I went swimming in the river yesterday! This is like a return to paradise. Every year, when I finally get in the water, I wonder why I didn’t start earlier (memories of how cold it was when I last swam there, probably) - because it is the most beautiful, beautiful experience. I swim on my back and so I am gazing up at trees and blue sky, clouds and sometimes birds flying over… It is a little like being a naiad, maybe.
Anyway, now the summer has begun (I’ve been alarmed at the heat) - but the river is definitely the up-side of summer, for me. There’s a long, long deep swimming hole (maybe 50 meters, on a curve) where I swim laps until my ears start freezing… It’s guardian spirit is a freshwater turtle I finally glimpsed last year - usually I just get the ‘plop’ as it disappears, while I am just at the beginning of the path down to the water. I sent a thought to it, (and my ring, which dropped in there last year - possibly the turtle’s payment, I thought at the time) - and swam 20 cold laps.