The Day Giveth, and the Night Taketh Away

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri, 6 am and 4 pm

Last Swim: Thurs 6am

Water Temp:  46.5

Air Temp:   70

Clarity: crystal

Waves:  just the slightest movement to the water

Kru: Magic Mike, Showgirl, and Diablo on the early shift

The saga continues.

I arrived at Klode a few minutes late (is there really a "late" for swimming?), at the same time that two WFB po-po vehicles pulled in.  I immediately felt guilty.  In an effort to establish my innocence, I wished them good morning and headed down the ramp.

Magic Mike was on the beach suiting up, along with a pair kids watching the sunrise.  The two police also arrived on the scene, and must have just been there to enjoy the beauty of the beach.

I applied the neoprene and  took the temperature. 46.5.  "A short one," we agreed.

Other than the cold, it was beautiful and amazing.  The crystal clear water persists, and today we could see the sun dappling the sand at the bottom.  I swam to the garage and Mike went further.  

Blue Skies and Clear Waters

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri, 6 am and 4 pm

Last Swim: Wednesday 4 pm

Water Temp:  54 per itch-o-meter, 53.8 per mitch-o-meter

Air Temp:   75 on the beach, per mitch-o-meter

Clarity: crystal clear again

Waves:  very light swells, 2" - 3", occasional boat wake

Kru: Mr. Bubble, Magic Mike, Itch, Brick, Mr. Anonymous, Kahuna

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood!  Carbon copy from yesterday, but much warmer water.  

Magic Mike had been monitoring the buoy readings during the day and decided against going swimming this am, but based on the buoy reading, he felt pretty confident that it would be warmer this afternoon.  That's a trend I've seen too - the temperatures at the Atwater buoy often don't match the temperatures we take at Klode, but if the buoy temp has gone up or down 10 degrees since the day before, it's a pretty safe bet that Klode will have gone up or down by a similar amount.  

Magic Mike also disclosed that he is not so eager to go for a swim after a big rainfall, so that was another reason to avoid this am.  Actually, I was surprised to see that the water was so clean and clear after the short but intense storm last night.  

After interrogating Itch, Cap'n and Ice Dawg about where they bought their thermometers and how much they cost, I finally decided to get my own.  Say hello to the mitch-o-meter, who'll be serving alongside the itch-o-meter and macho meter, as well as the duck-o-meter and showgirl-o-meter.  

mitch-o-meter

I actually brought the mitch-o-meter with me yesterday and couldn't believe it when it said the temp was in the upper 40s.  "That can't be right!  I'm returning this thing tomorrow".  Reminded me of the times I thought my compass was broken because it said I was going North when I was positive I was going South.  

Today's Killepitsch Toast

To Blue Skies and Clear Water!
Best Swim of the Season!

No Glove(s), No Love........ 45.3

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri, 6 am and 4 pm

Last Swim: Wednesday 6am

Water Temp: 45.3

Air Temp:   Humid upper 60's

Clarity: crystal clear

Waves:  like glass

Kru: Pool Noodle, Showgirl, Diablo (early), two guys on SUPs

I arrived in the parking lot early enough to chat with Diablo, who asked if I had gloves and booties.  <sigh>  If Diablo is warning you about the cold, then you know it's cold.

And yet... the morning was warm and beautiful, and the water was totally flat. There was a lot of goodness. We proceeded to suit up, and then I took temperature.

We swam, with more breast stroke and side stroke than faces in the water, and went to the sewer  pipe.  There is a lot of interesting debris on the bottom near the big north rock pile.  There were people on the forbidden north beach.

As I was pulling out of the parking lot, a deer came leaping up the street, and headed north thru the park.

Things We Do for Love

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri, 6 am and 4 pm

Last Swim: Tuesday 4pm

Water Temp: 51 per itch-o-meter at the beach, easily 46-48 further out: 

Air Temp:   94 with clear skies and not much wind

Clarity: CRYSTAL, 10/10.  Clearest I've seen it this year.

Waves:  perfectly flat and calm

Kru: Itch, Brick, Mr. Bubble, Diablo,  Janica

Off Shore Support:  Ice Dawg the Sailor Man

What's the best thing to do on a 90 degree day?  

Alas, I arrived when Itch was long gone and hence didn't have the official reading.  Foot-o-meter told me "it's not that bad", and yes, the conditions were fantastic - beautiful, calm clear water, clear skies.  Who needs those neoprene gloves on a beautiful day like today?  

Kept thinking during the swim - this is painful!  

Am I getting hypothermia?  Should I turn around?  

Will Ice Dawg come rescue me on the paddleboard if I can't make it?  

Ah, but then the water got warmer for a while - this is really nice!  

Until it was time to head back 🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊

Much warmer by the beach though - like getting out of a hot tub

Welcome back for your first swim of the year, Janica (sp?).  Glad you were wise enough to bring your gloves and actually wear them!

Heat Wave

Next Swims:  Mon-Fri, 6 am and 4 pm

Last Swim: Sunday Noon

Air Temp:  61 with no clouds,  altho a bit cooler and breezy at the beach

Water Temp: HEAT WAVE!!!  55 degrees 

Clarity: getting the dirty love inside the rocks, clearer further out.  

Waves: mostly 1' swells, some 2' swells and occasional 3' swell

Kru: Linda the Lamprey, Lakegirl Courtney, Panini, Itch, Brick, Mr. Bubble, Kahuna, Drangonfly, Mr Anonymous, IceDawg, Cap'n, Ziggy, Magic Mike, Diablo,  Tatoo Lady Amelia, Mama Linda and their friends Cathy (with a C) and Jane

Shore Support:  Charlie

Another beautiful, clear sunny day - even more sun than yesterday, altho the air was a bit colder

HOSANA!  Water much warmer today than the past few days

55 degrees!  We're having a HEAT WAVE!!!

Water was dirty but it was rocking and rolling - for those of us heading south, much faster return trip than outbound swim.  

So, Tattoo Lady actually found a dinosaur on the beach - T Rex, no less!  Had to wonder when I saw the dino:

Is that a real dino...I mean is that a mexican dino?, Or is that a Sears dino? (Hmmm...no foolin)

All Camarillo Brillo aside, it wasn't a real dino, a Mexican dino or a Sears dino, but it was a menace. Extinct predators are not supposed to be roaming around on the beach - someone could get hurt!

Diablo being menaced by an extinct predator who was not supposed to be on the beach
No Dogs and No Dinosaurs

Well, despite the dangerous predators roaming around, more Kru members came out today than any other day so far this year.  My head count was 19 - I thought that was 19 swimmers but I could only come up with 18 names plus Charlie on Shore Support. 

Our toast today when we took the Killepitsch Kommunion - The Klode Kru is Re-United!

Reunited, and it feels so good

Reunited, 'cause we understood

There's one perfect fit

And sugar, this one is it

We all are so excited 'cause we're

Reunited

Hey, hey

N is for Neoprene

Next Swims: Noon Sunday, 6 am and 4 pm Mon-Fri
Last Swim: Saturday Noon
Air Temp: mid 60s, partly sunny, beautiful puffy cloud sky
Water Temp: 49 per itch o meter, 47 per macho-meter, call it 48
Clarity: Nice, 2.5/10.  
Waves: some ripples
Kru: 
First Shift: Linda the Lamprey, Itch, Brick, Brick's friend Sandy, Mr. Bubble, Kahuna, Drangonfly, IceDawg, Cap'n, Diablo, Fred
Second Shift:  Tatoo Lady Amelia, Moma Linda and their friend Cathy (Kathy?)
Shore Support:  Ziggy

Diablo in the foreground

Nice turnout again today!  Especially for such a cold water day.  Beautiful puffy cloud sky and water was pretty clear.  Welcome back guest of honor today was - Reid, aka Fred. 

Reid is the man who abandoned his lava pants at the beach one day, so I have been fostering them ever since.  The lava pants have been feeling lonely and abandoned for months now.  They've been singing to me non-stop - Give Me Back My Man!

Reid also reminded me I gave him the Klode Kru nickname, Fred, because he was supposed to be Fred III in his family. 

So, despite the harsh enforcement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics - increasing disorder in our lives and the universe as a whole - the Klode Kru is defying that law and establishing an orderly structure in the universe -twice daily swims at regular times, more and more willing participants, waiting until the church bells can be heard before walking down the hills.  The familiar routines are re-establishing themselves. 

Kahuna also has a suggestion for restoring order - he pointed out that some vandal had cut down a sapling that has a plaque next to it, saying that it was planted in memory of someone.  Kahuna's suggestion - we could chip in to replace the tree, to honor the dearly departed person and their loved ones who planted the first tree. Kahuna made the point that we do a lot to beautify the park and the beach - we beautify the place just by walking around in our swim suits!  But we can always do more to serve our community.  Pretty soon, people will think that the park was named after the Klode Kru, instead of the Kru being named after the park.  But seriously...I'd be willing to chip in for this. 

Welcome home, Patriarch!

Next Swims: Noon Saturday/Sunday, some deviants at 7 or 8 am
Last Swim: Friday 4pm 
Air Temp: 65, partly cloudy, little windy
Water Temp: 51 per itch o meter
Clarity: Nice, 2 or 3/10.  
Waves: some ripples, some current
Kru: Linda the Lamprey, Synchro, Mr. Anonymous, Itch, Brick, Mr. Bubble
Shore Support:  Patriarch, Diablo 

Nice turnout this evening.  The Patriarch was the masked man guest of honor!  Pleasant surprise. 

Many things are changing now with the "re-opening".  As Showgirl noted, the parking lot is not barricaded any longer, and even more impressively - Itch trimmed his beard and got a haircut!  I was really digging Itch's Grizzly Adams look - I've never been able to grow a beard anywhere near that long.  Mucho macho!

Another pleasant surprise - Mr. Anonymous brought a bottle of Killepitsch!  I gather from Itch's reaction that this was an unusual event.  So, I captured it on film - pics or it didn't happen, right?  Brick brought some, too.

Mr. Anonymous brought the Pitsch
btw - check out that beautiful bike in the background!

In celebration of Mr. A's benevolence, Itch treated us to a second round, of  Goldschläger

This is exactly what it looked like

According to WikiPedia, 

Goldschläger is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps, a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold floating in it. The actual amount of gold has been measured at approximately 13 mg in a one-litre bottle. As of December 2019 this amounts to or $0.65USD on the international gold market.  

Doing the math - 65 cents worth of gold in a one-litre bottle works out to 1.95 cents per 30 ml shot glass.  Dozens of articles out lately saying investing in gold is the smartest thing you can do right now.  Many thanks again Itch for your wisdom and generosity...thanks for making it possible for all of us to add some gold to our portfolios!  btw - it tasted good, too. 

Another discovery this evening...Brick is a veritable encyclopedia of "historical" (read: old) TV commercials.  He was teaching me the dialog and limericks from Mr. Bubble commercials and coming up with other ad lines no one had ever heard before.  A true scholar!  

Professor Brick, TV commercial historian and scholar

That's all for today - more fun beach adventures to come