There is sun in the sky this morning over my house and it is a beautiful thing. I can see the marine bank as I look toward the ocean. I take a run to Doheny and up to Lantern Bay park. It is mostly sunny the entire run but you can see a thick layer of cloud around the point which is where Strands and Salt Creek sit. It almost looks like it could be foggy.

When I get back home from the run I check the web cams. It definitely looks totally cloudy at Strands and Salt Creek and the clouds look closer than they have this week. There is no sign of Catalina. However I can see out to the ocean well past where I would swim so I’m not too worried about visibility.

I leave at about 7:45. By the time I get to the parking lot, conditions have improved. It is still fairly hazy but there is absolutely blue sky to be seen here. Most importantly it “feels” sunny.

I get to the beach at medium low tide. There is a lifeguard truck parked at the north end of the beach and I watch as about 20 guys sprint for the ocean and swim quite vigorously toward one of the buoys. I am assuming this is either lifeguard tryouts or training.

Surf is looking pretty minimal again today but just as I am sorting my stuff in my pack, a larger set rolls in. Not huge but bigger than the last few swims. The set passes by the time I get to the water and it’s pretty much a clear shot past the surf line.

The water is very churny right here but calms a bit once I am well past the white water. It is still much more bouncy than Wednesday and Friday but the current is not nearly as strong as Tuesday. Other than some mild bump, it’s a pretty good ride.

As I travel south, it’s hard to make out my location with this sun in my eyes. The houses are just shadows but that’s ok. I’ll take the sun! Let my eyes burn with your goodness.

I soon see the half way buoy well in shore of me and later I pass the south buoy. Yesterday it looked so far out from where I turned around but here I am right along side of it. I am definitely swimming further out today for no particular reason or intention.

It takes a while to surrender my thoughts to the water today. My mind tries to speed ahead of where I am a good 20 feet or so. The further it wanders the more disoriented it becomes and finds itself retracted back to my body as if it were attached with a tether of surgical tubing.

After turning around I now face the horizon and my mind finds it easier to settle in. Once my mind makes peace with the water it merges with my breath. I exhale my whole self again and again and again.

I see a couple boats hanging off shore and the Salt Creek point looks so lovely in the morning light of this sun. It appears so much more rugged nestled in the shadow of the bluff than it does in the soft grey light we have had thus far.

The sky has really cleared up since I have started the swim. I am so used to looking into a solid screen of grey that absorbs both water and sky but now it is blue blue blue. Dark blue bouncy water shimmering with golden highlights against a light solid blue sky and just the faintest haze surrounding the shore. The shadows of the bluff cover the first few feet of the beach before the sun hits the golden brown sand.

I pass a couple of the northern red buoys and I begin to look for the Green Monster. I just can’t spot it today. I finally get to where I know I have to be close. I pause for a good while and look in all directions. I am just about to give up and turn around to finish the swim and then I see it. With the bump of the water and its bluer tone, the Green Monster is pretty well camouflaged. It’s just west of me about 75 feet. I head out and circle around it and then head back in a diagonal trajectory toward my starting spot.

I get to shore without any set of waves large or small to accompany me. I meet up with my dad and we head back to the parking lot together. I’m sure we have not seen the last of June gloom but I would love to see more sun in these coming days.