Day 7: Guest post

Jill Fanning's contribution, after being my first guest swimmer on Day 7, Blakely Harbor. Photo (right) just before getting in the 52F water.

On Nov. 18 I accompanied my son-in-law, Mark Powell, into the waters of Puget Sound as he continued his swim-around-Bainbridge. I am very excited about his explorations below the surface, and I offer here some of my thoughts from the top of the water.

The tide goes in, the tide goes out. Tides keep us honest, keep us mindful of change. Life flows, new waters come, with new meanings.

This water is bright and clear. I love to go bathing in wintertime at high tide. I wade out waist deep and dunk completely under several times. The water washes my spirit, my mind. I emerge from the water slowly, giving thanks to Grandmother Ocean for removing my negative thoughts and feelings.

This water is bright and clean. Sure, it is dirtier than it was 45 years ago when I first met it. There were more orcas and seals then, in the Seattle area. But it is much cleaner than most urban bays, and efforts are underway to improve things. Point source industrial pollution is much reduced, and people are slowly becoming aware of all the plastic bags and pesticides we offer to it.

Precious water, rolling past the islands, filling up the inlets, bringing fishes, boats and flotsam, bringing food to the creatures of the bottom.

Beautiful water, singing on the beaches, rolling all the pebbles, misty in the morning, shining in the sunset, mystery in the darkness.
The tide goes in, the tide goes out, life flows, new waters come again.