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Once was crazy

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged artwork, cold water, homemade tattoos, Penn Cove, swimming on April 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Wait, I’m wearing … pants?!?!

It’s deceptive. So, so deceptive.

Look outside today, with the sun glistening off of Penn Cove, and you almost might believe the water would be warm.

You’d be wrong, however.

Once upon a time, for about a five-year stretch, I went into the waters below my house every single day for much of the year.

In just a swimsuit.

And believe me, it was never, ever, EVER warm.

Certainly not when there was snow on the ground in November, but also certainly not on the rare 90-degree day in August, either.

Looking back, I am left to wonder – was I a moron?

And then you see the drawings I used to make on my body parts prior to splashing down, and you know the answer for yourself.

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Invasion!!!

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged invasion, jellyfish, Penn Cove, Seattle freeway, Spongebob Squarepants on August 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

So, I was thinking about making an omelet… (David Svien photos)

“Bow! Bow before my stingy power!!”

“Oh, I got plenty of ways to touch you. They don’t call me Mr. Tingly for nothing!”

I call this one Ralph. He just needs a hug.

“Oh, me? I’m good. I’ll just sit down here and wait for you to step on me.”

I mean, it’s not like the beach was all that pretty before the invasion…

“No more photos!! I got swimsuits to get all up in!!”

The birds eat well tonight.

The beach surrounding Penn Cove, and the water itself, has lost the battle, as the biggest invasion of jelly fish I have seen in five years of swimming in those waters landed with a fury Thursday.

Walk the post-apocalyptic sand ‘n rock ‘n crushed mussel shells mess we call a beach, and it glistens like gold.

If gold came in big, globby piles of squishiness drying out in the sun…

Step into the water (of course, I went in the water … I’m not a tourist. Idiot? Maybe. But not a tourist…) and the jellyfish are stacked up like cars on a Seattle freeway.

There’s only one answer, and I think we all know what that is.

Someone needs to go find the greatest jellyfish hunter known to this world.

Yes, I speak of SpongeBob SquarePants. He’s our only hope!!

What do you mean he’s imaginary?!?!?!?!?

We’re all freakin’ doomed…

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I got 99 problems, but cold water ain’t one!!

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged Cold Water Challenge, Swimming in Penn Cove on June 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Penn Cove, still cold.

The Cold Water Challenge ran out of steam a long time ago.

Once the one-timers got their 15 seconds of braving the waters of Whidbey out of their system, it got a lot quieter for the rest of us.

The very few rest of us.

As I hit Day 100 in Penn Cove in 2014, my fourth straight year to top the century mark (I still have a ways to go to reach last year’s high water mark of 222 days), I, once again, had the water completely to myself.

Well, except for the occasional fish, or bird trying to dive-bomb said fish, that is.

For once, the sun was out, not that the water noticed enough to brings its temperature up any.

For the one-timer who looked down the Hill O’ Death and saw Penn Cove glittering in the Sunday sun, it would be deceptively inviting.

Don’t believe it.

The truest image of swimming in Penn Cove is of one that shows an overcast day, with wind whipping a salty chop into your face on a steady one-two-one-two beat.

That’s the Penn Cove I know.

And no worries, I’m sure it’ll be back on Day 101. But so will I.

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Cold Water Challenge? I won!!

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged Penn Cove, swim, Winter Cold Water Challenge on May 10, 2014| Leave a Comment »

“I can’t feel a thing below my chin…”

You came for one day?

Here I stay!

51 days and counting in the balmy waters of Penn Cove in 2014 (so far) and man, is it ever quiet out here.

You’d think all those yappy Winter Cold Water Challenge folks would have stayed around and … yeah, bunch of one-timers.

If you don’t come back, you’re never going to break my mark of 222 days from last year.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Yeah, thought so.

Now excuse me while I go remove the iceberg that just lodged itself up the backside of my swim trunks…

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So, I won this Cold Water Challenge?!?!

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged get out of my cove punks, Swimming in Penn Cove, Winter Cold Water Challenge on March 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I’m still here. Where are you?

So, you all screamed and sobbed and freaked out and then it got really, really quiet.

It was cute that you all went into the waters off of Whidbey one time, for 12.6 seconds, for the winter cold water challenge.

Seriously. Cute.

Now, in my best Clint Eastwood voice, get out of my Cove, you lil’ punks.

I was doing this before you were, and I’ll be doing this long after you. Today was Day #13 of Year #4 in the less-than-warm waters of Penn Cove.

167 days in 2011. 133 days in 2012. 222 last year.

535 days so far, with a huge chunk of those days featuring twice-a-day visits — something I’ll work back into as we get into the warmer days of oh … April?

Want to find me? Listen for the ungodly scream as Penn Cove shoots liquid ice up my nether regions.

Cause some of us aren’t just one-timers.

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