question a lot when I wear bike shorts," said Kahuna modestly.  (They were very short shorts.)

Under pearly grey skies with a pale sun peeking through cloud layers, I waded in, planning to be FIFO (first in, first out.)  "I'm heading south, people," I called back to shore.  Since no one acknowledged, I figured I would be all alone.  North is generally the preferred a.m. direction, but I don't like returning against the current, even a slight one.  

I went sleeveless and sockless, planning a bit shorter swim than yesterday. If the hardest moment of the day is getting up before 5:30 a.m., the second hardest is that moment you put your face into the cold water.  But a clear bottom view with all its interesting random features is a great distraction.  Sleeveless, my shoulders felt free and I fired up my swim.

As I turned to head back, I was greatly surprised to see Showgirl heading south past me.  Continuing back I spotted a couple more southbound swimmers.  Showgirl, Magic Mike and Pool Noodle achieved sewer pipe, where the reported dialogue was:

Showgirl:  "It smells bad here."
Magic Mike:  "Yeah. I'm getting out of here."

I was first out, as planned, sockless feet thoroughly chilled.  Pool Noodle did a single and Showgirl a double post-swim skin loop around the rocks.  My entire life was vindicated when people confirmed my theory that southbound was the direction of choice for the day.

Post-swim, a small group of Premium Klode Kru members repaired to our temporary clubhouse (until the new construction begins) at Silver Spring and Hollywood Boulevard (intersection of Stone Creek Coffee and Bruegger's Bagels.)  

Last summer I stopped for a bagel after every swim.  This year, with counting calories plus Covid, getting a to-go bagel is a Very Big Deal.  The exquisiteness of a once-a-week, still-warm Everything bagel, poppy seeds, crispy dried onions and garlic flakes melding with sweet rich savory peanut butter (need a moment here) can hardly be described.  Discussion of calories led Showgirl and me to complain about how stingy our Garmin watches were in granting Open Water Swim calories.  

Dragonfly:  "It just doesn't take into account the Bad-assness of an Open Water swim."
Pool Noodle:  "You need an extra setting.  There should be another button."
Magic Mike:  "The Badass Multiplier!"

Speaking of Kru membership....Perhaps zip up sweatshirts in  royal, navy or purple, with the Kru Skull 'n Bones in gold thread?

Finally - ANY interest in an earlier swim Saturday, Sunday or both - 11 a.m. to avoid boats?  Please post in comments.  Otherwise, will see y'all at noon tomorrow.

Patriarch and Capt'n reunited

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Thjursday @ 5pm
Water Temp:  63 
Air Temp:  74 and sunny  
Clarity:   Very nice 9.9/10
Waves: steady clip of 6-8", definitely faster going back
Kru:  Patriarch, Capt'n, Ziggy, Itch, Handyman Hank, Panini, Mr. Bubble, Liz, Brick
Post Swim Shore Support:  Diablo

Another great day at the beach, accompanied by our Klode Kru founders!

Lovely to have clear water above 60, and just enough chop to keep it interesting and fun to ride back.  

All brought to conclusion with a shot of Killepitsch and a helping of Liz's home made brownies!  

Could ya turn up the heat just a scootch??

Next swims: Thursday, 5pm and Friday 6am and 5pm, Sat and Sun, noon

Last Swim: Thursday, 6am

Air Temp: nice, not so cold. But it was six am and I wasn't looking. I wore a sweatshirt, does that help?

Water Temp: 56

Clarity: very clear, with slanting sunlight

Waves: none, flat, glass

Kru: Pool Noodle, DragonFly, Showgirl, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Kahuna, Magic Mike, Sheila (my friend and colleague, her first swim with the Kru), Diablo on the early shift.

This was the kind of morning we all wait for, nearly perfect. The sun shone generously on the entire bay, from Fox Point to Atwater. It looked like a giant glass plate. The air was warming quickly, with no breeze to cool it down. Aside from a gaggle of middle schoolers who seem to always need to get within two feet of each other then talk loudly, all at the same time, you couldn't ask for anything better. The kids bolted pretty quickly after I showed up. Sheila was there already (she encountered Diablo coming out of the water), and shortly after I came, the rest of the Kru arrived on the beach. Temperature taken, wetsuits donned, introductions made, the seven swimmers headed north. By the time I got to old Mudslide, it occurred to me that this was the kind of swim we dream of. Clear air, clear water, warming air temps. If we could have turned the heat up just a scootch on the water, everything would have been perfect.  The fact is, we're all pretty used to mid 50s in the morning. But you just know there will be a July or an August morning that will feature all theses conditions, AND water comfortably in the 60s. That's when I'm headed for Beach Rd.!

As I was introducing Sheila to the assembled Kru members, I stalled at Lydia the Tattooed Lady. I knew her real name, but I was also aware that her Kru name was different. So, embarrassingly, I had to ask.  She graciously filled me and Sheila in on the name. We spoke after the swim about the origins of the name, aside from the fact that Lydia has tattoos. She told us about the song. We talked about Yip Harburg, who apparently wrote it back in the 30s. Groucho Marx sang it in a movie. But as far as our Lydia is concerned, nobody's version tops this one. 

It'll get in your head, and may never come out!

Showgirl Swim-a-versary

Next Swims:  
       Mon-Fri:  6 am and 5 pm
       Sat, Sun Noon

Last Swim: Wednesday 6am
Water Temp:  54 (or lower if Kahuna hadn't been in such a hurry)
Air Temp:  70?  
Clarity:  not much
Waves: slow small swells, but nothing you noticed while swimming
Kru:  Kahuna, Tom, Peter, Sam, Magic Mike, Pool Noodle,  Showgirl, Linda the        Lamprey, and I assume Diablo

The real reason we swim.

We had a pretty big crew for a 6am swim.  Everyone pulled on their wetsuits, except Linda, who blazed in last, and was in the water longer than all of us. 

I think many went to the mudslides. I was low on enthusiasm and just went to the south end of the rock wall.  

For our entertainment today, there were three SUPers silhouetted on the water.

Welcome to Sam and Peter, who I first thought were spawn-o-Kahuna, but turned out to be friends of the spawn.

Yep, so on this day in 2010 I swam with the Klode Kru for the first time.  I had no idea how much that would change my life. Robin Treder reeled me in to the group-- just another reason that I will be forever grateful for knowing her.

Who'll Stop the Rain?

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Tuesday @ 5pm
Water Temp:  55 
Air Temp:  63 and cloudy.  
Clarity:   Variably murky but not muddy     
Waves: steady 6-8" with winds behind them
Kru:  Mr. Bubble, Itch, Synchro,  Mary Jo

"Never tell me the odds!" - Han Solo
So, unfortunately, I had been letting someone tell me the odds...The Weather Channel.  One minute there's a 40% chance of rain at 5 pm, then short while later it's 60%.  By 4 pm, the Weather Channel app is showing a subscript messages saying thunderstorms will start in your area at 5:45 pm.  

Armed with that data, I arrived at the beach around 4:30 and decide to swim north, where it's sunnier.  I want to be done with the swim before 5:45, when the thunderstorms will start, right?  Looked over my shoulder a few times while swimming north and see darker and darker clouds gathering over Klode.  The winds seem to be picking up and waves getting choppier so time to turn around.

Arrived on shore just as Mary Jo got there..  Itch and Synchro come on down shortly thereafter.  I'm already in my suit and have my barbie inflated so might as well swim again.  Four of us head out north.  Skies over Klode don't look as ominous this time.  First three of us arrive at about the same time, Itch comes along 10 or so minutes later.  During those few minutes before Itch arrives, we had a light but steady drizzle for about 4 minutes.  Maybe a few drops after that.  Still no thunderstorm by 6:30.  

The Four of us overcame the odds!!!
So now, you can stop wondering "Who'll Stop the Rain?" 

As long as I remember
The rain's been comin' down
Clouds of mystery pourin'
Confusion on the ground

Good men through the ages
Tryin' to find the sun
And I wonder, still I wonder
Who'll stop the rain?

Vanishing Mermaid and Welcome Ryan

Next Swims:  
       Mon-Fri:  6 am and 5 pm
       Sat, Sun Noon

Last Swim:  Tuesday 6am
Water Temp:  54
Air Temp:  70?  
Clarity:   variable
Waves: out of the north, choppy and building
Kru:  Magic Mike, Pool Noodle,  Showgirl, Ryan, Linda the Lamprey, and I assume Diablo

It took a while to get the swim going this morning because we had to process Ryan's background check, collect his membership fee, and have him fill out the Klode Kru application forms, but we did finally get in the water.  He is now officially a member of the Kru, welcome Ryan.

The clouds on the horizon were ominous, but we could see the sun behind it. We swam into the chop.

Along the way I heard the wind swishing in the trees, and Mike was plagued by real and phantom items in the water. For a few amazing moments the sun came out and illuminated the bottom.

Post-swim, we agreed that the waves seem to be building.

The beautiful mermaid we saw decorating the beach yesterday is going the way of all beach art.

Little Cat Feet

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Friday @ 5pm
Water Temp:  57 and variable
Air Temp:  73 and foggy.  
Clarity:   
     Water:  Very clear, 8-9/10 
      Air:  Not so much.  Definitely a stick close to shore day
Waves: Very flat, tiny, tiny ripples
Kru:  Mr. Bubble, Itch, Mr. Anonymous, Handyman Hank, Lydia
Shore Support:  Panini

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Only 4 of us showed up to swim.  Everybody who went in came back out.  Novel experience for most of us - except Itch, who's experienced all sorts of conditions many times over.  Panini thought she was going to swim but had other thoughts when she saw the fog.  The rest of us thought "It's not that bad!" until we got a couple hundred yards south of Klode. 

Mystery Solved

Next Swims:
       Mon-Fri 6 am and 5 pm,
       Sat, Sun:   Noon (or maybe 11?)

Last Swim:  Mon 6am
Water Temp:  52, per the duck-mometer
Air Temp:  cool near the water, tropical at the top of the ramp
Clarity:   we can see the bottom now
Waves: a bit of a current out of the south
Kru: Pool Noodle,  Showgirl, Ice-diggity-dog

The almost imperceptible waves were out of the south this morning, so that's the direction we swam.  

We made our way past Love Rock to sewerpipe, with Pool Noodle harvesting golf balls along the way.

At 52 degrees, there was no interest in a post-swim skin-swim around the rocks.  

On the way back up the ramp each of us discussed which fingers went numb and wonky during the swim.

As for the mystery solved, the running man who kicks sand into the water all across the shoreline is looking for beach glass, which, he assured me, was far more plentiful on the Michigan side. He still seems a bit dissatisfied/irritated by our swimming.  Next time I'll invite him to join us.

"Damn Boats," Father's Day, Solstice Stack

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon (suggestion of going earlier to avoid boats on the weekend)

Last Swim:  Sunday noon
Water Temp:  50.something/macho-meter, 53/itch-o-meter, consensus was "52 with 40-something pockets"
Air Temp:  upper 70s/low 80s, sunny
Clarity:   5 of 10, see your watch in front of your face without having to  stop
Waves: Pretty flat with slight swell
Kru:   Linda the Lamprey, Itch, Diablo, Captain, Ziggy, Panini, Lydia the Tatoo'd Lady, Liz, Kahuna, Dragonfly, sorry if I missed anybody

Shore support:  Patriarch, Squeeze o'Showgirl

SUP support:  Moondaug

It was a momentous day with a full Father's Day parking lot on the first official day of Summer.  Heading down to the beach, we encountered 2 of Whitefish Bay's finest coming up.  Lydia noted they seemed out of breath.  Panini greeted them familiarly; at least one had been part of the rescue mission last week.  

On the sand, we buzzed with hope that the Lake would be warm...maybe a cozy 65?  The verdicts were read out to great disappointment.  Patriarch, who had lava pants but no wetsuit, bailed on the swim.  Kahuna also had only lava pants but chanced it.

And yet the swim, especially past the rocks, was very rewarding and for several including myself, furthest of the season.  It was my first view of New Mudslide and my first tag of Mudslide itself.  "Yay, Mudslide!" Lydia and I said to each other as we passed, in one of those brief but profound moments of comraderie.  I found  that heading north you were moving with current and the water felt warmer than 52.  But once you made the turn to head back south, it was into the current's chilly teeth.  I had noted this same phenomenon on Friday.  About 200 yards north of Klode I altered course to hail a small anchored power boat. (It's always a relief to see they are indeed anchored and not moving toward you.) "Hey, wanted to let you know, there are a bunch of swimmers out here," I called to the teenaged captain.  "Oh, yes, I see them now," he said.  

Now?  

Many forms of luck.

Fortunately the full invasion of power boats began after the Kru had cleared the water.  Hot rocks warming our feet, we circled 'round the Solstice Stack (see photo)  for a shot of Pitsch.  The toast was "Damn Boats."  At least 16 different boats were sighted converging on Klode Bay, including a pontoon boat that looked to be very far from home.

A suggestion was made to swim at 11 a.m. next Sunday instead of noon to avoid boats and perhaps find flatter water as well.

Finally, a Happy Father's Day to all:  Fathers, grandfathers, dog dads, cat dads, etc.

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon

Last Swim:  Saturday, noon
Water Temp:  62 my ass 
Air Temp:  variable
Clarity:   5 of 10, and dropping, once the downspouts started flowing
Waves: Pretty flat, then pretty rain droppy
Kru:  Diablo, Cap'n, Patriarch, Showgirl, Itch, Dave, Julie, Hardware Hank, Moondawg, Whathisname, Magic Mike? Others?  

As I loaded the bag to head to the beach, it started to pore rain.  "A mere summer shower," says I, "twill pass by the time I drive to da beach."  It did.  Or so it let me think it did.  Things seemed all ducky as we walked down and surveyed the sky and the beautiful blue water.  We pretty much had the beach all to ourselves.  Showgirl or Itch took the temp, and declared a 62 degree reading.  Thus some of us (including yours truly), forgo the wetsuit (notice that "forgo" is spelled and used correctly).  Alas, the 62 temp was ephemeral, because as I dove in and swam, I was sensing the 50's, and a few areas of low 50's.  But hearty lot that the Kru is, what care we?  A little coolish water isn't going to kill or deter us, right?  Aye, but what will kill us, sure as God made little green apples, is lighting.  About 10 minutes into the swim I pop my head up and look South, to see heavy rain descending on Shorewood (but not Whitefish Bay, at least not yet).  "Maybe I should head back, " thinks I.  Then I hear thunder.  Holy crap, I should definitely head back.  I "Ahoy," a passing Showgirl, and alert her to the passing thunder, and we start high tailing it back.  On our way I see a Hank, I think still headed South, and "Ahoy," him.  "Hank, did you hear the thunder?"  "No, but I did see lighting."  I gesture an emphatic "let's head South," and we do just that.  I would have gotten out of the water immediately, but give the current erosion levels, there really was no good place to get out and walk, until very near Klode.  I don't know if keeping one's anus tightly clinched is much protection against getting struck by lighting while stupid swimming, but I found my body involuntarily doing just that.  I stayed shallow (swimming in about two feet of water), under the theory that if do die during this swim, maybe my body at least will float on to the beach sooner, rather than later.  On the way back the sky really opened up, and the rain really came down on us.  Thankfully, all the the Kru made it out of the water safely (we all got lucky).  Just another example of how quickly conditions can change from fine to dangerously stupid.  We should be looking at radar more closely, before we go into the Lake.  

And the really stupid thing of the day?  I got down to the beach without a towel.  Fortunately, The Great One, the Patriarch, loaned me one his towels.  And I was able to dry off.  In homage to his greatness, I have laundered it, wrapped it a round a full Pitszcht Bottle, tied a ribbon on it, and will either return it to him on Sunday, or drop it off at his house.  

Hey everybody, be safe out there (do as I say, not as I do).  

Better Hurry Because It May Not Last...

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Friday @ 5pm
Water Temp:  60
Air Temp:  84
Clarity:   Almost perfect.  10/10
Waves: Petit, 4-6"
Kru:  Mr. Bubble, Magic Mike, Itch, Brick, Kahuna, We'Taco, Panini, Capt'n
Shore Support:  Diablo

What a fantastic week of swimming!  Such a lovely progression from the wild winds and waves of last weekend, steadily becoming calmer and clearer, with consistently warm air temps and reasonable water temps.  To illustrate...Brick wasn't wearing any neoprene on Friday night...just his swim trunks and bare chested.  Like Itch.  

Ah, but just as we're getting comfortable with the status quo, things are bound to change.  In fact, the forecast Saturday at 4:45 pm CDT is  23.4° and that's not Celsius degrees.  For that matter, it's not Fahrenheit or Kelvin either.  

So, our first Killepitsch toast was to...first day of summer's eve.

But then Panini reminded us...it's Juneteenth, too.  Another sign that the status quo is bound to change. 

Switching back to a "safe topic" - the weather - you better hurry cause it may not last

If you want it, here it is, come and get it
Mm mm mm mm, make your mind up fast
If you want it, any time, we can swim it

But you'd better hurry 'cause it may not last

Patriarch's First Swim of the Season

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri @ 6 am and 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday @ Noon
Last Swim:  Thursday @ 5pm
Water Temp:  61
Air Temp:  82
Clarity:   Very nice, you could see bottom in the shallows. 8 or 9/10
Waves: Curly.  6-8" mostly, some 10-12"
Kru:  Patriarch, Mr. Bubble, Itch, Brick, Handyman Hank, Kahuna, Mr. Anonymous, Diablo, Magic Mike (Y chromosomes required)
Special Guest Stars:  Chad and Sarah

About last night...did we, you know, do something we shouldn't have?  
No, no, no, it's was just me, and it's the other way around.  I didn't do something I should have...write a blog post to commemorate Patriarch's first swim of the season!  Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the Patriarch in his wet suit, but it definitely happened.  

So, I think I identified all the Kru members who came out last night accurately.  All I remember for sure is that it was a Boys Club event.  

It was nice to welcome two newbies - Sarah and Chad.  They had been monitoring (surveilling!) the blog and finally decided to go for it.  This was actually Sarah's first open water swim in a wet suit.  Chad had recently purchased it for so they could go swimming together while the pools were still closed.  This lead to a conversation about when they were going to open back up.  Magic Mike says that Shorewood High School pools are supposed to open up again on July 1.  

Another thing that happened last night was there were some guys trying to pull two boats out of the water at the beach.  They were inflatable life raft type boats with outboard motors, and the guys were trying to get the boats on to trailers, and then use large ATVs to pull the boat and and trailer off the beach and up to a truck that was on the cement.  As we all know, it's pretty steep to climb up to the top of the sand, and these large ATVs were not cutting it.  They just couldn't get any traction on the steep sand.  So, the guys would up getting some kind of cable with a turnbuckle, wrapping it around a tree on the beach and attaching the other end to the ATV.  I didn't stick around long enough to see the outcome.  All I know is that the vehicles were gone the next morning, but there were still ATV tire tracks in the sand.  Here's some photos of their attempts

The truck on shore had a logo for a business called Liquid Assets Recovery Diving, or something like that.  I've been trying to Google that business, but every time, Google wants to show me articles about investing...I'm serious.  

Q: What's it called when a man in a kilt stands on a ladder?

Next Swims:
       Mon-Fri 6 am and 5 pm,
       Sat, Sun:   Noon

Last Swim:  Fri 6am
Water Temp:  57.7
Air Temp:  warm
Clarity:   we can see the bottom now
Waves: None
Kru: Pool Noodle, Dragonfly, Showgirl, Mr. Bubble, Magic Mike, Kahuna, Tom, Moondwig, NewGirlWhosNameIForgot, and probably Diablo

A: A bell tower.

Perhaps the secret magic of morning swims has gotten out. Perhaps someone put it on the internet and it's going viral. (The other viral.)  Anyway, NINE people showed up for a 6am swim.  That may be a record. 

The beach was beautiful and the water was flat and warm.  Warmish.  Pockets of warm.

We swam north, and many went to the old and new mudslides. Little fish were swimming inside the rockpiles.

Kahuna further established his manhood by swimming in lava pants, followed by wearing a kilt. I am happy/sad it wasn't a windy day.