Snorting

Today at the lake, the sun was shining, Mt. Rainier was peaking out of the clouds (pun), and the water was mostly flat.

I had planned to meet a few of the women in the “plunger” group, which required waking up three hours earlier than normal. It was brutal, and no time for tea, but it was completely worth it. One of my most magical days in the water. Ever.

First we just sort of hung out and floated and visited, then the “just taking a dip/soak” women left and two of us stayed to swim. I headed straight to the deep end because I wanted to swim to the “speed limit” boat bouy and back. I swam with a woman a few weeks ago who includes this loop in her swim, but at the time I just didn’t feel confident enough about leaving the swim area for the open (and deep, DARK) water.

Today, f yea. I didn’t even think of swiming back and forth in the shallow water where all the duck poop parasites thrive. I pointed myself toward the bouy and took off. It is funny swimming in lake water because the waves carry you places. I thought I was swimming east, but the waves pushed me south. I can just paddle along – modified breast stroke – since I have a snorkel, but I’m finding that it’s worth pulling my head up every so often to make sure I’m going in the right direction. I’ve learned this: when I pull my head out of the water I need to snort out my nose so that as I come out of the water it doesn’t flood into my nose. I think I have seen/heard water animals do that. Am I turning into some sort of snorting slimy sea creature? Am I gonna get huge whiskers and nostrils? A blow hole in my head?

This is the thing with lake water. I’m in the element, totally. A giant fish swam past me today, and I didn’t even flinch. They don’t scare me anymore. He was all, “oh, you, whatever.” Paid me ZERO attention. Now, I’m back to the same wonder I had with the 4′ fish I used to see. Am I seeing the same big fish, or are there several of them? Shit. I think it will freak me out to see more of them. Cause what if they bite.

The water was cold, and I had that tingly frosty feeling on my face for a few seconds, but honestly, within a few more seconds I was totally fine. Maybe the sun was warming the surface. I’m usually a bit creeped out by the deep water (wraiths and all), but today the sun’s rays formed a kaliedescope (sp?) around me. It was like that filter in the Apple photo thingy where you can have your face in the center of beams of light. I was swiming and everything around me, under me, in front of me was illiuminated. I could see the old yellow seaweeds undulating with the waves, but this time they looked like old corn stalks. Harmless. I could see the sand patches on the bottom of the lake, even as I reached deeper water. I stopped once to check my surroundings and make sure that if any boats were passing by that I noted that as I made my way to the bouy.

It was so trippy to swim in the center of these brilliant beams. Some white, some yellow, some almost orange. As long as I swam with the sun to my back I moved around completely enveloped by sunbeams. I wish I’d had a video cam on because I don’t know how two describe it. I was just doing my swim/explore thing, but the light made me feel like I was part of it. At the same time, I felt like it was there for me. The souls of my dead loved ones wrapped around me. I felt light, wide awake, and completely at ease. I had to leave the beam for awhile to reach the bouy. It feld amazing to look back at the shore.

My swimming parter was already dried off, dressed, and kindly waiting for me. Swimming back to the shore I could join the beams again and could see the reflections of the outlines of the contours of the water across the lake bottom. That’s when I saw Mr. Big. He looks 100 years old, and I think he’s probably one of those grumpy old dudes. Like if he was ever a human, he would have been the guy who yells at kids for accidentally stepping on his lawn. But he’s also completely chill. He gives no fucks, that’s for sure. I wonder if he’s afraid of me? Does he know I’m the lady of the lake? A seawitch????????????

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