Greg and Ted (a.k.a The Patriarch and The Cap'n, a.k.a Dos Locos) will record their excellent Lake Michigan swim adventures here. We'll provide daily updates on lake conditions, and our plans for upcoming swims. In addition we'll write some observations, ramblings, rants, and wacko theories related to Lake Michigan swimming (or not).
Next Swims:Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swims: Monday at 6 am Water Temp: 64 Air Temp: 67 Clarity: Murky but not dirty, some flotsam inside rocks Waves: gentle swells up to 3 feet, coming slowly Kru: Magic Mike, Lydia TTL, Shiny Chris,
Tardy: Ala, Panini Special Guest Star: Casey, first timer
Early Shift: Diablo
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! Typical fashion, we were heading down as Diablo was heading up. "How was it, Diablo?", "Same as yesterday". Scanned Diablo's face closely to see if this was said with a mischievous smile - seemed like he wasn't playing us (this time).
First order of business - mitch-o-meter reader, confirming Diablo's assertion. Lydia's response on hearing the empirical data - "There is still hope!". As made it out to the warmer water away from shore, noted that it was one of those days where the top 12" on the surface was warmer than the water directly underneath, and that those big swells mixed it up some time.
Already about a half dozen people on the beach as we arrived, including two who were on the rocks. There also was an unfamiliar backpack and flip flops leaning up against the barrier.
Celebrating diversity today - Magic Mike and Ala headed north, rest of us headed south in to those gentle but sizable swells.
Angle of the sun this time of year produces such warm colors - such a delight to see that warm sunshine shining on the shore.
Next swims: M-F 6am and 5pm; Sat & Sun 8am and noon
Last swim: Sun 8am Air temp: Upper 60s/Low 70s Water temp: 63 Waves: Building, well-organized waves 1'-2' in height; long, uniform interval Clarity: looked like someone emptied a shredder in the cove: 2/10; once past the north rock pile, clarity vastly improved: 9/10
Kru: Showgirl and another swimmer early, Cindy, Lt. MJ, Sheila, LunaL, Moondaug, Michelle, Mary Joy, Jill, Ben(?), Magic Mike.
I love how the seasons give us time, if we are paying attention, to process their transition. Nobody would call today anything other than a beautiful summer day. But it was a little cooler, and there was a clarity to the air (and the water) that reminds us that autumn follows summer. Last week there were some pretty strong fluctuations in the water temperature. This morning, besides a few cooler spots, the water consistently in the mid 60s. Pretty comfortable.
The Kru swam north toward different destinations and at different paces. But, interestingly, we all arrived back at essentially the same time. On our way out a few swimmers stopped to chat near birches. I pointed out a new feature of the tree line near birches, that I first noticed a couple of weeks ago. When you are just a few feet past birches, for a short period of time, if you look up high into the trees, a hole in the tree line appears, roughly in the shape of a heart. A few strokes later, it is gone. I call it heart hole, a dumb name. Maybe you'll have a better one. But you have to notice it first. Am I the only one to have noticed this?
I imagine the noon swimmers are gathering after their swim as I post this.
Last Swims: Saturday at 8 am Water Temp: 55 Air Temp: 75 Clarity: Murky but not dirty, little flotsam inside rocks Waves: 2 foot swells with occ 3 footer,
Kru: Patriarch, Dragonfly, Lt MJ, Handyman Hank, Hannah, Mr. Bubble
Shore Support: Mr. Dribble with a G
Thank you so much, Itch, for your blog comment last night saying the water was 64 last night, before the downpour started. It was 55 yesterday morning. Seeing that increasing trend and this morning's Atwater buoy reading of 62.8, I deduced that "we don't need no stinking wetsuits". No need to fill my backpack with tons of neoprene, just the Lava Pants will be fine. The rest of the Kru who showed up this morning made a different decision. This time, the non-contrarians made the right choice.
Marched down to the beach as the church tower struck 8. The water was rougher than yesterday, and it was it was clear that the waves had been coming up further on the beach than yesterday. Popped the foot-o-meter in the water and thought "Oh yeah, low 60s for sure". Then watched as the numbers on the mitch-o-meter dropped to 59 and kept dropping until leveling off at 54.7.
Another beautiful day weather wise.
Came back from a long slow swim to find Dragonfly, MJ and Hank waiting for me - they were all fully dressed and had masks on already, so they'd probably been back for a while.
Kru: Linda the Lamprey, TattooLady, Dragonfly, Showgirl, Mr. Bubble, Mr. Anonymous, Ala, and Diablo early
For a brief moment today, it was an all-woman swim.
Photo Credit: Dragonfly, obvi
Then Mr. Bubble announced his presence with squeaky disc brakes, and Mr. A was already on the beach.
There were some threatening clouds on the radar and in the sky, but we swam unscathed.
The air was warm and humid until you got a few feet into the water, and then you hit a wall of cold.
The water temp, 55, felt like a giant happy increase from yesterday's 48. Mr. A, badass, swam off in his lava pants. Linda, SUPER-MEGA-ULTRA-badass, swam skin, as she did yesterday, and does every day.
The waves were mostly straight out of the east, so they created some resistance both out and back, and the fog was rolling in throughout the swim.
I've been having a long gratitude moment today for the lake and the people of swimming, and for fancy words. Your challenge for the day: Use each word below in a sentence and share in the comments.
Gestalt by definition is a physical, biological, or symbolic configuration or pattern of element so unified as a whole that its properties cannon\t be identified from a simple summation of its parts.
Zeitgeist - the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.
TatooLady barely manages to find her way back to shore. Photo credit: Dragonfly
Next Swims: Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swims: Thursday at 6 a.m. Water Temp:
Tuesday - 48 mitch-o-meter, 50 duck-o-meter
Air Temp: low 80s
Clarity: CLEAR Waves: Smooth with some slight heaving
Kru: Diablo, early shift. Mabye an Unknown guy, early. Linda the Lamprey, Showgirl, Mr. Bubble, Moondaug,
Dragonfly
Waking
in the dark, Atwater Buoy has nothing nice to say. Then star light before
car light. Driving under opalescent blue with an intense diagonal hot
pink swoosh to the East. The Harbor building windmill slicing against a
SW breeze portended waves, a lie.
Only three souls at the flagpole – whence the hordes of the 70 degrees of
yesteryear?Today promised something
else, but what? Only a few milipedes criscrossed the mid-section of the path.
Beach pearly opal, but pink gradually dominating sea and sky.Smoothness beckoned, but then the glacier
exhale as we drew near.Next, ankle-biters,
black flies pursued in turn by a huge phalanx of dragonflies, hunting and
swooping.
Assembling
the defenses – wetsuit, booties, sleeves, gloves, silicone sandwich headgear –
took plenty time, no rush.Linda skin as usual, Moondaug maybe half-and-half, a Merman, splashed
away, FIFO.Linda, wading
then diving with no wasted motion.Showgirl dove with a little cry and I followed.
Always even colder than you think it’s going to be.I turned to breathe and in just those
few short moments, sun crests horizon, defined red orb silhouetting Showgirl’s
black-suited arms.Just past the rocks I
paused to rest from the burst of energy required to get going and saw Showgirl,
holding her hands up outside the water in the humid air.
“How
beautiful!” I gasp.She laughs. Water on my teeth hurts, slight ice-cream forehead ache.My bare shoulders and armpits
prickled with pain that felt more like fire than cold.We commenced – to Sewer Pipe, to Kraken, to Garage and then “50 more
yards.”Linda was far to the East
but as we reached Garage she came up behind us.
“Are
you guys going further?” she asked.
I was
too cold to get any words out, but Showgirl ventured, “I think we’re going
back?”
Another
pause while I gathered myself.
“I’m
totally ready to go back!”
Naturally,
the current.Leisurly fast swim
out turns into hard slow slog back.Amazingly as we neared the rocks, my face started to feel warm when I
put it in the water.We agreed it may
have been a degree or two warmer there, but otherwise it was “consistently
cold.”
Finally
standing on sand – “Come here and look at this,” said Showgirl.
Although
my entire body was screaming, “not another minute!” I did, putting my face back in one last time.
“There’s
these fluffy things,”
Effluvia
that Mother Michigan was sweeping up into long strands as she cleaned up the
water around them, light and insubstantial as dandelion seed.
“And those
big rocks, that have been around here, now they’re way over there,” Showgirl
continued. “So often I see things on
swims, but there’s no one to share them with….and then I forget to discuss them
later.” Ephemeral, is the word I’m
looking for.
Manipulating chilled extremities to get dressed, a slow, awkward and hence
humorous affair.Linda confided that she
sometimes, on very rare occasions, went so far as to - turn the heat on in her
car!
Walking
back up the path we saw Mr. Bubble, LILO, breastroking back across the
bay. He’d been in at least 45 minutes, probably had 15 to go.
As my
own swim was relatively short I circled back to Klode after some intravenous caffeine to check on Mr. B.He was
already at the flagpole and most graciously handed over the Blogwriting Quill.I left him as he was affixing the Phantom of
the Opera mask to the front of his bike.
Next Swims: Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swims: Tuesday at 5 pm, Wednesday at 6 am Water Temp:
Tuesday - 60 (reportedly by Brick),
Wednesay - 55, per mitch-o-meter Air Temp:
Tuesday - 80?
Wednesday - 75 Clarity: Very nice both am and pm, 8/10 maybe Waves:
Tuesday - regular 1 footers
Wednesday - mostly smooth with some gentle 2 foot rollers
Kru:
Tuesday - Itch, Sandy, Brick, Linda the Lamprey, Mr. Bubble
Late Arrival Shore Support - Diablo
Wednesday - Showgirl, Dragonfly, Lydia TTL, Terri, Mr. Bubble,
Late Arrival Shore Support: Panini
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven,
Multiple Choice Quiz: What is the purpose of the water turn, turn, turning so much colder in recent days?
a) Physics Lesson: What goes up must come down
b) Meteorology Lesson: What goes up must come down
c) Economics Lesson: Return on investment for current and future neoprene purchases
d) All of the above
Surprised to see such light turnout for an early morning swim accompanied by another beautiful sunrise. So, even though the water temperature has been oscillating, the beautiful sunrises are an almost universal constant.
BTW/Kahuna - Have you noticed that the tree that was vandalized, next to the plaque, has been replanted? If you recall, there was a blog post from a morning couple of weeks ago, where we posted pictures of some guys bringing a sapling down to the beach in a track vehicle? I guess the Village took care of it.
Last Swim: Monday 6am Air Temp: Mid 70's and humid Water Temp: 48.3, yes, that's right Waves: Flat as glass Clarity: Amazing!
Kru: Brick, Showgirl, with Mr. Anonomyous and Diablo on the early shift
Shore support: a gaggle of noisy, non-socially-distant teenagers and Flipper guy showed up just as I was exiting the water. After my report on the temperature, he decided not to go in
The sun
was a huge red ball as I rolled into the parking lot. Mr. A and Brick
were already on the beach, and, Mr. A had already swam. He said, "it
feels colder than yesterday."
Mr. A supervises the non-traditional temperature taking.
Brick trailed
his thermometer into the water, keeping his feet dry. While I was
not confident about his methods, I knew I was going to swim, regardless.
I
suited up and got into the water. It’s daunting to swim into fog. When I finally put my face in, the amazing
clarity of the water felt like the exact opposite of the foggy air above it. Every ripple of sand, every rock, every interesting item on the bottom was magnified. It made me want to keep swimming in spite of my freezing face
and hands, just to keep seeing the incredible underwater world below me.
We headed north around the rock pile, but given the fog, I cut in for the
shore. I knew from other foggy swims that even though the fog seems impenetrable,
when you're out in it, you can easily see the shore. Nevertheless, it
felt better to stay close to land. I
went past the birches, and the last time I saw Brick he was breast-stroking
north. Another phenomenon of the fog: as I stopped swimming to look around, I was in a bubble of clear, un-foggy air, but could see the fog all
around me. It all felt magical.
After
the swim I put MY thermometer in knee-deep water and got 48.3.
Swimming
may be the clarity in our lives to counteract the fog of the outside world.
Last Swim: Sat Noon Air Temp: 80? Hot in the Sun Water Temp: 53.7 Waves: Chop and current coming from the South Clarity: 8/10
Kru: Skippy, Synchro, Little Fish, Smart Ass, Itch, Captain, Ziggy, Rosie, Sandy, Other Dave, Dan, Erick, Heinrick, Kahuna (and probably a few others I missed, add your name in the comments if I did).
Your humble correspondent predicted this on Thursday in the comments:
Grab you wetsuits and cold water gear. The forecast is pretty much for winds out of the West over the next 10 days. Expect the temp graph to drop like a rock. Clear, cold, calm is my prediction. Time for all these new Lake swimmers to see what Lake Michigan is more often than not like.
So it is written, and so it has come to pass.
But did anybody listen? Apparently not. Most of the Kru came to the beach with nary a care or a wetsuit. Perhaps lured into complacency by such false prophets as Magic Mike, who reported that the Saturday 8 a.m. swim was "Chilly But Not Cold," at 65 degrees. I arrived down to the beach a few minutes late, and was told it was 61 degrees. "Nah ba," thought I. But then why were all those non-wetsuit wearing Kru members being so slow to get into the water, and why were some getting spit back onto the beach? I put on my wetsuit, and waded in, thinking "this is not 61 degrees," and "I am happy that I put this wetsuit on."
I enjoyed a nice swim down to almost downspout and back, with the return trip being much faster. Post-swim I dug my thermometer out of the bottom of my pack, and watched the numbers drop like water down an open manhole. The bottom hit at 53.7, something that was confirmed by Synchro and Skippy, and later (with the Itch-o-meter), by Itch. (It was later reported that the person taking the pre-swim temp decided that he should pull the probe, before the readout reached below 60, so as to not discourage swimming.).
So hats off to those who went skin and a pretty long ways in fairly Epic Conditions. A shot was enjoyed by all afterwards.
Next Swims: Sat noon, Sun 8am and noon, M-F 6am and 5pm
Last Swim: Sat 8am Air Temp:75 Water Temp: 65 Waves: flat, a little breeze induced ruffle further out Clarity: 8/10
Kru: There were nearly two dozen swimmers, these are some of the Kru who were present. Patriarch, Handyman Hank, Blake, Dragonfly Riffraff, Sheila, Laguna, Luna Laguna, Forger, Diablo later, Cindy, Mary Jo, Magic Mike, There were others too, lots of them. A swimmer from UW-Oshkosh who I meant to talk to because maybe she knows my niece. A young woman from Cindy’s home town in CT (I love postal codes—ever tried spelling Connecticut?). Nice people, swimmers, people to whom I have not introduced myself, sadly. You get the idea. A lot of swimmers, I wasn’t paying close enough attention. If I missed you, call me out in comments.
At 8:00 the sun is a little further up in the sky and you get a better sense of the day ahead. We remarked at how hot the sun was already (not usually the case at 6am). We also remarked at how chilly the water was. A few wetsuits appeared. More conversations about whether and when to wear the neoprene. A slightly longer period of consideration/preparation before the initial submersion. But when the swimming finally started, it was as it so often is: chilly, but delightful. We could see the lake bottom. If you stayed close to the surface, you could stay warm. At the end of the swim, coming through the rocks a blast of cold water reminded you that the cold water is coming.
A photo crew assembled near the bottom of the stairs while we swam. It looked like they were preparing for a pretty serious photo shoot. They had tents and golf carts for lugging materials. They had people working and people watching them work. Quite the production. The day was beginning at the beach. No doubt there'll be a crowd to greet the noon swimmers today. Enjoy the swim!
Kru: Magic Mike, Dragonfly, Panini, Ala, Brett, Scooby, Brick, Patriarch, Forger, 2 unaffiliated swimmers who did not socialize, Diablo on the early shift, I assume, maybe others that I forgot?
There was a slightly smaller crew this morning. After an expression of dismay about the minor decline in temperature (Forger), followed by a lecture on gratitude (me) it was business as usual at the beach.
The water outside the rockpiles felt a few degrees warmer than 64, and the occasional pockets of shocking cold water were absent, at least in my swim lane.
We swam north in the flat water. I thought I was following Scooby, and I wondered whether he feels ambivalent about turning around when, in theory, he could just swim home.
There comes a time in every summer that I call "Swimming Nostalgia." During that time, I'm acutely aware of the dwindling precious days of swimming.
BUT THESE ARE NOT THOSE DAYS. We have plenty of great swimming ahead of us.
Crew: Magic Mike, TattooLady, LtMJ, Cindy, Jenny, Stephanie, Dragonfly, Showgirl, Sheila, Ala, one more? and probably Diablo on the early shift, plus a gaggle of unaffiliated swimmers who arrived at around 7am. TattooLady identified them as masters swimmers from Juno... something, Linda, Jill, MaryJoy, Kathy, and one more.
I had a peek at the sunrise driving in to the parking lot, but midway down the ramp nearly everyone stopped and whipped out their phones to take a photo. It turned the surface of the water into a dark silvery mirror.
Photo Credit: TattooLady (Click on this photo to see how truly amazing the sunrise was.)
I took the temperature, and it felt a tiny bit cooler than the 69 on my thermometer. There was definitely a relaxed vibe about getting the swim started, but ultimately we headed south.
Before we got far from the beach something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a bird. Following my rule to savor the moments, I stopped, and saw that it was a low-flying jet, heading south with us. Post swim several of us agreed that the plane had freaked us out a bit.
The sun continued to creep above the horizon, partly hidden by the clouds.
It was another "stay on top of the water" day, with one or two shocking pockets of cold. If you stopped to lollygag and enjoy the sights, the water on your feet was noticably colder than at the surface.
Many of us swam to the Backhoe wall, and some swam further. There has been big progress on the wall, with a layer of smaller rocks piled on top of the layer of gigantic rocks. There a ladder from the bluff down to the rocks. I imagined the homeowners climbing down the ladder to enjoy cocktails (on the rocks!) on top of their creation. One hand grabbing the ladder, one hand holding a tray of drinks, bag chair slung over one shoulder.
Swimming back, there was a slight push from the waves. Once back we discussed the plane, and analyzed the three boats that were vanishing into the horizon, and tossed millepedes off our gear, and continued to ponder the pink marks.
Also notable this morning-- it was an all-woman swim until Magic Mike arrived to be our token male.
It was a
fun swim and body surf back. The waves were nicely spaced and not overly
disorganized. It reminded me of a similar swim a couple summers ago with
Inagodadavida. Enjoy the beautiful summer swimming while it lasts, because
it will pass all to soon.
I'm sad to say, that the bright young vibrant lady
known to the Klode crew as Inagodadavida, has passed on. She will be fondly remembered
by many as an adventurous (bad ass), kind and beautiful soul, with a fun
sassiness.
Water Temp: 71, tho it felt warmer Air Temp: 59 Clarity: Nope Waves: Slow swells from the north, ruffled by the wind near the end
Kru: Cindy, Lt. MJ, Jenny, Patriarch, Kahuna, Dragonfly, Showgirl, Brett, Friend o' Brett, Luna Laguna, Mystery Swimmers 1-7 (or more)
I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore by there being so many swimmers on the beach at 6am on a weekday.
All these cars did NOT correspond to swimmers, but I wondered...
I WAS however, surprised to see this in my bag when I returned to the beach after swimming today:
Creepy.
Anyway! The awesome summer of warm water continues. The newer swimmers launched in an orderly and business-like fashion, leaving a handful of veterans tossing insults and chit-chatting on the beach.
Ultimately we DID get in the water. I made a leisurely swim past old and New Mudslides. Many went further.
Today's slow swells kept nudging me towards the shore. Closer in, you get to see all sorts of interesting stuff, like trees that are teetering on the brink of being New-New-Mudslide, or stealth staircases. If I could increase my speed or decrease my lollygag-age, a whole new world of sight-seeing would open up to me.
Last Swim: Tuesday at 5 pm Water Temp: 74.8 per mitch-o-meter Air Temp: 75.6 Clarity: Sandy brown inside rocks, clearer outside 5/10 Waves: Mostly 3 footers coming in frequently, lots of rolling around
Kru: Itch, Handyman Hank, Mr. Bubble, Synchro Kate and Super Hera
Lake Michigan giving us some of it's Dirty Love while being the Roller Coaster of Love! Can't complain about the water temperature though. For that matter, can't complain about the air temperature or clear blue skies either. Most importantly though - can't complain about the smell.
Tonight's Killepitsch toast - Good Smelling Lake! The adjective used to describe that good smell - "earthy". That's not meant as a euphemism for dirty or uncouth. Besides, what's wrong with being dirty? None of us would be reading this, if it wasn't for dirt. Can't live without it. No dirt, no food. Simple as that.
Speaking of being dirty - just a little dirty - noticed something flesh colored on top of the southern steel barrier, with a little bit of sand on it. Approached the object and discovered it was a mask that could cover your whole face. First thought was maybe this belongs to one of those wiseguys who wears a Halloween mask to comply with the mask mandate (they exist but there aren't many of them)/ Second thought this must be the Phantom of the Opera's mask.
That's it! The Phantom of the Opera is There, Inside My Mind
In the unlikely event you are in Milwaukee for the DNC, and you want to experience one of the greatest joys known to man/woman on the Blue/Green Earth, come open water swim with us in Lake Michigan! We swim during the week at 6:00 a.m and 5:00 p.m. All swims this week are from Klode Beach, just a few miles North of downtown Milwaukee in Whitefish Bay. We meet at the American flag pool on the top of the lake bluff at the appointed time, and then walk down to the beach. Water temperatures have been unusually warm recently (approximately 70 to 74 degrees), so you likely are in for a pleasant introduction to Lake Michigan. (No guaranties; the winds are forecast to switch to out of the West on Thursday so that could take temps down to the 50s or even high 40s). All are welcome!
Next swims:Tues-Fri 6am and 5pm, Sat and Sun 8am and noon
Last Swim: Monday 5:00 pm
Air temp: low 74! Water temp: 74! (the universe this evening was exquisitely and rarely in perfect equilibrium) Waves: some chop and current from the South Clarity: pretty damn clear, especially in the cove
Kru: Itch, Rosie, Laguna, Spawnolaguna, Kahuna, plus shore support from Squeezalaguna (Luna Laguna), and Moon Dawg.
The sky started to drip a bit on us, and there was some concern re the prospect of lightening or thunder. So Itch (uncharacteristically?) wisely suggested we Swim North, despite the push from the South (under the theory that if it did turn ugly, we could always just get out and walk back). Good call Itch! Fortunately, that was unnecessary. Very nice swim. Laguna and I swam a sensible distant; Itch and Rosie went way long.
We are looking for a nickname for Laguna and Luna Laguna's daughter? Hybridvigorcross? Spawnolaguna? Spawnolagunaandlunalaguna? Mer Princess Ariel? Suggestions welcome.
Next swims: Monday 5pm, Tues-Fri 6am and 5pm, Sat and Sun 8am and noon
Last Swim: Monday 6am Air temp: low 70s Water temp: low 70s Waves: gentle rollers from the east-- they built to something a little bigger by the end of the swim Clarity: 6/10 or 7/10
Kru: Patriarch, NorthShore Nancy, Nanook, Luna Laguna, Chris, I think I saw Brett, Ala, Mr Anonymous, Wendy, Brick, Magic Mike.
We are on the waning side of August now. Which always makes me a little sad. As I swam north and as the sun began to get up a little from the horizon, some slate grey clouds complicated the picture. That's when I started to think of autumn. Not as if it is here, or even as if it is imminent, which it is, but just that the first few minutes of sunlight seemed to signal that autumn is on its way. But soon enough, the sun got a little higher and cleared the clouds. The clouds scuttled east past the horizon. It was a summer morning again.
Back on the beach, Nanook and NorthShore Nancy and I were discussing the current that made the return trip a bit longer than we expected. Luna swam in. Patriarch swam in. Patriarch mentioned that he looked up and saw coloring leaves on trees. Something is afoot, and I am not sure I am comfortable with it!
Meanwhile industry went on unaffected by these more mundane concerns. In this photo two ships are passing each other. They look like one ship, though.
Next Swims: Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PMSaturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swim: Sunday at 8 am Water Temp: 71 per mitch-o-meter Air Temp: 75 Clarity: bit murkier than past few days, 6-7/10 Waves: 1' swells officially with occasional 3 footers
Kru: Mr. Bubble, MJ, Cindy, Ala, Showgirl, Panini, Lydia TTL, Kimberly, Dragonfly, Moondaug, Moe, Blake, possibly others who did not clock in Guest Stars: Trifaster Lauren - first and only time honoring Cindy's BD ("I don't need to come here to swim, I live on a lake!"), Caitlin (first timer) Shore Support: Squeeze of Showgirl
Today is Cindy's birthday! So, those of us who walked down together started out singing Happy Birthday to her in the parking lot.
Just yesterday, I was saying one of the nicest things about early morning swims is that we're the only ones on the beach at that time. Well, that wasn't the case today. When we arrived, there were half dozen swimmers in wetsuits posing for photos in knee deep water. It was Amy doing her virtual half ironman with some friends. One of the friends was Julie K-N, who lives on Lake Muskego and who I never expected to see at Klode - she came once before with Amy and found the big lake enchanting, just like the rest of us. There were several other people on the beach besides them, and there was another swimmer who had just come up the hill as we were heading down. She was heading out on her bike. Moondaug chatted with her and invited her to come join us sometime.
There was also a group of a half dozen women hanging out in the water on their Barbies, just north of the northernmost rock. They were still hanging there after we had all headed up the hill.
Seems like it's been pretty common to find more and more swimmers at Klode, who weren't aware of the Klode Kru and just decided on their own that this is a great way to get some exercise without having to go to the gym.
Next Swims: Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swim: Saturday at 8 am Water Temp: 72 per mitch-o-meter Air Temp: 75 Clarity: pretty awesome most of the way, just short of perfect Waves: glass
Kru: Patriarch, Mr. Bubble, Brick, MJ, Cindy, Sandy, Handyman Hank, Ala, Magic Mike, Ms. Mooney, Forger, Mrs. Laguna, Linda the Lamprey, Kimberly, Dragonfly, Fred, Moe, Shiny Chris, Guest Stars: Birthday Chris, Andy (second timer), Ben (second timer), Beth (first time swimming, previous visitor at 6 am swims), Elizabeth, Michelle Shore Support, in search of his missing shorts: Moondaug
Whose beach? Our beach! I think that was today's motto. 5 or 6 of us walked down at 8:00, but then more and more people kept coming along. It was like an invasion. I thought for sure it would overwhelm the Time and Attendance system, but I think the system hung in there and correctly recorded everyone's presence. If you were there and your name is not shown above, please contact the Help Desk at 555-STFU (7838).
Lots going on this morning in addition to the sizable Kru Krowd. First noted was the boat trailer and ATV parked on the beach. Shortly there after, the red lifeboat landed at the beach. We've seen these guys before - they're from the County, working on water intake infrastructure I believe. They were coming ashore just as the Patriarch, Forger and I came back.
Another noteworthy thing - seems like everyone was motivated to do longer swims than usual today. I made it to the old mudslide, and thought most of the other swimmers would be long gone when I returned, since I'm a slower swimmer. Au contraire - Patriarch, Forger, Kimberly and I were probably the first to return. Here's what the beach looked like when we came ashore - and this doesn't include the Patriarch's stuff on the park bench.
The most common utterance made by swimmers as they returned this morning; "That was perfect!". Which of course has been the most common refrain for some time now. The next most common utterance today - "That was a long swim!". Indeed, seems like many of us were under the influence of someone or something that was pushing us to swim further than usual.
Another noteworthy item this morning - Birthday Chris' Birthday Triathlon. I hadn't met Chris before and she told me that she has previously come to swim at Klode. Her purpose in coming today is to follow through on her tradition of doing a birthday triathlon. Her birthday triathlons are one minute per year of her new age for all three sports. So, today it's 54 minutes ("I'm sure you don't think I look like I'm over 30 😅"). However, today's triathlon was bike, swim, run, since she biked to Klode).
The Final Act...Moondaug arrives just as the longest swimmers were returning - he's dressed in street clothes, definitely not looking like he's about to swim or paddleboard. "I'm looking for my missing Roka Xterra shorts".
That's the queue! Moondaug's Search for the Lost Shorts is reminiscent of the Moody Blue's 1968 album, In Search of the Lost Chord. Moondaug's life's hope is to reach those shorts
Two notes of the chord, that's our full scope But to reach the chord is our life's hope And to name the chord is important to some So they give a word and the word is Om
In Search of the Lost Chord - Moody Blues, (1968)
The Word
This garden universe vibrates complete Some may get a sound so sweet Vibrations reach on up to become light And then through gamma, out of sight
Between the eyes and ears there lie The sounds of color and the light of a sigh And to hear the sun, what a thing to believe
But it's all around if we could but perceive To know ultra violet, infra-red and X-rays Beauty to find in so many ways
Two notes of the chord, that's our full scope But to reach the chord is our life's hope And to name the chord is important to some So they give a word and the word is Om
Next Swims: Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swim: Friday 6AM Water Temp: 71 Air Temp: low 70's? Clarity: crystal Waves: chop out of the north
Kru: Patriarch, Scooby, Kahuna, Thermos the Warm, TattooLady, Mr. Bubble, Panini, Kim, Wendy, Kate, Paul, Ala, Brett, Showgirl, Dragonfly, Diablo (early), Magic Mike (late) (even though we know there is no "late" for swimming)
Whew! We made it to Friday, friends!
Photo Credit: Kahuna
The sun was coming up fast this morning, but right at 6AM it was an amazing red spectacle, right on the horizon. Shortly after that, it diminished to merely an average everyday beautiful sunrise. Are we ever immune to this beauty? Hell no.
Diablo gave us two thumbs up as we crossed paths on the ramp.
Lots of random stuff to report this morning. There were two fire trucks (but no ambulances) on the street just south of Klode. TattooLady said, "that person is having a bad morning." (Mistress of understatement.)
There was also a large, loud, gaggle of teenagers in the water just off the rockpile as we were pulling ourselves together for the swim. One said casually, "I'm drowning." By the time we entered the water they had retreated to the rockpile, with no fatalities. I considered giving them a stern lecture as I swam by but... when has that ever accomplished anything? So I swam on.
After the last bout of big waves, the north sewerpipe had vanished completely from the beach. I silently mourned it as another landmark lost. RIP picnic table, Mudslide, various staircases... But some civic-minded person has excavated it, and it regained it's landmark status. Much like Venice and the Netherlands, I fear for its future.
There was chop out of the north, but the warm clear water made it easy to ignore. Many swam to NewMudslide, and some went further.
Speaking of temporary landmarks, out from New Mudslide there was a tree washed into the lake. All summer it's had a few little branches above the water, optimistically growing leaves, pretending to be a willow or a mangrove. But no more. RIP tree.
Post swim, fog was rolling in as the Klode Kru rolled out.
Next Swims: Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon
Last Swim: Thursday at 5 pm Water Temp: 75 per Sir James Ray Gun, 74.5 per mitch-o-meter Air Temp: 81 Clarity: mixed inside rocks, Carribean clear outside Waves: 1' swells
Kru: Mr. Bubble, Marcy, Itch, the Big Show, Sir James, Capt'n, Brick, Alex Brickson, We'Taco,
Just when you thought conditions couldn't get any better...they do. Almost couldn't believe it when Sir James said the water was 75. No excitement or drama this evening...just pure Nirvana, Dopamine and Killepitsch. A perfect dream.
Yes, that's right. Someone or something has been bringing us a dream. A recurring dream no less. I've been trying to figure out how this was even possible - and than it dawned on me. It's been obvious all along...it was Mr. Sandman and his Magic Beam!!!
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream Make him the cutest that I've ever seen Give him the word that I'm not a rover Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over Sandman, I'm so alone Don't have nobody to call my own Please turn on your magic beam Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Mr. Sandman by the Chordettes
So, that's it. If Mr. Sandman turns on his magic beam, life could be a dream - SH'BOOM!
Life could be a dream Life could be a dream Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom)
Life could be a dream If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom) If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love Life could be a dream sweetheart (Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin' we'll meet again) Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom) Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay (sh-boom)
Life could be a dream (sh-boom) If only all my precious plans would come true (sh-boom) If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you Life could be a dream sweetheart
Every time I look at you Something is on my mind (dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh) If you do what I want you to Baby, we'd be so fine
Kru: Handyman Hank, Sheila, Dragonfly, Showgirl, Patriarch, Scooby, Cindy, Lt. MJ, Jenny, Mr. Bubble, Mystery Swimmer, Diablo and Linda the Lamprey on the early shift
Item #1: I found these rather lovely Speedo Hydrospexgoggles midway up the ramp. Scooby? LindaLamprey? Are they yours?
Much like me, these goggles desperately want to escape this desk and return to the lake.
Item #2: Mr. Bubble reports that his pile of lost swimming gear has been found! In his house! I can only speculate that some benevolent person snuck in and returned it to him.
But we're here to talk about swimming, and it was fabulous. The sunrise was amazing and the clarity has finally returned. Linda the Lamprey was just getting back as most of the group was launching.
Some went far, some didn't. Cindy and I agreed that it was definitely a day to take in all the beauty around us, and savor the swim.
It's always interesting that in our gigantic lake, several of us will encounter the same thing. Today there was... something floating a bit north of Klode. I saw it from a distance, and my first thought was that it was a head. (spoiler: it wasn't)
Simultaneously wanting to swim away quickly but also... not, as I got closer I saw it was a log. Dragonfly saw it and briefly attempted to bring it to shore. I think Sheila ran into it, and Cindy (?) encountered it too.
Okay, well, let me know if the goggles are yours. Until, then, I'll be enjoying them.
Last Swims: Tuesday at 5 pm, Wednesday 6AM, Water Temp: 71 Tuesday, 67 Wednesday Air Temp: low 79 Tuesday, 69 Wednesday Clarity: Very nice both times - could see bottom with just a little murkiness Waves: Tues 1'-2' w/occasional 3', Wed like glass
Tue Kru: Mr. Bubble, Super Hera, Scooby, Abbie, Chris, Sandy, Itch (allegedly), the Big Show (shore support?). T&A system (Time and Attendance! Get your mind out of the gutter!) was having a known issue. Please report any discrepancies to your supervisor before payday.
Wed Kru: Mr. Bubble, Showgirl, Dragonfly, Ms. Mooney, Cindy, Terri, Jenny, Forger, Patriarch, Kahuna, Mad Titan, Handyman Hank, Northshore Nancy, Freezing Amy and her friend Mr. Mitchell. Time and Attendance system issues are believed to be resolved now. Please contact the Help Desk if your attendance isn't being logged correctly.
Tuesday night - Super Hera and I arrived early and set out as others were suiting up. Super Hera was challenged the mitch-o-meter reading "This is not 71 degrees!" When asked to clarify, Super Hera confirmed that she did not think the water was warmer than that.
I chatted with Scooby before I headed out - there was some differing opinions about whether the morning or evening swims typically had higher turnout (mormings for sure!) Scooby was still in street clothes when I left so can't say for sure if he went in. Likewise, the Big Show was on the beach with kids, but I didn't witness her going in. Others arriving after I took my glasses off - that's the known T&A issue.
Super Hera and I got back about the same time, and Abbie returned shortly thereafter. There were about a half dozen backpacks on the beach still, including one in Itch's parking spot. As usual, a couple of swimmers passed me on the way out, and I could see some swimmers their way back as I was changing. But those nasty flies convinced me that sticking around for a shot of Killepitsch would involve pain and suffering,
Wednesday morning - Woke up on Groundhogs Day again, another repeat of perfect conditions. Totally blue sky, calm clear water. No thermal inversion but almost a thermal equilibrium.
The two exciting and dramatic moments from Wednesday morning. First exciting moment - some workers bringing a new tree down to the beach, on some kind of small track vehicle. Wondering if this tree is meant to replace the tree that had been planted next to a memorial plaque and was cut down by some vandals. Here's some action photos.
The second, dramatic moment was Cindy's search for her car keys. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, it looked like that drama was coming to a successful conclusion. Cindy and Jenny had determined that Cindy's watch was vibrating when Jenny was trying to call Cindy's phone from the parking lot. They tried again when they got down the hill a little ways and the watch didn't vibrate. So, they concluded that the phone must have been in bluetooth range from Cindy's car. They were busy tearing Cindy's car apart as I pulled away.
