Swimming After Sunset

The sun set as I was swimming out on the south side of the pier.  I didn't get in until late because the place was crowded and parking was short.  Smooth, flat water with 2-3 foot waves for the surfers.  Water temp 69-71 degrees. Clear sky.
I ran into a mild current when I got out to the end of the pier; it was running north to south.  It was neat to swim in with the sky darkening; you start to think scary things.  But nothing uneventful occurred; I had a great, relaxing swim of 32 minutes.  There were still plenty of people on the beach even after sunset.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Who Wants to Buy My Kayak?

I'm not using the kayak. $600 firm. This gets you 2 new lifejackets, new paddle, paddle tether, high-rise, comfortable seat with storage pouches, 40 pound kayak, one-seater, sit-on-top.  Knee straps for stability.
e-mail me on this blog or call Brendan 760-445-5082 Oceanside.
I gotta' go swim the pier now.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

A Neat Pier Swim: Flat Water, Warm but OK, and My Mind Was Right

I guess that I'm going into a good time period now.  The last couple of days I have felt better and have wanted to get into the water.  Look at the sunset in the pictures at the bottom of the stack here.  That is just before 7:30 PM.  A clear sky and lots of picture takers around the pier.
I reviewed my poem this afternoon and was able to recite it in my mind over and over as I swam tonight.  It gave me a peaceful feeling.  The warm water was relaxing and my time was slower--34 minutes around.
Off the end of the pier I heard an engine, and a speedboat (about 18 foot) was in too close to the pier and we were on a collision course.  I always keep an ear tuned in for the whine of engines and look up if I hear anything like that.  The boat was being driven by a small kid with his Dad behind him.  A good thrill for the kid but 30 feet away is too close for me.  The Dad waved to me and I waved back.  No sweat.  The Dad appeared to be moving near his boy to guide the boat away from me.  Not close enough to raise my heart rate or get me mad.
The water was flat.  I had a good stroke going and felt efficient.  Small waves--two feet but surfable.
The body and mind were in sync.  If 'sync' is a real word? Short or slang for synchrony.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Thursday Night Farmers' Market Oceanside, CA

It was 81 degrees outside when I arrived at the beach at 6:30 PM tonight.  Unusually warm for us; the water temperature was 70 degrees.  We are quite fortunate.  Parking was free.  What a deal!
The pier area was crowded with walkers and shoppers from the Farmers' Market up the street. 
The water was mild, with nicely-shaped, two-foot waves with quite a few surfers enjoying the evening.  I swam north to south, no current, no chop, and finished in just under 30 minutes. 
While I was swimming I reviewed a poem in my mind that I thought I had just finished memorizing two days ago:  The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.
I got stuck on the first line of the third stanza, and throughout the swim I recited the poem in my head, each time coming up with nothing in the same spot.
That line is:  "And both that morning equally lay..."
Everybody remembers the two well-known lines of this poem:
I took the road less traveled by;
And that has made all the difference.
I believe that many of us want to have taken this 'road less traveled,' but have we?  I think that Robert Frost truly did; he was quite an individual, staying close to the land and making the mundane parts of nature remarkable and beautiful in his poetry. 
I'll sign off now and review my Frost.

By the way, my favorite Frost is "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."
"The first time you quit is the last time you try."