The hot night shadows speak to each other. Everything seems noisier when it’s 34C at 11.30 at night. The heat sits there like a uncomfortable blanket you can’t pull off.

A fan overhead spins relentlessly. Cooling you it isn’t. Just moving the hot funk of night time round a bit.

Thoughts wonder. Back to the early morning swims of today, the late afternoon swims followed by hot chips of the day before and then all the swims in the middle. This is what this summer has been made of, salty sea water dips that do far more than just cool you off. This is soul building time. It’s memory making and it’s person defining. What that even means at 11.30 at night when you brain has been reduced to hot mush, you’re not sure. But water, it’s an important part of our life, that much is certain.

This summer there is no emptying of removal boxes and no building raised garden beds. No this summer is a little different. A slower pace, a sandy barefoot pace.

Sand has snuck into small people’s beds, swimmers dry on the line in perpetual rotation.

They’ll go swimming again in the morning. Before it gets too hot, well hotter. The laughs, the jumps, the squeals of delight. Splash…

A child’s cry cuts through the salt water thoughts of tomorrow. Listening intently, for the signal to commando roll out of bed and reassure as needed. I’m not though. Not needed. Just a dream, just hot night fuelled dream.

Back to the ambitious fan overhead, and thoughts of tomorrow. Splashing through summer that’s what we are doing.

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Along with countless swimming time, this summer period I’ve been given a beautiful reminder to have fun. Don’t ever forget the fun. This is truly the good stuff of life, and just because you are an ‘adult’ doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. Sometimes I do forget though and this year I’m going to make damn sure that this doesn’t happen often. 

If you look for us by the sea. We’re the ones, skimming rocks, playing tips and holding handstand competitions.

* If you are looking for an easy Summer dessert, I still love this one. Summer Berry Tart. An easy one to prep ahead of time.