Water Temp: 60 per Magic Mike's toemometer
Air Temp: 64
Wind: Almost none
Waves: Gentle lifts and falls
Skies: Pale, but sun visible
Clarity: Must have been some
Birds: Minimal
Fish: We set up at north end, none beyond whatever is left of the gobies
Kru, wetsuit, 5:30 a.m. early shift: Mermaid Princess, Lt. MJ
Kru wetsuit: 6 a.m. shift: Showgirl, Fin-Fyn, Dragonfly
Kru, skin: 6 a.m. shift: Linda the Lamprey, Magic Mike
Wim Hofers: 2
Next Swims: Saturday-Sunday 8 a.m. and 12 Noon, Monday-Friday 6am & 6pm
This is an amazing time of year and I can't get over how fortunate we are to have Lake Michigan in our backyard. This is what we've been prepping for since, well since last June....
The peonies are blooming
The phlox is proliferating
The purple martins are in residence and raising families
The cardinals are calling
The breeze is wafting the cottonwood spores...
It's all happening. Nature is so amped up and spiraling to the crescendo that is the Summer Solstice. The entire Universe is getting ready for this massive celebration. I feel for many people this tension will be ultimately released with the huge fireworks displays on July 3rd and 4th...unfortunately I have aged into this cranky person who somewhat actively dislikes fireworks and all that is associated (will be making an entire Netflix series on that, lol.)
For me, I will find release in the cool still mornings like this one, characterized mostly by what was not happening: no stink, no swell, no gobies, no screaming gulls Just peace and so much time and space to think, or not think, and just swim.
Mermaid Princess and Lt. MJ; photo by Lt. MJ
3 comments:
I'm not 100% sure which flower Dragonfly is referring to, but the flowers blooming on the Klode hillside, along the bike path, and along Lincoln Memorial Drive are dame's rocket:
Dame's rocket is often confused with garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), because the flower colors, clustered blooms and bloom time are similar. However, garden phlox has flowers with five petals (dame's rocket has four) and opposite, un-toothed leaves (dame's rocket has alternate, toothed leaves)
Broadcast of this "Diagnostic Botany Moment" is brought to you by...Pedantic, ask your doctor about Pedantic today!
Or, don't, and let everyone call flowers whatever they want.
Just kidding, Kahuna! Thanks for setting us all straight on that. (I will, in fact, be scrutinizing the tall, stalked, purple flowers down at the parkway this evening)
This from a dame that strives for accuracy in all things bio without letting that get in the way of the sheer enjoyment of all things bio!
p.s. Purple martins in residence...where? I'd love to see them in action. They are becoming less common around here.
There is a Purple Martin house on a pole in Bay View in the 2900 block (I think) of S. Shore Drive. If you parked at the South Shore Terrace and walked up the hill on the Lake side of South Shore you would see it perched on the bluff (before you get to the little park over the Intake Building at 3036 S. Shore Dr.)
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