Move It

July 5, 2024

Wind: from S 3.0 m/sec (7 mph)

Air Temperature: 25.4 °C (78 °F)

Water Temperature: 22.19 °C (72 °F)

Hot Day, Cool Water

Today at the lake it was hot, sunny, and crowded. By the time we arrived at the park the crowds had thinned enough that we found a parking spot, but there were still lots of people enjoying the holiday weekend. 

I sat down on the beach to put on my water shoes just around the time a mother duck and her babies waddled up on the grass. The ducklings have grown so much. They look more like small ducks than ducklings, except for their fluffiness. They were pecking at my shoes, trying to get any food residue. I was amazed that they weren’t afraid at all. 

Once I got in the water I wasn’t sure where to swim because it was chaos on the water. I think it’s great that paddle boards are bringing people into nature to enjoy the water, but 99% of them don’t have any experience using board or respecting others in the water. Why the city can’t be bothered to set up specific areas for paddle boarders is beyond me. Still no swimming area ropes or lifeguards. I wonder if we will eventually get some. 

I swam straight east, into the deep water. Despite how bright it was, the sun wasn’t overhead, leaving the milfoil stalks in a more diffuse light. The color seemed more yellow-green than green-green, and the water around the stalks looked very dark. Still, it was nice to swim above them. 

I positioned myself in the deep water about 20 feet beyond the cement dock, and I tried to swim back and forth across the span of the swim area. I stuck with breast stroke because I was tired and because there were huge globs of green gook floating in the water. They were huge, like bigger than a dinner plate. And thick. And some of them had a strand of green trailing from the bottom of the glob. “Green placenta” ran through my head as I approached the first one. I didn’t know if it was milfoil or algae, but I didn’t want it hitting me in the face or touching my hands. 

There was so much of it that I ended up turning around and swimming south toward the boat launch. I swam past several small globs under the water. Icky. I was able to cut a clear path for awhile since most of the paddle board folks were in deeper water farther east. I don’t know why there weren’t any green globs in that part of the lake, but it was clear. 

I saw a couple schools of small fish. I love how they are slowly getting bigger. Now maybe 3.5-4 inches long. They scatter when I swim over them, but they don’t seem panicked as much as sensible. Prudent. Let the whale thingy with orange arms have the right of way. 

I found a nice spot where there was a hole in the milfoil forest; I could see the sand bottom fairly clearly in spite of the darker water. I didn’t float on my back because the water was too choppy, but instead I did some weird ab exercises. I extended my arms out and back from my chest, while keeping my palms parallel to the lake floor, in what felt like a pretty cool cheerleader move, while sucking in my abs and pulling my knees to chest. I know I need to do my yoga and pilates, my dumbbells, but I’ve been avoiding them for 10 years when I quit in a huff. This weird move felt like it was working me hard. Then I switched to jogging in place. Easier. A little bit less crazy.

You Do You

It was funny when C and I arrived at the lake that I brutally judged the paddle boarders. “They’re so lazy. They just paddle out to the deep water and then sit there.” “It’s called relaxing,” said C. I am such a lake bitch! This is how my chronically fatigued brain works: I don’t have the energy to leave the house more than once every few days, so if I’m going to the lake it has to include my exercise. I spend WAY too much time relaxing, although it doesn’t feel like relaxing because I have to do it. I have to get my movement in or I feel horrible about myself. Also, swimming is my pressure release valve. I have a really hard time managing stress without movement. 

So, another lake perspective. Maybe at least some of the paddle boarders have already done their workout, and this time at the lake is for relaxing. I can dig that. But for those who didn’t get their exercise in earlier today, you are lazy!!!! : – ) And, never mind the cranky old person.

After my swim C and I treaded water and chatted in the water for a bit before swimming to the beach. I was happy for the shower, and got changed into my clothes quickly. I am not an expert at getting naked and dressed under a towel in public. It helps that nobody wants to look at me. 

Now I am home and just had some roasted red pepper hummus. I am not a hummus person, having indulged way too much in the late 80s when I discovered it. But I am on a new protein thingy, and trying to get more beans and chickpeas in my diet. 

Thank you, C. Thank you, lake. Thank you, ducks. Thank you, parks department. I’m coming back some day with my GoPro on and doing a survey to get feedback on the chaos and the positives, then I’m gonna make a little input video for the parks dept. Because I’m that woman!!!!!!!!!!