High Tide 02:20 (2.50m)
Low Tide 08:11 (0.70m)
High Tide 14:26 (2.80m)
Low Tide 20:52 (0.40m)
Sea temperature: not taken
Sea conditions: very calm, low tide 
Weather: Sunny, light breeze
Joined by: Mertz and Abs
I haven't swum with the usual group much lately, but there has been a great deal of getting wet; sea water, fresh water and rain, lots of rain between the sunshine. This week we've been on holiday, with friends from the Middle East staying. They've been joining us on the beach and most days we've had at least 3 swims. Late starts have been followed by relaxed mornings at the hut with coffee, breakfast and sandcastles. The Drapers have been around too, so it's been a social time of food and drink and sun. We're back to work next week, so when our friends left this morning, and Abs had been for her shower (she's staying at the campsite again this year), we decided to make the most of the weather, which we thought was going to be glorious, and loaded the dogs into the car to try other places to swim. 

The Deben

The stretch of the River Deben we chose turned out to be too silty so we went on a long and very wet walk, during which we sheltered in a beautiful church at the end of a lane in deepest Suffolk whilst the rain came down like stair rods. Mertz was so wet (he doesn't do waterproofs) that he had to take his shirt off and wring it out and the dogs were drenched.

Twice we attempted to set off again, but each time we returned to the shelter of the church, wetter with each visit. Finally it cleared and the sun eventually came out and there was a stiff, warm breeze so by the time we got back to the car we'd almost dried and felt we deserved a good lunch at The Ramsholt Arms, on The Architect's recommendation. They have a dog friendly bar and the Luna and Willow took to a family beside us on the other side of an unused fireplace. When the dogs eventually settled down it was in the fireplace itself, posing like statues. Someone actually came over to check they were real. 
Another walk in the afternoon deeper into the countryside and on a pilgrimage to a spot I'd been recommended by The Shaman for peaceful and private swimming. It was very hard to access due to the recent rains, which caused some flooding and there were 2 huge oak trees that had recently fallen across the path but I was not going to be deterred. It was idyllic and I'm going to return once a month over the next few months to observe the changes in the surroundings. Something I've discussed with DK is the way in which the sea does not have the same seasonality as his old haunt, the Highgate/Hampstead ponds, this spot has the same aspect, overhanging trees, banks and plants in the water. I feel a photo diary addition to the blog coming on.

High Tide 03:04 (2.30m)
Low Tide 08:40 (0.90m)
High Tide 15:12 (2.50m)
Low Tide 21:21 (0.70m)
Sea temperature: varied between 19.4 and 20 on my morning swims this week
Sea conditions: a very shallow week, calm
Weather: today was cooler due to overnight storms
Joined by: The Usual Suspects, The Vicar's Wife and The Good Shepherd.
There had been loud and pretty violent storms from about 4.30 onwards and the water was surprisingly clear as a result. The Pirate had heard it all kick off but had then managed to sleep through the rest but DK hadn't even heard it due to his 'noise machine'. He often sleeps surrounded by recorded sounds of rain and other soothing natural delights, so it's hard to distinguish between these and the real thing. We'd been woken by the first rains as our bedroom acts like a drum, being in the attic of an old workshop, and then once the thunder kicked off the dogs became very unsettled. When Mertz opened the door Willow was halfway up the stairs, shivering, so the rest of the morning was a write off. The water felt very warm, but I'd left my thermometer in the hut so didn't take it but it'll certainly be a 2 or 3 swim day, so I will later.
Trigger has joined Mabel in being a chauffeured dog, they look so smug coming down to the beach in their little carriages with their drivers. I just received this picture from TBC with the caption: Attached Trig and Mabel, don't know who the old gits are with them!

The Pirate was in a deliberately Eeyore-ish frame of mind this morning and wound me up so much as we were gong into the sea, hand in hand, that I let go and pushed him in. He had it coming. To get his own back, as we was floating around in the silky smooth and blood warm water after our initial exertions, commenting (as so often we do) about how very lucky we are to be able to do this every morning, he turned the conversation to The Book of Revelations and the Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea bit. He is alarmingly well versed in doom laden scripture. The Poet commented that he has a friend who populates his Facebook page with quotes from The Book of Revelations, I can imagine that it sits rather oddly alongside grumpy cats, petitions to sign petitions and selfies. 
DK, The Poet and I had been to a delightful summer garden drinks do at Wolfie and The Yogi's last night where people had asked me if I'd seen the shark on the beach, as these people were both well known jokers I'd brushed it off, but one of the Webblets had left a comment on my Instagram account saying it was true. Turns out it was a dogfish, which has now gone. Whether it was removed be human or canine scavengers or just someone trying to stop their dog rolling in it I don't know, but all evidence has gone.
I'd woken feeling as if I'd been for a run, which I hadn't, and it took a while to work out that the aching legs were due to wearing 6 inch platforms last night - and this reminded The Pirate about a surgeon who had been examining him when men wearing heeled boots had been all the rage. The surgeon had asked to see the boot and had taken them out of the room, was gone for some while, and when he returned he handed the boots back without any hells. He'd sawn them off.
Jess is getting confused as we all come out of the sea these days and has attached herself to at least 2 men who were not The Poet this week. She's very wobbly too, but still has grace and elegance when she moves in a straight line. She's also taken to standing in the shallows, which worries me after her little plunge in our pond.

Low Tide 01:23 (0.80m)
High Tide 08:03 (2.30m)
Low Tide 13:51 (1.00m)
High Tide 20:16 (2.30m)
Sea temperature: 19.2 yesterday
Sea conditions: good, a bit murky
Weather: grey 
Joined by: The Usual Suspects and The New Yorker
Topics of conversation:
Jess had been to stay at the weekend and there had been a drama and this was the first time I'd seen The Poet since, so we discussed it. To cut a long story short she had fallen in our disused swimming pool, which is full of water and yet disused because we have the sea and because the water is stagnant and not chlorinated. I heard the sound of her hitting the water and by the time I got there she had gone under, she's 15 and frail and couldn't even tread water. I saw her starting to sink so somehow got that strength you get when the adrenaline kicks in and got her out. She was very, very digressed and so I just held on to her till Mertz arrived with towels. I didn't think she was going to make it, but she is a fighter and after much love and towelling and roast chicken hand fed in tiny morsels she suddenly rallied, stood up, ears erect and began throwing herself on the carpet to finish the drying off process. It was as if she had been reborn, by the time we took her home in the evening I was having to run to keep up with her as I dare not let her off the lead and she was bounding along the lane.

The curative power of water is something we all experience daily, here's a 90 year old who pretty much sums it up in this beautiful 7 minute film. Watch it.
Waves - A Portrait of Maria á Heygum

Forgot to publish this one

High Tide 03:37 (2.40m)
Low Tide 09:17 (0.80m)
High Tide 15:36 (2.60m)
Low Tide 22:09 (0.50m)
Sea temperature: not taken today but 18 degrees three days ago
Sea conditions: strong waves bashing the shoreline, then a calm deep bit, then big waves with a scary undertoad
Weather: very warm, sunny at 6 but it had started to become very dense in the air as we arrived at the beach and he sky had totally thickened, obscuring the sun by 8
Joined by: The Usual Suspects (apart from TBC)
Topics of conversation: It was the first time many of us have swum together for a while, DK was way in France, The Artist has been on a course, then The Pirate was in Wales and I was in Gloucestershire. I don't swim with the team as regularly these days (hence a less frequent blogging - there's not as much conversation when I'm on my own) and seldom on a Friday as I am usually on the early shift. This week is upside down though, so I'm WFH on The Architect's website today. It was lovely to see everyone, including The Artist, who didn't fancy braving the first layer of waves. She still got wet though.
The Pirate shared an anecdote with me this morning, which the others had heard, and is apposite to this blog:
He and his wife have been on their holidays, it seem the main objective seems to have been to try out their new glamour tent before WOMAD, and one of their stop overs was Holwell in Wales. The town takes its name from a holy well (St. Winefred's well) and has some status on the pilgrimage map as a result. The Pirate was missing his morning swims and so, being a man of few inhibitions, struggled into his Speedos in the little tents provided for those brave enough and made his way to the edge of the well with The Pirate's Wife attempting to disown him. 

The well was surrounded by tourists and pilgrims and earlier they had identified a group as being three generations of one family who were speaking a language they didn't understand - he assumed they were northern European and as he approached they all went silent. The Pirate needs the support of a stick to walk and getting in and out of water can be precarious, be he managed and found it to be the perfect way to cool off, relax and in his own way, to pay his respects. Refreshed he clambered out of the water to a still hushed audience, until the oldest of the family showed that they were actually Irish travellers who had been speaking gaelic, but she switched to English and said, crestfallen "oh, it didn't work then...".

Low Tide 01:03 (0.80m)
High Tide 07:51 (2.20m)
Low Tide 13:27 (1.00m)
High Tide 19:51 (2.20m)
Sea temperature: not taken, I must remember to take it tomorrow
Sea conditions: Calm and deep
Weather: sunny, but terrible forecast
Joined by: I swam early but the others were getting in as I was getting out so I saw The LE, TBC and Sara and the Poet, which was nice. DK and Legs are in France, finishing off his memoirs and The Pirate and his wife are in Wales. 
I haven't blogged for over a week, and here is no point trying to catch up, but sadly Legs's father died last week. She has written a wonderful obituary, which can be found here: Obituary for Odd Knut Ronning It really is a very lovely tribute to a man I wished I'd known.

The sea has been very warm and mostly calm, although it whipped up a frenzy on Saturday, with rain like needles and crashing waves. I didn't even try to get in a went home before I had to watch DK try not to drown.
Both Jagger and Willow had birthdays last week and The Ellies held a small and exclusive party, for their one year old English Setter with attitude, on the playing field - it's the only place in the village that is fenced off and so mabel was allowed to run free, but she was rather put out that he didn't give her his undivided attention apparently. Willow and Luna had to send their apologies so we made up for it with champagne on the beach on Willow's birthday. When we arrived at the hut there was a card full of gravy bones and a brilliant card from Jagger.

We had our first jellyfish of the year last week, just a single tea plate sized moon jelly, and it didn't sting, but it's a sign that the water is heating up. It's also a sign that we should expect our American neighbours to turn up - they are always here for 'the summer' and usually arrive at the same time as the jellyfish, which is a shame as they love to swim. 
Paddleboarding update - I've now been to sea on Jochem's board, he kindly took me down and stayed on the shore whilst I went up and down and tried various turns, jumping off, getting on and generally messing about. It was much harder work as the sea had become a bit choppy, but it was quite exhilarating. He's hoping to make a start on my board soon, so I'm looking for inspiration for the design.

High Tide	00:02 (2.30m)
Low Tide	05:46 (0.80m)
High Tide	12:06 (2.50m)
Low Tide	18:19 (0.60m)

Sea temperature: not taken today - 16.4 on Thursday.

Sea conditions: a bit murky, perfect depth, and coming in.

Weather: it had been sunny at fish but the mist had descended and brought a chill with it.

Joined by: just TBC, The LE and me today, but The Pirate's Wife came to say hello before her run, with Bosco trailing behind.

Jagger had found a new friend and was busy quailing himself with him by running round and round in circles barking a great deal. He's about three times the size of the new friend, a white Jack Russel cross, and yet the newcomer had him whipped. The Ellies have employed a trainer to work with Jagger and they are currently attempting to redress the balance of power in the household having been duped by his floppy, gentle and ever so clever manipulation of their daily lives. He had lulled them into a false sense of security by appearing to be rather an innocent unset jelly, whereas he was in fact a cunning and wily control freak who has been getting his own way. Yesterday he stole TBC's trousers, perhaps this really meant he didn't want her to leave the beach, but to stay and play?
The storm of yesterday evening was a main topic of conversation, it has cooled the temperatures from the mugginess of the day, which had started with strange dark cloud banks hanging over the land and the sea. As I'd swum alone I contemplated that had I no sense of temperature I could have been in Thailand, where there is often a dark line on the horizon and the air felt thick and still. 

There had been a sudden downpour at lunchtime and then by the time I was driving home the dark clouds had massed over the village. At around the same time the LE told us she had called in to pick up a loaf of bread, on her bike, on the way to a book reading. The heavens had opened during the book reading and just as I arrived home so we'd stayed dry, but the bread hadn't. It had been a full on tropical sounding storm, heavy rain, huge raindrops falling straight down with no wind at all and lots of deep, growling thunder. 

Double exposure creating ghost sheep!

The LE's article has been published in a local glossy magazine and I hoped to add a link here but I'm having issues with with my browser this morning, it seems to be choosing where I am allowed to go, interestingly allowing me to play a video about the new dog food I've invested in. I'm blaming The Yogi, who very kindly looked after Luna and Willow last weekend. She has introduced Maisie, her lurcher, to a new and exciting food stuff, which Luna wanted and couldn't have - so she went on strike. She has never, EVER left food in her bowl before, but having seen what Maisie was getting she refused hers. The Yogi then brought us a sample and the dogs wouldn't leave our sides till they'd had some so I've had a delivery this morning and it's quite complicated: http://www.purepetfood.co.uk/things-we-make/chicken-dinner I'll keep a note of how this goes.
As I am now officially hooked on the whole paddle board thing I have finally ordered a wetsuit, with mush support from Sara, who reviewed my choices and offered advice, both practical and sartorial. There hasn't been much been falling in, so haven't really needed it yet but that's because Jochem has made sure I've stayed on calm water so far. For my introductory lesson I paddled in the 'children's beach', a small inlet, where the water sits between the two rivers. It's tidal so at high tide he paddled over from the north side and then the next day I cycled over and paddle up river, on my own! I felt really confident and happy as I navigated around the moored boats and up under the bridge, next time I might even make it to the samphire beds. 

The children's beach with teacher.

Low Tide 03:41 (0.80m)
High Tide 10:11 (2.40m)
Low Tide 16:11 (0.80m)
High Tide 22:29 (2.30m)
Sea temperature: not taken (last time I took it was Monday - 15.2)
Sea conditions: good waves, deep water
Weather: bright and silvery, a strong breeze on the beach
Joined by: The Usual Suspects (apart from DK who is in France working on his memoirs) 
Topics of conversation:
It's not just been my schedule that's been all over the place over the last week with work commitments, late nights and house guests. DK decreed a 7.15 swim time for the main group just before he went away and apparently this lasted only until he went away, when the rest of them decided to revert to 7.30, but didn't tell the occasional swimmers. This has meant that the short stretch of water on our patch has been swum from 6.30, when the first LOTV's take to the water, then The Rev Cannon seems to have persuaded his wife to go slightly later at around 6.45 as  I encountered them leaving as I arrived just before 7. There is then a steady drip feed till around 8, when the final staggers arrive. Over the last 5 days I've been joined by The Inventor, who has been staying with us and recently by The Osteopath, who has gone from full wetsuit to bikini overnight. 
Wetsuits were a topic today too as Sara has kindly leant me a couple of hers to try. I've never won a wetsuit before and I found it very awkward and uncomfortable, especially around the neck. I hadn't realised (foolishly) that wetsuits need to be high and tight around the neck to keep you warm and I have a fair amount of scar tissue in that area from surgery. Not only was it uncomfortable but it was alien, as I haven't even worn a polo neck for years. One of my tasks today is to research wetsuits to see if I can find something that works for me when paddle boarding. There are just so many variables that I'm stuck already.

Jochem Voogt of Novobaots is introducing me to the delights of paddle boarding, a sport which ticks every box for me; you take it at your own pace, you can use it for silent and solitary exploration, wave bashing or even just hanging out in the water, and it's good for core strength. It was Jochem who restored Greylag (previously featured) and I spotted him paddling down river one evening when we were eating fish and chips on her with The Architect. The only problem is that Jochem is not just a boat builder and furniture maker, he's an artist - he's made a beautiful wooden board for himself and now I want one. Having been sent message with a photo from one of my ex-students the week before, showing him paddling with his teacher on a lake in Santa Fe which read "You'd like paddle boarding!" and then seeing this board - I'm hooked. Perhaps the key is for me to see it for what it is, a collaborative work of art, as he's happy for me to be involved in the design, and my height, weight and Landrover create a formula to decide the length and volume of the board.

Jochem on his board (with my house in the background)

Jess had been poorly and had a seizure yesterday evening - she's a 15 year old lurcher, with very long legs, and it had been scary for her and her owners. The vet was very supportive and has even supplied them with Diazepam to be administered as a suppository in case of further attacks, which got us all squirming a bit. She seems well recovered today and had a play with Jagger and a gravy bone and hopefully will continue to feel better.
The Artist and I had had fun after our swim yesterday as she is going to work with an inspirational teacher in July and he has asked her to find photographs of her environment to use. She wanted to work with some of the shots I've taken by the harbour and shoreline so we spent an hour or so going through around 9,000 images on my computer. It was like a game, I skimmed through the events with the images as large thumbnails and she stared at the screen making noises as she saw something that she liked. The noises varied from 'OOOh!' to 'Ahhhhhhhh' or 'nooooope' and then we created a shortlist, which she had to whittle down further. The criteria were: man made structure in the fore or middle ground, clouds or waves, depth of perspective. I'm honoured that she has chosen them.