Is this What Spring Looks Like?
Is this what Spring looks like? I’m finding it difficult to remember, but it certainly feels about right. Today is forecasted to surpass 70 degrees (air temp) which I think may be a first since February. It seems like over the last several weeks, my weather app teases me and says 70 degree days are coming in about a week. Then a week comes and we are still in the high 50s or low 60s. This week I think it is actually going to happen. Hallelujah!
When I leave my house at 11:15 the temperature is already north of 60 and the skies are clear. I am itching to get in the water. I do have to remind myself that the water is still in the 50s and not to be disappointed if it feels cold.
When I get to the parking lot I am happy to see that the winds have not yet kicked up and the water is not smooth but also not choppy or rough. It all looks delightful from here.
I head down the stairs and try to empty my mind of thought. I’m trying not to grasp on to ideas of how I think things should be. I try to let go of expectations that I use to hold my feelings captive. I should feel like this or like that. I should be thinking this or that. The inclination that this idea of myself must be reconciled with my present experience. I try to just let that shit go. I am constantly stymied by misjudgments and miscalculations. I plot a trajectory for a point on the horizon and stick to it come hell or highwater only to find there an eddy stirring the surface. I sense that only silence holds the words I look for. Somehow I need to bend my vision on the ground right in front of me to find my place.
I get to the shore and the tide is highish - about 4 feet - and on its way down. The water does feel cold. It’s not summer yet, but I do miss the last couple Aprils of mid 60s degree water. However given how this Winter and early Spring have transpired, 58-59 actually feels just fine thank you very much.
The tree branch that washed up to shore last Fall and has been sitting just atop the rocks above my usual take off spot for the past several months is now gone. I feel a small loss, but these things can’t hang around forever.
I park my stuff and watch a jogger sprint in an effort to avoid the incoming surf. She comes close but still ends up getting her feet and shoes soaked. I yell “almost!” and we share a smile. That makes me happy.
I head out into the water. There is a bit more surf today than my last few swims but still pretty small. There is another swimmer on her way back to the beach and we exchange a quick “How’s it going.” There are two surfers out past the sand bar here as well.
I head south. The water feels alive today. There is something unique and distinctive about the bounce and flow. It’s not like the usual wind current that washes over or against you. It’s more of a strictly lateral movement that seems to push and pull from different directions. I just love the variety of the feel of the water swimming in this ocean.
The water is clearer today and every now and then I get a glimpse of the ocean floor. I pass through billowing brown sand clouds and into a pure deep blue expanse of warmth. I’m telling you there are some patches here that must be over 60. Then it seems that as soon as I relax into that warmth, I am plunged into a bitter cold patch. It’s all good though.
I see a few two-person canoes heading north as I reach the southern end of the beach. They pass right by me.
About half way back up the beach I come across a large flock of what looks like geese? Maybe? There is a mass of them and they seem to be flying over the water in all directions. I stop to snap a couple photos. I have no idea where those photos ended up. My guess is that they were never actually taken and I probably powered off my camera when I thought I was powering it up. This happens more often than I would like (i.e. more than 0 times).
As I get to the northern end of the water I reach one of those super cold spots. Oh my. Then suddenly, oh, why yes I think I will, it is more than delightful. So warm. Summer is coming.
When it is time to swim back to shore, I realize I have overshot to the south and need to back track north a bit. I make it in and there is someone sun bathing directly in front of my pack. It surprises me how often this happens. I don’t mind but I feel like these people must wonder for a moment, why is this man emerging from the water and walking right into our space? Perhaps I should speak with an authoritative voice, “follow me. I am here to lead you to your destiny.” Would they follow? Where would I take them? I hear they have revamped the snack bar at Salt Creek into something more sophisticated. I’m thinking shrimp tacos and a glass of wine would be a most welcome destiny for an afternoon.
It’s warm enough today that I decide to skip toweling off and just head back to the car as is. It has been a good long while since I have done this. There are a couple moments where I question this decision as a breeze tells me it is not yet 80 degrees (or 70). However there are other moments where the sun hits me at just the perfect angle and I’m thinking it’s time to put on those white pants and shoes when I get home. Then suddenly I remember that I do not own white shoes or white pants nor have I owned them ever in my adult life.
