The Swimmers

High Tide	04:30 (2.20m)
Low Tide	10:09 (1.00m)
High Tide	16:37 (2.40m)
Low Tide	22:59 (0.70m)

Sea temperature: 18
Sea conditions: mill pond calm
Weather: hazy and still
Joined by: The Usual Suspects
Topics of conversation:
New swim time - DK had called it yesterday and so we all met at 7.15, except him, he was LATE! We all tapped our watches as he approached and wound him up so much that The Pirate had to close his ears to DK's foul language as he bit back. I'd already taken Mertz to the station first thing, I love driving as summer mornings rise, it reminds me of days working as a student for a catering company when I'd leave home in my 2CV at 5am to set up marquees, vans etc. Carefree days.

Mill pond

Jellyfish - the weather was perfect for them today and there was a handful of small transparent ones as we went in. The Artist had been stung on her feet yesterday so was wary, but The Pirate was sure these weren't the stinging kind. He told us about finding what he thought was an abandoned T-shirt on the beach once, when he got close enough he realised it was one of those huge coloured ones. Fortunately we all managed to float, swim and walk in the water without being stung. As last year the conversation about whether they were sentient arose as The Pirate is keen to discover things he can eat, and they don't have brains. This year though Sara has been studying such nebulous concepts, and informed us that in the context of her current thesis they are sentient as they are alive. I suspect that this will run and run.
Priests, vicars, ministers and preachers - and their definitions. As 'The Vicar's Wife' had informed me that she wasn't really a vicar's wife because he's a priest we discussed the terms and the only thing I am clear about, as a result, is that priests commit sacrifices at the altar. Not this priest, clearly, but this was the original definition. According to The Pirate the anglicans confuse it all because they 'fudge things'.
We made plans to go to see Much Ado in the gardens at the Laxfield pub on Thursday, where The Pirate's No. 2 Son is playing Claudio. DK can't come as he has one of his brothers visiting and The LE has a play which is being performed at a festival down south, but the rest of us will pile into one vehicle and look forward to seeing what is being referred to as 'A Little Ado about Not Very Much' as it is a shortened version.
The state of the beach - there had been a number of fires and BBQs last light and the detritus remained. Planks, burned cans, food, and full poo bags littered the area around the dunes; Bosco and Mabes told us there was lots of lovely charred meat in the charcoal too. After we'd swum The Poet helped me carry some wood to the hut as the planks were big enough to turn into benches and I grabbed my pick-up-stick and a bin liner. It took 30 minutes to clear the area as I found another party site just over the chestnut paling, where there we cans and bottles, as well as take away cartons. By the time I'd finished I could only just lift the bag it was so heavy.
I promised Legs I'd put some pictures from the wedding at the weekend up here as she was involved in the planning before she left and she lent me shoes, which sadly don't feature (copyright Mr Smiley). It was an incredible event, lived up to all expectations. I have some amusing video of the first dance, but that'll have to wait I'm afraid.