Beach Gazing by Chris O'Dowd

Beach Gazing 

                

Each day different, my ocean ever-changing;

Refreshing, inspiring, a tonic to the heart;

I come here for renewal, never disappointed;

Inhaling sun, water, air, and freedom itself.

Rough and angry, calm and serene, all a blessing.

Clear blue sky, white clouds, sandpipers, seagulls;

And the Pier, we lack a Boardwalk here, Oh, it pleases.

Crowded on warm, sunny days; watching the fishermen.

Myself, I am captured by cold and roughness.

A rare blast of chilly rain thrown into my face,

Greets me like a close friend, I love the bracing cold.

Even happier am I lost inside the numbing ocean.

Count the pelicans that fly in their crooked lines.

Constantly changing their minds in formation.

A dozen, two dozen, a V formation in flight;

Then back to their shifting, trailing lines.

Stroll the seashore, look for shells;

Some get their feet wet; children venture farther out.

Parents’ time divided between worry and joy;

Take your photos, these times are soon gone.  

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

Got the Branch nerve blocks a few weeks ago...Old Post from June That I Never Posted

So, you get these branch bundle nerve blocks in a variety of locations in the lumbar spine (in my case), and the results (did you get pain relief, did you not) helps the doctor isolate the spots in the lumbar facet joints and arthropathy places where they need to try to kill off the nerve by radiofrequency burnout.

I got 4 radiofrequency treatments to the right lumbar L2, L3, L4, L5 this morning to help there; then in 2 weeks I get the left lumbar spots done.

So, I'm feeling good now; I hope it continues. Forever would be nice.  We'll let it heal for a few days.

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

Short Swim to Get My Ability Back

The children with the yellow rash guard shirts and yellow, hard-foam surfboards were on the north side of the Pier attending Oceanside Surf Camp.  This is great fun for the kids, and occurs each summer.  The lifeguards are great here in Oceanside!  They also run a Junior Lifeguard course of 2 weeks for kids which is great stuff for the kids.  The pictures on the south side show water a bit calmer with more surfers.  Both sides had lots of beachgoers enjoying the day.  The water was distinctly colder than 2 days ago--about 64.  The air temp was about 67.  The sky was overcasy mostly at the beach.
I only swam for just 16 minutes.  It was very choppy--about 2 feet of washing machine chop on the north side.  I swam a ways out, took a look around at the chop, and swam in to the sand. 
I wore the tight elastic back support, which helped greatly holding my back snugly together.
A short swim but a fun one.  Now I need to increase my endurance over time.  I'm in rehab mode again.

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

I Got a Swim Done Today in Oceanside, CA

     I got in for a swim of 1/2 mile or so this afternoon.  The day was beautiful, water warm at 67, and air temp mid70's.  People are still on vacation enjoying the beaches here.  I put on a pair of compression shorts, then I wrapped an elastic back support snugly around my low back.  To cover up the white, I put a thin pair of trunks on and wore a rash guard t-shirt.  I felt well-wrapped.  I am rusty.  There was a one-foot washing machine chop everywhere.  Also the current was moving to the north.  I did a 24 minute swim.  Out a few hundred yards, south a hundred yards, then north and in which took me 10 minutes or so.  My back held out well with the support.  I'll use it again next time.  I feel good.
     Back on the sand my back immediately started hurting as usual, but that's ok if I can swim. 


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

I Tried

     After I wrote this morning's post, I drove to the beach to swim.  I didn't swim.  Walking the three blocks to the sand tweaked my back and then I saw rough water in the surf zone.  It was nice out with an overcast sky, the temperature was cool, about 72 at the beach.  Water temp 67.
     Past the surf the water was beautiful and flat.  However, I didn't have my "edge" that I need to do my thing out there.  I didn't feel confident that my body would hold up today so I did an about-face and went home.
     These pictures were not taken of the bigger, four-foot swells, but of the two-foot swells coming in.  Normally I would be saying that it was an amazing day in the water with this water.  There were extra lifeguards out and the yellow lifeguard boat was also out there.  Lots of surfers.  I think I'll go again on a mellow day since it's been so long.


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