Another cloudy day here in Dana Point - pretty much as it’s been all week. It’s nice though - very peaceful.

I get to the parking lot and the ocean surface looks smooth. I think I can see a thin crack in the horizon letting some sun light in through the clouds. I wonder if that will expand into something more significant and perhaps give way to some bonafide sunshine. I’m not holding my breath.

I head down the stairs and stare out onto the horizon. I can see the water moving toward the shore but can’t see the waves from up here. Surf is still on the small side but forecasted to start picking up today and through the weekend.

The tide is pretty low and getting lower. A work crew is working on the ramp down by the sand. All of the concrete has been removed above the initial incline and there is a sort of makeshift plank in place for pedestrians to use while they are working on it. It looks like they are putting in rebar in preparation for new concrete.

I walk to the water and it feels about the same as it has the last couple swims. Nice. There is a guy with a metal detector scanning the shore at the water’s edge. I feel like I used to see people with metal detectors a lot more often when I was younger. I rarely see them now. I wonder if it’s because people (at least around here) don’t carry cash and maybe now there is less change lying around?

I’ve seen some fairly decent waves roll in in the last few minutes but as I walk out into the water it’s pretty flat here. I fall forward and exhale into the cool water. I keep my focus on the exhales over these first couple of minutes as I adapt to the water. Soon I can feel the water warm a bit and my body changes into submersible mode.

The water looks as it has for the last week - kind of a hazy light blue/grey. It’s like swimming through thick fog. There are lots of the tentacle-like fuzzy kelp arms here in the middle of the beach. They have been growing here recently and are now quite abundant. It’s interesting how the kelp grows, flourishes and then sheds throughout the year.

My goggles are slightly leaking on the right side. I just bought these goggles and was so happy with them. Now I’m not so happy.

I reach the end of the beach and then turn around. Over the entire north bound leg of the swim I focus on the light coming from the edge of the horizon. The clouds form a soft blanket over the entire sky but there is a line of small puffy clouds that stand on their own out in the western distance and are illuminated by this near noon time light.

A little past the half way mark I see a sole individual standing on their one-man fishing kayak. They are probably out where the more vine-like kelp is thriving. The fish like to hang out under the floating leaves out there.

Soon I reach the northern bathrooms and I am delighted to see the jr. lifeguard shipping container/storage unit in its summer home. I thought I saw it being hauled in on Wednesday but wasn’t sure but now it’s pretty unmistakable what it is. Yes indeed, summer is on its way even though you wouldn’t know by the look of things today. I’ll probably start seeing heir buoys here and there soon. It seems silly but I just love those things so much.

I head back to where I started and before I know it, I am upright and walking, heading to dry sand. My right fourth and fifth fingers are numb and have been over the last two thirds of the swim. I don’t know why this happens in the low 60s and then not when it’s 58. Then again I’m no biologist and I’m pretty content to let these facts remain in the realm of mystery.