Shock and Awe

 Next Swims:

        Mon-Fri 6AM and 5PM  (we're on the verge of shifting the 6am swim to maybe 6:15?)

        Saturday/Sunday 8AM and Noon

        Monday - Labor Day:  8 AM and Noon

Last Swim:  Saturday 8 AM
Water Temp: 62 - a few faintly warmer/colder pockets
Air Temp:  low 80s, beautiful clear blue sky
Clarity: Less Than Zero
Waves: 2 ft chop out of the South
Kru: Diablo, Itch, Rosie, Brick, Captain, Ziggy, Kahuna, Dragonfly

Rain and storms drowned out the 8 a.m. swim.  Even though the humidity and clouds of the morning cleared away to a near-perfect swimming window, the Noon crew was on the "Lite" (see below) side.  We headed south into the blue, uphill.  

Sometimes swimming south into murky rough seems like a completely different sport than swimming north in crystal flat calm.  Rythm is important in chop, timing your breathing to breathe, rather than drink, though some of us sampled some Lake vintage today.  In waves, there is also a weird sense of leaping.

Hadn't been south in awhile, but ticked off Love Rock and Sewer Pipe, and turned at 900 yards just north of New Rock City.  The return trip whooshed you along; making breathing even trickier than going into the waves, imo.  The swim culminated in a crazy rushing sensation between the rock pile and the metal wall, water churning with debris.  Found my footing and, lo! what do I behold?

Kahuna, greeting the incoming swimmers with pizza!  And beer!  Miller Lite, which he carried on his hip in a sort of purpose-built holster.  (On the side, Diablo helps Ziggy disengage from her wetsuit - that kind of day!)

Shock and Awe!  A special occasion indeed, celebrating 7 years of success for Kahuna's law firm, as well as the Captain's birthday.  As we soaked in the sun, beer & pizza - truly the finer things of life - there was still a slight sense regret that there were not more swimmers to share in the bounty.

As we climbed the hill, a gray foreboding mass appeared overhead to the West - the perfectly-timed Noon swimming window was closing.