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Posts Tagged ‘Swimming in Penn Cove’

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

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

Penn Cove, still cold.

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

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged , , on March 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I'm still here. Where are you?

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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Winter cold water challenge? That’s cute…

Posted in Swimming in Penn Cove, tagged , , , on March 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Shark! Ice shark on the horizon!!

Shark! Ice shark on the horizon!!

Cause I'm stupid.

Cause I’m stupid.

Damn you, Facebook. I wasn’t ready to go back in the water yet.

It hasn’t been a full four months since the last time Penn Cove assaulted my nether regions with ice water up the trunks.

Nov. 22, 2013 — Day 222 — I came out of the water and walked away for the year, having beaten my two previous years, when I totaled 167 and 133 days  in the less-than-balmy waters of the aquatic temptress that sits in front of my house.

And here I am, March 14 (way too early in the year), going back down the Hill O’ Death — which held up remarkably well during the winter, I must say — and plunging back in.

All cause I got called out by my neighbor, one Ms. Emilee Crichton, Coupeville High School cheer captain and all-around pretty awesome person.

The “cold water challenge,” “winter challenge,” whatever you want to call it, is sweeping the nation (or, Coupeville, at least), as everyone nominates other people for the challenge, then run into the waters off of Whidbey and run back out, generally screaming like banshees.

It’s cute, the way people act like they’ve never felt cold water before.

When Ms. Crichton called my name out on camera, there was no avoiding it. Well, there was, but then I would have felt like a wuss.

Only thing is, if I go back in, I go back in. I stay in longer than the average I’m seeing (15 seconds) on the videos being posted and then I go back in for day two, and three, and four and so on.

So, I went back in, and you know what, it wasn’t that cold. Certainly nothing like it was in November.

So, yeah, it ain’t no big thing. Now, I nominate you all to go back in a second time…

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