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