Smoggy Bottom

I got to the beach at about 10:30 this morning. I had to stop at an auto body shop in San Clemente because we had a basketball hoop fall on our car which pretty much severed the passenger side rear view mirror. Funny thing is that basketball hoop has seen 0 usage as an actual basketball hoop. I guess it is more of an automotive mirror remover.

Anyways, it had been overcast all morning but the clouds were burning off the closer I got to the beach. Walking down the stairs there was still a fair amount of cloud coverage over the ocean but a lot of sun everywhere else. The clouds cast a sort of grey pallor over the water.

Again, the water is quite warm. One might say luscious? However, as I began to head south there was a sort of hazy sandy brown cloud resting on the ocean floor - not so luscious. I’d say that today had the least amount of visibility all summer.

This brown vaporous carpet continued all the way to the South end. As I headed North, it remained and then got quite thick as I neared my Northern turnaround point. I was a little nervous to let this water in my mouth (much too late for that). This is either going to kill me or endow me with some sort of super human ability.

Brown muck or no brown muck, it was still a very nice swim. It got sunnier and sunnier as the swim progressed. My mind was fairly relaxed and settled as I focused on the moment. I’ve had some issues I have been wrestling with the last few days and I am not trying to “solve” or “fix” them on this swim. I am letting them wash over me in this water and letting myself feel the feelings that surface as they pass over me.

I get to the shore and I notice there are much fewer rocks today. The sand must be starting to fill back in. Surf is definitely down today. It is pretty much the opposite situation surf-wise today as it was this time last week.

As I am walking toward the ramp, I’m sort of zoning out looking at the sand. I look up and there is a battalion of jr. lifeguards running right towards me and I quickly dodge to the side. There is urgency in their faces. God’s speed my friends…God’s speed.