Wall of Looming Shade

I left for the beach at 10:30. Skies are mostly cloudy. Even though clouds dominate the sky, as I walk to my car the sun finds a clearing and I can feel the warmth hit my shoulders. I hope things are similar at the beach. The clouds look like a thin layer of parchment smattered here and there. It looks like someone took a butter knife and tried to spread a small amount of dry nut butter of some variety (I prefer almond) over a slice of bread. It spreads unevenly and sort of all splotchy.

We have some stormy weather coming our way and I have a feeling that today, and hopefully tomorrow, will be the only viable swim days of the work week. I get to the parking lot and the sky still has a somewhat sunny demeanor to it. One thing is for sure, the trip up and down the stairs at this later morning hour is MUCH more pleasant than 7:00. The air is mild and very comfortable. It looks like surf has picked up a bit from its almost flat conditions yesterday. There is a low pressure system off the coast of Southern California producing some swell today, peaking late and continuing tomorrow.

I reach the beach and there is a bright silvery tint resting on the water from the sun shining through the thin cloud layer. The ocean surface is also pretty darn smooth. I make my way out and dive under a wave just after if breaks in front of me. At first I think the water temperature feels about the same as it did yesterday morning but as the swim progresses I think it is absolutely warmer. Yesterday I felt like I teetered on the edge of cold and barely comfortable. Today it is between cold and quite comfortable and there is a good amount of quite comfortableness here. Can you believe it is December 18?

I head south and try to just turn off my thoughts. I watch the light in the water fade to bright and then grow dim continually and randomly. At one point I can feel what seems like a wall of looming shade to my west and I wonder is it a wave about to break right over me? I look and there is nothing but flat ocean all the way to the horizon.

I get to the southern end of the beach and take in the view from all directions. As I begin to head back north, I lower my face below the water and see a large school of fish right in front of me and near the surface. I start to swim and they scatter.

The beach can seem so quiet especially on these off-season week days. The dominating sounds are from construction on the multi-million dollar homes just above the shore. A saw cutting lumber here, a jack hammer there, an air compressor - sounds one might assume to be an annoyance but in the distance they are rather peaceful. Somehow a reminder that I could be laboring but instead here I am in this lovely ocean with a view all the way up the coast to San Pedro.

Over a good bit of the swim I can hear a dog barking. It is a persistent bark and sounds like it is coming from the housing where the construction is. The dog stops and then I hear a rhythmic pounding. It is close. I think it is my heartbeat.

The entire north bound journey I am staring at the clouds. They are very beautiful like a white transparent latticework over a solid blue surface. The patterns shift and morph over the nearly mile long stretch of coast. I can see these clouds both above me and also reflected in the water all around me. While the surface is mostly smooth, it does dip and bend and the clouds twist and contort on this water that will not keep still. The light and clouds bring the ocean surface to life. One wonders if it holds a reflection of the clouds and sky or is it hosting a projection of a different sky completely? In spots there is just an electric ultra exposed sheen of muted light taking possession of a sliver of ocean.

Despite the fact that I feel more comfortable in this water than I have in a few swims, my furthermost fingers on each hand have become numb by the time I finish the swim. As I walk up the stairs, I rest my right rand on the railing that has captured the warmth of the sun and I can almost, but not quite, feel my fingers come back to life. I know they will soon.

When I get back to my car and order Starbucks on my phone for my wife and kids to pick up on the way home, I try to use my phone’s biometric finger print reader to pay. My fingers are all pruned up and my phone just can’t seem to recognize them.