Klode Kru Mermaids Swim to the Moon in Hell!

Swim:  Swim to the Moon Open Water Swim Festival, Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18,

Hiland chain of lakes (Patterson Lake, Round Lake, Watson Lake and Half Moon Lake) near Hell, Michigan

Water temp: High 70s - HOT! - (what do you expect in Hell?)

Weather: Mostly cloudy, gray and drizzling        

Water Quality/Clarity:  Crystal clear, some weeds but not too bad

Waves:  Mostly very flat, a few ripples and tiny bit of intermittant chop in Half Moon Lake

Kru:  Showgirl, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Fin-Fyn, Holly, Marion the Librarian, Dragonfly

Shore Support:  Dragonfly (Saturday) Mr. Dragonfly (Sunday); Showgirl and TTL volunteered handing out finish awards on Sunday

The Klode Kru Mermaids represented in a big way at the 2024 Swim to the Moon in multiple events (all places are in age groups.)  

On Saturday Fin-Fyn and Lydia the Tattooed Lady each placed 4th in the 10k - TTL's first 10K swim!  Fin-Fyn returned Sunday to claim 2nd in the 5k. Holly also swam the 10k on Saturday, and on Sunday won the 1.2 mile ("I just kept swimming past slow people," she explained.)  

Also Sunday, Dragonfly placed 2nd in the 5k--her first 5k! Showgirl made a triumphant return to swimming after major joint replacement surgery with Saturday's 1-mile swim.

Showgirl captures 10k start.

One of Fin-Fyn's highlights was at the 10k turnaround - participants were required to exit the water and cross the timing pad at the 5k half-way point.  Here, they also had access to refueling food and beverages, plus whatever they had packed in their individual "special needs" bags (event term, not mine.)  Fin-Fyn was astonished to see a woman at this halfway point actually putting ON a wetsuit!!  For us Klode Kru, as I mentioned, the water was already nearly uncomfortably warm)

In its 15th year, Swim to the Moon drew participants from as far away as California.  The renowned Marathon Butterflier John Batchelder swam the event's inaugural 15k ALL FLY.  (What struck me most was his happy grin at the end - he did not even look tired!)

l-r:  Fin-Fyn, Tattooed Lady, Dragonfly, Holly, Showgirl.  Someone forgot the Killepitsch but we managed a few celebratory beverages

Showgirl and Amelia volunteering at the finish:

Although the event organizers encouaged emoting at the finish for the express purpose of photo opps to promote future Swim to the Moon and other Epic events, this moment seemed a little beyond Showgirl and TTL's expectations....

Fin-Fyn shows off a prized Swim to the Moon backpack award while TTL samples some post-race pancakes.

Klode Kafé Slated to Return

FYI, Klode Kafé (a/k/a "Kahuna Kafé" or "Kahoonapalooza") will return this Thursday, August 22nd.  Have a nice morning swim, then have a nice cup of coffee.  Please spread the word.  Hope to see you on the beach.  --  Sandie    

Das Fest Outing Sunday... cuz Das water unt Vonderful!

 Captn's Log Saturday August 3rd, 2024 - Noon

Last Swim:  Saturday, Aug. 3rd, 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 temp: In the mid-upper 70's per me toe-mometer 

Weather: 85 & abundant Sunshine          

Water Quality/Clarity:  Crystal clear.    

Waves:  light chop/current from the north

Kru:  Diablo, Kahuna, Mr. Anonymous, Ziggy, Billy-Bobber, Capt'n and sightings of Magic Mike and Eric(?) with shore support from She Who Shall Not Be Named

**LATE BREAKING SOCIAL OUTING NEWS** - Following Sunday's (8/4) Noon swim at Klode, join us for a round of grog (...or two...) at Das Fest!  Das Fest is going on this weekend at the Bavarian Inn Bier Garten.  As das vater conditions are vonderful at Klode, vy not join us to celebrate, ja!    

 (**side note:  "The Alex Meixner Band" taking the Main Stage at 4pm is perhaps the best German Oompa-pa-pa band I've ever heard...bring family, friends and your favorite stein to join in on the fun!**)

Here are a few snaps and video from Ziggy and Captn's Das Fest adventure from Friday...

It's All Rainbows & Unicorns at the Beach!

 

Last Swim:  Thursday, Aug. 1st, 6:00 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 "impromtu" group swims.)    

Water temp: In the 70's per my toethrometer. 

Weather: Air in the 70's, with a bit of haze on the horizon (which made it nice, not having to look into full sun), and some interesting fog banks moving up the bluff several places south of Klode.          

Water Quality/Clarity:  Crystal clear.    

Waves:  Flat as a pancake run over by a steamroller operated by a really fat guy

Kru:  Diablo, Lt. MJ, Cindy, Magic Mike, Two Unknown Swimming Females, Assorted Teenagers, Kahuna and some Wimhoffers.

Ya just never know what you're gonna get, if you get out of bed, and go down to the beach on a summer's day.  Today, the "well, that's weird" thing was seeing something floating out towards Michigan, away from Klode.  The folks on the beach (all of us of a certain age, and therefore squinting), were trying to determine whether the floating thing had a teenager connected to it, or not.  We guessed not (as said imaginary kid was not calling for help).  

Never a man to leave a mystery unsolved, Diablo (unicorn wrangler extraordinaire), swam out there, and led back to shore the Kru's new mascot:

Turns out our new mascot was not yet broken in, which led to some riproarin bronco-busting, rodeoing on the beach:

Contest:  Name that mascot.  Submit suggestions in the Comments.

Post-swim and bronco-busting, it started to sprinkle on us in the parking lot, which led to the appearance of the above rainbow.  Who needs a pot of gold, when you've got a golden sunrise, and flat, perfect water to go for a long swim in?  Truly a magical morning of swimming at the beach today!

P.S.:  Good luck to all who are headed Nort this weekend (including Cindy & Lt. MJ), to take on the Point to LaPointe Challenge.  

Klode beach closure PSA

The Public Works Director of Whitefish Bay came personally down to the beach today to tell us the beach will be closed for rest of the day because of construction (but may be open around 4) and also tomorrow, so 

no swimming tomorrow morning at Klode!!

-Atwater is a possibility

Water today was warm and flat, over 70 degrees, slight current from the South.

Gunk on the Thermometer

 Last Swim:  Friday, June 12, 6 a.m.

Upcoming Swims:  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, or post to suggest a swim time.    
Water temp: 70

Air temp: 64 (est.), chilly little NE breeze, hazy sun

Water Quality/Clarity:  Murky with clear areas

Waves:  A bit of chop here and there

Kru:  Early shift:  Diablo.  Sunny Luna Laguna,  Lt. MJ, Mermaid Princess, Holly, Hollywood, Fin-Fyn, Dragonfly, Magic Mike, another fellow (Gordon?)

Despite the Gunk on the Thermometer as Mary Jo took the temperature, it was arguably the best swim of the season!  We skirted the masses of green moss lining the water's edge and eased in near the south rocks.  The moss was warmer than the sand in the early sun.  If the water started at 70, the further you got from the rocks and out into the lake, the warmer it was.  Several of us were in wetsuits as the air was chill and we had an inkling the swim might turn long.  This was certainly the case for me as I cruised beyond the Cute Chairs,  White Canoe, One-Man Beach, Three Piers, and the Blue Thing.  I know there are Sandbags beyond the Blue Thing, but I may have been too far from shore to identify them.  What I saw seemed to be nondescript rocky shoreline for a couple of hundred yards as I slogged against a developing chop increasingly eastward, as the north arm of the bay curves in.  I turned at 2,000 yards at no particular landmark and felt a friendly push all the way home to Klode.  I later learned that the mythical Crystal Palace was still 500 yards, or about 10 minutes, away by my current speed from my furthest north.  Since that would have added 20 minutes to my total swim, I left it for another day.  But having inched a bit closer to these significant landmarks - Big Bay last week, Crystal Palace this week - my respect for those who have actually achieved these storied sights has only increased.

MJ confronts the gunky thermometer. She noted that the water was "more of a solid," fortunately it re-liquified further out!

Real Live Wham-O Instant Fish -- Just Add Water!

 

Last Swim:  Sat., July 20, 2024, 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 "impromtu" group swims.)    

Full Moon Swim:  If you are interested in organizing a full moon swim on Sunday evening, leave a note in the comments. 

Water temp: 71 at shore per the Sandy-O-Meter; cooler areas (maybe down to the low 60s) in multiple areas during the swim.

Weather: High 70's, mixed sun and clouds.        

Water Quality/Clarity:  Clear; 9 of 10.   

Waves:  Riffled.    

Boat Traffic:  Moderate.    

Kru:  WeTac, Hawaii 4.0, Amy, Peaches, Brick, BillyBobber, Sandy (Beach Name "Sandy"), Dragonfly, Mr. A, Forger, Amy-With-A-Duck, Sarah, Bahtiari, Diablo, Kahuna (maybe others, sorry if I missed adding you to the list, if I missed you, leave a comment).

Several members of the Kru took advantage of the pleasant conditions today, and went long, going to Big Bay and Back. 

The above is a picture of my new granddaughter, Gloria.  I went swimming with her in  Lake Michigan last night, but I don't have photographic proof of it, so I'm just posting a picture I took of her this morning.  She liked the Lake and the beach.  When she was born in February, I made sure that she tasted Killepitsch before she tasted mother's milk.

OK, in last Sunday's blog, the Captain had a link to some old 1960 Mountain Dew TV commericials.  After I watched that, I went down the rabbit hole, to the 1960 TV commericial for "Real Live Wham-O Instant Fish."  I embeded a link to the commercail above (and here is the link again, just in case the above embedded video does not work).  If there is an official toy of the Klode Kru, I think it should be "Live Wham-O Instant Fish." 

As I mentioned above, if you are interested in organizing a full moon swim on Sunday evening, leave a note in the comments. 

Update:  After I posted the above, a relative sent me a picture of Gloria and me at the beach.  Cue The Lion King Song.