Come on, in the water's fine!

Finally went swimming. Not really the first time of the year, as I did go in the Ocean and in at Wakulla springs in Florida, but its certainly the first time in up here!

When I got home on Thursday, it was still 28 degrees, hot enough with the humidity. To boot my wife had set that day aside for having swiss steak, so she was exhausted from the from the hot oven adding to the heat for the last three hours. So we all bundled into the car, and headed over to Mooney’s bay at 9 PM for a sunset swim.

Mooney’s Bay is a beach on the Rideau River in south-central Ottawa. It is a pretty spot, surrounded by forest and parkland on one side, a small marina on the other, bounded by practicing Dragon boat racers in the water, and by a Syrian Orthodox church on the back. As we arrived hundreds of volley ball players were rehearsing. Mooney’s Bay is the site of the world’s largest volley ball tournament, and the time is coming, but this night, the players moved on as soon as we got there, for the sun had just gone down.

My daughter and I rolled down a big green hill. Then we went charging at the water, slowing considerably as our feet struck the still bone chilling liquid. I inched in to my waste, and then threw myself in, swimming as fast as I could to ignore the cold until I got used to it, which you do in about twenty seconds or so. Then I cannon-balled my daughter.

I shouted out to my wife, “Come on in, the water’s fine!” She replied that she knew how long it had taken for me to get in, and knowing that I’m something of an arctic char, she added, “There’s no way in hell I’m going in there!”

We played in the water until it got dark. The afterglow was gorgeous, all red and purple brush strokes and pastel swipes. My daughter stayed in while I did the get-sand-off-my-feet dance at water’s edge and put my sandals back on. It is good to have access to the water again. It is always far too long in between.