When the water temperature is warmer than the air you know the jig is up…

There was chill in the air tonight, unlike anything we have felt for many months. The forecast says we’re going down to 55; I have little doubt that tomorrow morning will find the pool at somewhere around 67 – I’m sorry, but that’s just a little cool for this man’s old bones.

I wanted to hang on for my birthday to do my final swim of the year, so I waited until after midnight. I finished watching “O Brother, Where Art Thou” – a great flick, BTW – and then headed outside.

It was deathly quiet – no sounds of crickets, or pool filters, or A/C units. I peeled my clothes off and did my final wade in. When the water is warmer than the air you know you’ve pushed the season about as far as it can go. But the moonlight was beautiful, and as I did my backstrokes from one end to another I couldn’t help but praise God for the beauty of the moment and the privilege of being alive and immersed in the moment.