Ode To The Frost

The first thing I saw this morning just before 8am when opening my front door was ice on the windscreen of the cars in my street. The question attached to what I saw was whether the frost was fierce enough cover some of the pool?

More signs of frost on the common ... the water itself had, however, been spared.

But make no mistake swimming in water temperature of 4.5 C (which is what it said on the board by the entrance of the pool) is COLD! I had to check myself, pulled the thermometer which is in the deep end of the pool, out of the water : Yep : just under 5C! I was in two minds whether to stick to two lengths or whether to move down a gear and only swim 1 length?

Swimming one means too much hassle of organising flip flops for when coming out of the pool... besides I asked Wendy how many she had swam : "2" was her answer! Wow, Ok ... and then Catherine got in the shallow end and started swimming up towards the deep end .. past the first set of steps and the second to the end of the pool .. and back .. Ok my mind was set. Two for me too! Good choice. It was (as always) amazing ... as long as you can gage and trust your ability and have a healthy sense of how much of a challenge you want to put your mind and body through.

frozen leaves and grass on the common

outside the gate entrance to the lido and

more evidense of what was to come ... inside

water temperature has dropped to just below 5C

singled out leave ....

and another one attacked by this night's frost for not quite having made it

as far as landing in the water

a few frozen foot steps trailed alongside the pool-

a sign of how cold the floor is

ice trapped leaves in the paddling pool

Nicky, armed with her woolly hat, swimming widths

brave catherine, swimming 2 lengths

(not the catherine who is part of a relay team swimming the channel in set. 2012)

Although one can't see Catherine's face very well

I love the reflection of her face in the water and the soft backlight.

At 8.15am the sun is not nearly high enough to creep over the tree line

almost made it!

Catherine's two lengths breast stroke definitely

inspired me to swim 2 lengths (freestyle) too!

Thanx Catherine!