Six months ago, I had promised myself I would swim on the first weekend of winter.
This year, I wanted to know when my last swim would be. Not for the season to have simply just stopped and trickled away. I also wanted a challenge. I wanted it to be dark and cold. As that’s what swimming in winter should be like, shouldn’t it?
The clouds were dark, the water was coolish, and every stroke of that first weekend in winter swim was divine. But now that I had made it to the first weekend of winter, maybe I should push it a little further? Second month of winter?
Or, should I just keep going though out the year? No more chickening out because the water is a bit cool for my delicate constitution. (Perhaps I could be one day brave enough for this?)
While the water was certainly cooler than last time I had been in, it wasn’t as cool as I thought it would be. 21C isn’t exactly arctic waters.
The outside air temperature was also cooler than the sea temp, but only recently so. This month just gone by was abnormally warm, not just here in Sydney but across a fair chunk of Australia.
Is what we have to look forward to in our future?
While some people rejoice in that they get to wear their summer clothing almost all year long, this kind of weather scares the hell out of me.
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Climate Council- Abnormal Autumn
Plants confused by extra warm autumn
cityhippyfarmgirl 
scares me too brydie..i love seasonal change..and brave you for taking the plunge in winter..x
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We’ll see if it happens again this weekend Jane…can I be brave?
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Me too Brydie – I’m still picking tomatoes…
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Argh. What’s going on Becs?
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Brave girl, I need sunshine and heat to swim these days. Re the weather: so many seemed to think those high May temperatures were wonderful, I’m a bit relieved to hear I wasn’t the only one to be scared by them — that wasn’t a simple abnormality.
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They weren’t wonderful at all were they…something terribly wrong.
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Dang girl… Go you braving the water now. Winter is my least fav time of year, mornings like today I wish I could be a bear and hibernate for a few months. I will say tho that my garden is still producing summer fruits, very odd. Wishing you a lovely Thursday and a fun filled weekend. 🙂
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Canberra is different though. You get things cold, real cold down there. Your garden though, that shouldn’t be happening Anna!
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Pity those in power aren’t scared too Brydie. I fear for our children.
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Unfortunately that just makes it doubly worrying Melissa.
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Not happening here…alls cold on the Southern Front and has been for about a month or so now and we are all huddled around our respective fires trying to keep warm
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As it should be. Enjoy your beautiful Tassie winter…some of my favourite winter memories are from Tas 🙂
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I am busy building my own favourite memories and they all seem to revolve around Brunhilda and shoving firewood into her gaping maw 🙂
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It’s not unusual for women to become less inhibited after having children (at least I am) so the Solstice nude swim could be on the cards. It certainly would be fun and invigorating! When I saw the heat waves on the news and everyone enjoying beach time I was freaked out about food security. There’s no snow here and instead of planning for a town without snow they are building more snow machines.
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It certainly would be a life experience wouldn’t it Zena, taking that swim. I was thinking on why women would become less inhibited after having children. I totally agree and the reasons would be better explored over a pot of chai and large slabs of cake I think. Will think more on that one, thank you… 🙂
As for no snow…ugh.
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We share the same sentiments Brydie, I was at the beach yesterday with the little ones playing in the sand and it was almost like summer…scary stuff :{
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Not good Flick is it.
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You’re very brave. I grew up having to go to swimming lessons that were outdoors, usually in the rain and with an arctic blast whipping around me. The water was 17C but that was warm compared with sticking your arm out every time you took a stroke. I’m so scarred by the experience I can only swim in sunny tropical conditions! xx
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