Taking the Plunge

Today it finally got hot again.

It was hot for several days about a month ago – that was when I first went wading out at Sand Point – but since then it’s cooled off, and this week up until today has been almost chilly. But today definitely felt like summer! I don’t know what the actual high temperature was, but it was predicted to be around 85° F, and that may have been a modest estimate. It was humid, too – muggy all day. Usually the visitor center stays fairly cool even when it’s warmer out, but by the end of the day it was getting pretty warm inside. I had the fans on, so it wasn’t too bad, but when I stepped outside I really hit some heat.

I had planned to hike the Miner’s Falls trail after work again, and had brought clothes to change into. But I changed my mind on that after a while, and by the end of the day had talked myself into another plan – going swimming!

This wasn’t out of the blue. Yesterday was warm compared to what it had been, and when Whitney came back from a run in the evening, she and Lee went and got in the lake. “Before I talk myself out of it,” is what she said as she headed out the door. I guess I was inspired.

I got out of work pretty quickly and headed home. I dug out my suit, and my water sandals, and my spray-on sunscreen – I wasn’t planning to be out there that long, but I burn too easily to take chances! I tied a string onto my glasses, not wanting to walk over without them and not planning on going underwater. (All this took a ridiculous amount of time…)

Finally I walked down the street to the beach at the end of Sand Point, and headed into the water. I went in a couple of steps and over a short drop-off – only about a foot, but it was a shock! Let me tell you, that water is COLD – but it felt good once I was actually all the way in. The waves were crashing not far down the coast, as they came around the point – but where I was, they were simply rolling along the top of the water. There was a noticeable current parallel to the shore, and I had to work just to stay in one place! I started jogging in place and ended up getting a pretty good workout.

After a few minutes I saw Lee and Whitney on the shore! They got in, but only for a minute – then they lay down on the sand to sunbathe. They’d already been in the water on the other side of the point, where the waves were crashing – they said it was too rough.

I got out and stood chatting for a few minutes, then decided I really wasn’t ready to be done with my swim, and went back in. I kept up my water aerobics, and when I finally did get out I still wished I had stayed a while longer! I walked back to the house, rinsed the sand off my feet at the outside faucet, and made it into the shower first – the others were still lounging on the beach. It was still pretty warm in the house so I didn’t make the shower very hot, wanting to stay cool for a while longer. It felt pretty good.

I think swimming after work is going to be a little easier than hiking after work, at least as far as motivation goes. That’s assuming the weather doesn’t go back down into the 40’s again – which it may well do! I’m thinking I’ll do it every day I can, though. How often do you get a giant swimming pool just across the street?