Heart Beat in the Water

Left just before 6 this morning. Skies are totally overcast and its just getting light. Not a whole lot of activity in the parking lot. There is a very ambitious Jehovah’s Witness setting up his stuff at the top of the stairs.

I head down the stairs and am noticing how very warm and comfortable it is hereon this cloudy early morning. The water surface looks very smooth from here.

When I get to the beach, the water feels warmer than yesterday. This seems to be the pattern all week. Even though it has been comfortable, the initial touch of water on feet usually feels just a little shocking. Not this morning. I mean it’s no warm bath, but it feels very pleasant.

I get in the water and it does not take long until I get to the rocky bottom. Even though it is pretty shallow, it is easier to just swim through the surf than to scramble over rock.

Soon after breaching the surf line, I head South. Wow this water feels so good. I just let myself feel the deliciousness of this water.

Although the surf is small, I can feel the waves lifting me and dropping me as they pass. The morning surf report did say the conditions were “peaky” and I think this is what that means.

After turning around, the Norther route feels faster. I keep seeing things out the corner of my eye and wondering if dolphins are near but these illusory objects just turn out to be floating kelp.

At one point I stop and I swear I can hear something. It is very faint and has a very regular pulsating rhythm to it. I realize it is my heart beat! The beach and surf is so quiet right now.

Further North I see a flock of about 11 pelicans swoop down. They form a single file line and come down to just inches above the water and then hover and glide along the water surface. They are only about 5 feet from me. I think of trying to grab my camera but I am so awe struck by this that I don’t want to ruin the experience of seeing these birds in such crisp detail. In the distance they rise from the water and scatter. I do manage a picture of them now but they are mere specks now.

I can easily see the Green Monster buoy today and I swim around its gravitational field and head back to finish.

I can see the regular Sunday morning swim crew as I near the shore. We exchange greetings as I head back to the stairs and they ask if I warmed up the water for them. Yeah I did!

When I reach the top of the stairs, the Jehovah’s Witness asks me how the water was and I can truthfully report that it was great!