Rollers abound!

Temps dropped a bit, but Bill, me and Steve had a great swim -- off to the A, then B, then 1/4, then A and then in... no turtles, not much visibility... cool rollers to go up and down, and a beautiful evening before the sun set. There was a juvenile elephant seal on the beach that was not well... we felt so sad to see it laying about and not looking well... I heard it crying (well it was a barking sound)... Sea World wouldn't come out until tomorrow...

Other than that, a perfect way to wash off the week!

Some sundowner, apres-swim pics below.

Beautiful evening with soft colors...

Cove sundowner...

Sublime sunset as I drift home...

~Cary

Miraculous company

Okay so i go to the Cove at 4:00 for only my second swim all week. no one to swim with. boo hoo. i swim out to the 1/4, then the A, then back to the 1/4. i've forgotten whether i went back to the A and back again. I saw alot of fish - a pretty big one on the trip out to the quarter. it's surprisingly clear. kelpy. warm. sunny. wishing there were someone to share the afternoon with. i"m at the 1/4 and look down and there in front of me less than 2' from the surface, the turtle! oh my! what a magnificent and solitary creature. it just lumbered along with these powerful strokes. going going. never stopping. just beautiful. i followed it past the 1/4 - above it, next to it, behind it. just the two of us.

I feel so blessed. It seems like a dream now.

Swim, Drift and Roll...

Tuesday's swim was major fun -- a six pack pod of Chris, Don, Shane, we-Cs, and one guy I didn't know, swam out to the A in rolling style. Water felt like 64 gorgeous degrees -- nice swells and current moving.
We all went out to the A, then B, then 1/4, then A then 1/4 then the for the finale -- Shane and we C's started chatting and drifting... everyone else went in, but not us, we were just waiting for someone to serve us a beer... We drifted nearly ALL the way from the 1/4 back into the cove -- I mean literally drifted back farther than I've ever drifted, nearly a 1/4 mile! -- we laughed, finally getting a bit chilly decided to do a few strokes to speed up our landing. What swim -- drift, swim-drift, I mean.  Perfect way to finish the day!

We-C's plan to swim at 5 PM on Friday if there are any takers. We won't be there on Saturday but will be Sunday at noon. Hope to see you out there!
~Cary

Wednesday swim

Surf's up at the shores today, at low tide. Lots of big rollers out there in the open water too. Just occasional 2-3 footers in the cove, though. I took one look at the shores and headed to the cove. I haven't swum enough recently to fight the waves. So I rode the current and the medium surge from the cove to the Marine Room, then walked back. It was nice to be back in the water, even though the clarity was minimal.

Water was nice yesterday

It was a little choppy but nothing major.  It was still pretty clear.  The waves weren't even 2ft high.  Swam from the Cove to the Shores with Amber and walked back.

what lftc heard

things i heard this weekend from my fabulous and elite athlete swim peeps: if you stick with whiskey , no mixers, you're hangover will be less horrific.-DD
honey, will you give me that lube?-mc ette
sweetie, it's hard.-mc (regarding the lube-minds out of the gutter, people)
can i get some of that lube?-RUTH!
i've tried all the lube, vaseline works too.-sharkbait
i could write porn-lftc

on a softer note: all the water that will ever be,
is right now.
national geographic 1993

Happy swim daze -- still saw some rays...

Quite a few swimmers out today: Ralph, LFTC, Ruth, Diana, Marta and Janie's crew were all there and went our ahead... we had to wait for Diana-darling as she carefully nursed her too-much-of-a-good-evening-self to the pond for a swim. Gorgeous day -- 62-63's, a bit swelly and bumpy, but stunningly beautiful. Not as clear as the PERFECT yesterday, though we did get to see tons of tiny fish and the sting ray parking lot off the Marine Room.  We went 1/4, Marine Room, searched for rays, Bill swam with a new friendly seal there near the shores, then we hiked out to the A, then Ruth chimes in and says B! We all headed happily there and then in... SOWEET!  Love you merpeeps -- where else to have such fun and spend time with friends, nature and the absolutely fabulous sea!

~Cary

Surf got a bit exciting for the tourists... here's  boy being rescued...

Perfect day!

Hated to leave today!

Janie's Mergals

OMG!! Today was the BEST day ever. Janie,Ruth,Dana, and dianadarling did a swim to the Marine Room. On the way there we ran into the Bat Ray parking lot. At least 50 of them flying around in all sizes. The viz was extraordinary, blue lagoon-esque. On the way back to the Cove we ran into giant sea bass and an even gianter (if that's a word) black grouper. WOW!! Thank you Dana for suggesting that route today! Hope you can share your pics with us.

Keep your fingers crossed for the same conditions Saturday!!

Working swim crew

We had a great turn out for an evening swim,yesterday about 5:00. The Mighty C's, Ruth, dianadarling, Kathy, John , and Chris swam to the A,B,1/4, back to the A and in. Some fun bump on the water, pretty good viz out there. Not much sun though, which made for a chilly exit. The Mighty C-ette saw all the good stuff that we missed. See you all in the water this weekend!

Yes-No-Yes! Poetry... was the day.

A glorious day started dark and grey at the cove with one MC waiting patiently for her other MMC to cross the finish line for the La Jolla Half Marathon -- he came down the hill with a smile (shown below), then being tired and in need of sustenance, we deliberated, called Ruth and cancelled the swim -- hey, MMC was tuckered out... it was grey and we thought we'd head to Balboa Park to laze about, and where the sun is always shining! LOL.  Our Ruth was disappointed, but calmly decided to swim later and based on how good it was starting to look at the cove, I couldn't blame her... Then, after a rest, a caffeine boost and some mini-chocolate donuts, the sun came out and Bill was BACK!  Quick -- call Ruth, and get her down here. Determined, she hopped in her car, braved the crowds and voila! We all were, happy as could be, the podnicks ready to swim!

We saw Wendy and Cami coming down from the club and exchanged hugs. Leonard joined as a surprise swimmer and went nearly naked (only his swim trunks!), and braved the cold (hey, it was a warm 60ish, not as clear as Saturday, but nice, VERY nice)... we all agreed as we zipped to the A, then, B, then 1/4 then A --  it was --  poetry!  ... pure, blissful poetry.

So thanks be to our Ruth and Leonard podnicks and of course, so much grateful praise goes to our dear, though missing, LFTC, who let us be her club guests today -- we parked, we paid, we soaked and reveled in the luxury to soothe our tired bones... pure, unadulterated bliss!  Thank you in huge amounts, LFTC... parking was so easy!!!

The morning started grey and still... a beautiful, quiet cove...

7:30 AM before the sun broke...smooth...

Bill and Ron at mile 13 --  way to shine!

Still smiling too -- MMC (he gets an extra mighty!)

The day ended in sunshine's sweet poetry!

$2 on lftc to win show or place

so people i know and love were betting on me today-one bet that i would, one bet that i wouldn't and i showed up, not sure on who won but i know i did-swim report saturday, 10:30 plus, ralph, RUTH!, the mighty c's, maryanne (a new addition to our pod), lftc amid a cast of thousands due to some run event that had people running up torrey pines in their panties (i swear, i saw an albino dude running in his boy panties and nothing else but a race number-i'll never be the same) and clogging the streets with giant sag wagons not to mention the many swimmers and beach goers hanging around due to AWESOME conditions and sun. also, the swim club had an egg thing going on, my most prevalent recollection is candy and a table loaded with carbs which made me fatter just by proximity. Marta in her bunny ears, doug in his speedo and knit cap looked pretty cute too. anyway, the swim was excellent, 63 by my watch, pretty clear here and there, a little texture but nothing really, no current and fun! swam to the a, the b, the virtual 1/2 which was 'thataway' (we explained this to our beloved mighty c-ette who had forgotten), we parted with the mc's for timing issues and wala! another fantastic swim under our belts. hot damn! i'm so happy! thanks to my swim peeps for betting on me, to ralph for double dipping just to hang with us and to maryanne for breaking her dry spell with us and of course the sturdy and downright tenacious RUTH! who shall not be stopped! lucky me!
good luck to bill and kevin in the 1/2 sunday! you boys are athletic superstars!
lftc-out

towing/dragging/bouncing

swim report friday 11:30, c rose, dianadarling, ralph who is so the man, sharkbait, lftc swam in pretty sweet seas, about 61-62 by my watch, some clarity here and there, some towing and dragging, some bobbing and floating, some picture taking, some serious goofing around, a little topless swimming, goggle exchanging and fun times all around. face it, people: any time one of us is dragging a lifeguard buoy or being dragged on it like a corpse, good times are bound to be had by all. add the topless dianadarling and it's a party. we bounced all over, the a, the 1/4, the caves, headed to the marine room, turned back to the a, played around while ralph swam out to sea oblivious to us girls and in. it was a blast and we're gonna do it again saturday which is the big easter throwdown for the swim club, meeting at 10:30 for the swim so join us! and why is no one posting? i know you have been swimming because i'm regularly tortured with calls about swims, stories about swims, sick double dipping (those hurt the most) and of course they are all the BEST SWIMS EVAR! so post! let's spread the torture all around and or spread the swim love all around! don't make me come over there..
lftc-out

A Week In Pictures...Looking Back (4.10-15.2011)

Ralph pulling the weight of the world

Mermaids

Surf's Up!

Kelp Forest

I Got My Eye On You!

Spring Is Here!

Ozzie Perched

Sick Baby Sea Lion (taken to Sea World)

Gary...the Garibaldi

tower power hour

swim report tuesday noon, sharkbait, lftc swam to the tower and back in smooth and silky seas, some good viz here and there but it had been so long since the top was clean that it was enough all by itself. 62 degrees, sun! not many swimmers out, we had a big playground kind of to ourselves. we ran into ralph who said that we were the only swimmers out while he was on deck. i knew we should have done the parade wave coming in! next time. marta had her new tunes connected directly to her brain so she was cruising, i had my magic fins so we kept a good pace. all in all a fab swim! i sure miss all the players, where are you guys? man, i dry out for two weeks and you all scatter like little fishies: florida, mexico, philly! this to the tune of 'lions and tigers and bears, oh my!' lftc-out

Double-Dipping, But Wishing It Was Ice Cream

Why is it, sometimes, that song from Oklahoma! starts going through my head...I'm Just A Girl That Can't Say No. (ugh!) Especially lately. I've been doing A.M. and P.M. swims...not because of any one reason other than someone asked if I could. Uh, I dunno. I'll have to think about that...pffft...yeah! The Cove has just been lovely lately and I know rain is looming toward the end of this week, so gotta swim while the sun shines (or something like that).

Tuesday, LFTC and I had a most awesome RT swim to the Tower at the Shores. It was sunny, the water was warm (62F) and nearly glass. Just beautiful, though I think we swam through the sea lions lunch on the way back in...that was some pungent fish smell (whew)! At dusk, Kat and I did a buoy swim. The conditions, still good. LG's Tim and Joe told us that there was a shark patrolling the Cove just before we came in....great! Forgot to find out what kind!

Today, I'm having another double dose...we'll see what's in store with LFTC in the A.M. and a larger group in the evening.

The forecast is rain by Thursday night and into Friday and possibly Saturday. High surf advisory is also on the horizon (read: bodysurfing)...it's all good.

rock and roll swim

monday, 11am, see you later steve, sharkbait, lftc swam in some rock and roll chop, the kind on the top that requires a playful approach because form will get you nowhere, hard cardio but a dream and finding the partners mean stopping to look around, waiting waiting waiting, oh, they they are. nearly hot sun, warm seas at 62, good clarity despite the toothy chop, so many little fishies out! a very good swim day, fun with good company! where is everyone? we need to do a big group swim soon with all the players present! lftc-out

The New H2O Audio Interval iPod Case: A Review

YEA!!!! I was swimming to the blues today...Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, Albert Cummings, and the Black Keys. Love this thing! The acoustics are even better than the last version. easier controls, great locking mechanism, no fear of braking the little wires off the top. You can even change the tunes after a while if you want, in iTunes (before you were kinda stuck with what you had). If you require earplugs while swimming, these earphones will keep water out of the ear canal if sized right (they include 5 sizes of earbuds). The only down side is that once again the cases are iPod Shuffle specific...meaning only one version of iPod Shuffle will fit with each version of the H2O Audio case. In this case, the 4th generation iPod Shuffle. That aside, I'd say the bottom line is: It's a beautiful thing!

The New H2O Audio Interval iPod Case For Swimmers

Sea Ya Later Steve, LFTC and I did a short one today...lots o' texture out there, but it was warm, warm, warm (60-62F) with muchos peces (for those of you in Mexican waters). The clarity, like the weather, has been beautiful lately...almost camera ready (if I could ever remember to bring it). Missed seeing those out of town mer-folk...be safe and hurry back.

~M

pungent commentary brewing

after almost two weeks of dry land and endless pleas from dave to 'please god go swim, just go, someone will be there, don't worry about the waves or the cold or the surge or zero viz, just GO!' i went! so happy i did, our marriage will last! no divorce from the 99 cent divorce store for this swim chick. last week, i think 3 out of 5 days with one day of thick and juicy red tide, the other two splendid in every way. i'm officially back from the dryland, a little frazzled from a hectic life but eager to swim and make 'pungent' remarks. i looked this word up and my favorite definition is this one: sharply painful, caustic. it's my way swim peeps, but on the inside, i'm gooey and in love with you all. i miss you all and will see you soon, like tomorrow! be well Mighty C-ette, safe travels!

Weekend love -- spring swim treats!

Well, I don't know where our lftc has disappeared to, but know it has to be for GOOD reasons... Missing  you bunches. Saturday was wonderful, with a bit of bounce and rolly-polly-fun -- went out with a small contingent (only Don and the mighty C's).  Not a big group, but had a wonderful time zipping to the A then B, then 1/4, then A then in for a short, sweet one.  Love spring time in the water, the temps are getting better -- seemed around 58, nice.  Parking was lousy this weekend with the fancy car show taking up the whole cove -- geez.  Still, a good time.

Sunday was even more beautiful and since we didn't go to Torrey for a run, we headed to the cove early -- 10:30 the might C's hit the cool (58 again) calm water with a splash!  Out to the A then off to the Tower for a big swim.  Wow, it was clear, calm seas for us C's but we missed all our mer-friends. Saw Janie, Vic, Doug and a few others on deck when we came in... The might C's missed our pod!  I know Cami's in Mexico, Ruth is in Florida and others were MIA -- Laura-- you too!  Next weekend I'll be in Philly with my dear Emily, so will miss you all then... glad we had some great swims this week.

HUGS to all -- missing you all, mer-friends!

. • * ¨` ☆ * ♥¸☆ * ♥ (◠‿◠｡)* ♥ ¸. • * ¨ `*
  
~Cary

This year's La Jolla Cove Swim Club's 10 mile relay-Sunday, September 25, 2011

http://www.lajollacoveswimclub.org/Templates/10MileRelayInfo.htm

Last year, Bill, Tony, Amber, Talya and I did this and had a blast.  I know Talya and Amber already want to swim it again this year.  Each team has five swimmers and each swimmer does two miles.  We easily have enough people to make two teams this year.  Plus we have lots of time to get in shape.  Who's interested?

Did the "Walk of Shame" today lol

Actually, it was planned that way.  Amber and I swam from the Cove to the Shores and then walked back to the Cove.  The waves were about 4 ft high in the Cove so we got a workout getting out of the Cove.  After we got back to the Cove, some guy that didn't know what he was doing got too close to the rocks and was rescued by the Lifeguard.  All he had to do was stay away from the rocks.  The water was "about" 59 and very murky.  It was another beautiful day in San Diego.