Getting back in the water

Something about this swim around bainbridge is doing some real work on me. I’ve done a lot in and around the ocean, but nothing has made such a strong impression.

Consider late December...I couldn’t have been further away, standing in a blizzard in the Montana mountains. Yet the looking glass of Bainbridge ocean still seemed to be there, right in front of me.

All it took was one deep breath, a quick duck of my head, and I’m through, I’m underwater. I can go back at will. My ocean world is living inside of me now, and it's always at hand.

I haven’t had a swim in more than 2 weeks, and my schedule will keep me away even longer. I'm just back from a few days working in Texas.

I have a strong urge to get back underwater, I NEED to spend some time with the Wing Point sandbar. I’d like to see it on a glassy calm day. But I may have to go with some wind, since I can't wait any longer.

It's sooooo nice to have this reservoir of satisfaction I can tap at will. One look at the Bainbridge ocean where I’ve passed through—even just looking at a picture—and I find myself drifting down into the underwater world.

What do I find when I enjoy one of these dreamy dips? It’s not specific images, it's more of a soft ocean pulse, a sensation of being a part of the watery world, apart from the human world above.

Once upon a time I lived in a cabin in the Umpqua woods, southwest Oregon. I spent hours upon hours in the forest and alongside rivers and streams. I got to know where the elk hung out, and had a too-close encounter with a large bull that declared his territory. I found a skull with a large and fantastic uneven rack (antlers) that still lives in my garden. I drifted downstream through hallowed pools and tiny tributary streams, looking at the fabulous North Umpqua summer steelhead, large and small. I watched a bear rumble through my yard. I got a feeling of connection that remains to this day. But it was never as strong as this ocean surge.

I adore this through-the-looking-glass world I’ve found. It’s not all beauty and it’s not all drama, but it's magnificent because it has the power to take me outside myself.

I live surrounded by water.