Farewell Summer, The Final (Skinny) Dip?

Happy Fall! Happy Last Dip of Summer!

Yesterday was the last official day of Summer.

So many things I love about this photo:

Well, I did not go to enjoy the pool because it was the last day of Summer. I went because I could :) Took an extra day off work so I could be sure to have at least a moment free for Caitlin, before she had to leave town again. Even a short Visit with a dear friend is better than no visit at all.  There is something quite pleasing about knowing you took a paid-day off from work, and you are getting paid for having an absolutely wonderful day!

I got up before the sun, went to join Caitlin for breakfast, and enjoy what little time we had before she hit the road back to LA. Caitlin is similarly like minded and free as I am. So when it came time for a few playful pictures before she left, it was a no brainer… and of course, Google took all our goofy pics, and made this Awesome GIF :)

After she departed, I went to visit another dear friend, Frankie. Oh, it is too long between cherished visits! Then, I decided to take care of the few errands/ shopping I needed to do, so I would have the entire rest of my paid day off to enjoy the final day of Summer.  I had not given it much thought, just went with whatever flowed easily.

I also had done all my laundry on Saturday (my normal day off) so I was as free as possible on Sunday. Also on Saturday, I managed to finish writing a blog I had hoped to get done (you might find it interesting, and gain a bit of understanding about when I was Suicidal). Other than a few photos, it was ready to publish. It was wonderful that I felt so free. I decided to go soak up what little bit of sun, warmth, and water I could before it got too cold as Fall was fast gripping the region.

I Live in Las Vegas, Nevada. Summer seems to last much much longer when you live in The Desert. But we cannot take it for granted. As soon as September comes, even though the mid-day temperatures are still in the 90’s, and occasionally hold on at 100, there is no denying the Fall is taking away our Summer. Once September comes, The Earth’s tilt is evident as the Sun Suddenly no longer shines on The Pool, and only a small sliver of pool deck is in the sun. The water quickly loses its heat, and The Earth once again matches the temp of the water. While the water easily is above 80 degrees in July and August, come September, it dips to 60, even into the 50’s real fast. To me, That is COLD! I will still get in and swim, but I gotta keep my dips short, and get into the sliver of sun as fast as possible to regain my body’s temp.

After I had found just enough sunshine, placed my lounge, arranged my towels, I went for a swim. This was my view as I stood on the first step. 

See the Wall of clouds over Yonder? To me it looked like a wall of waves rolling toward me. The clouds were seeming like the giant wave about to wipe out the sandcastles built on the beach.  A reminder that those castles are only temporary, much like summer is. The wave is coming to wipe out the summer castles on the beach.

Notice the sun does not actually shine on the pool any more, just on the tiny corner of the deck. This photo captures the cold of the water, the sunny warmth of the air, and the fleeting sun’s beam in which I could lay. As you look upon this photo, feel the cold water rippling gently against your feet and legs. Watch those clouds roll and build like a giant wave about to wipe out the sandcastle of summer. Feel how cold the water is. Feel the warmth in the wind. Take another step, feel the cold water grip your more sensitive regions. Oh! It feels wonderfully refreshing, yet you also notice how cold it really is. You ponder: do you really want to immerse yourself completely? Or is just wading to this depth good enough?

You know THIS May be The Last Time you enter the pool.

You decide to go for it, knowing that sunny lounge is right there to warm your cold bits.

Oh boy, Here goes!

I waded one more step, so I would not splash much. (I like to gently get into the water, not jump in.) I love the sensation of feeling every ripple, the variances of the layers of temperatures in the different depths, the feel of the gentle currents. As I stood about to take what might easily be The Last Dip of Summer, I decided Today was a Skinny Dip Occasion. This pool is hardly secluded, is totally a fish-bowl, and visible to anyone who happens to glance this way. I skinny dipped once before in Early August when I first moved here, so I already knew I could if the time was right. Today, it felt right. I slid my shorts down to my ankles, dipped to my shoulders, and pushed off allowing my shorts to float free behind me as I went. Oh, How I miss true freedom! This Summer seemed to present less naked freedom than most in my recent past. Skinny Dipping is one of the most free things I enjoy. The irony that My Final Dip of Summer happened to fall on a Sunday Afternoon, and I was getting paid for it was not lost. THIS was THE MOST CHERISHED SKINNY DIP!!

I Love to swim!! I Love to Skinny Dip! I usually do not enjoy cold water, But this time, I seemed to not feel cold. I swam underwater all the way to one end and back. (Mind you, this pool is tiny, so don’t think I am some sort of miracle swimmer.) But The Freedom was so wonderful. The feel of the water against every cell of my bare body was delightful! I came up for a breath at the same place I started. I was going to call it “good enough” and get out. Yes I was cold already. I normally would get out into the sun by the time I was this cold. But I knew I NEEDED to savor as much of this as possible. THIS WAS MY LAST DIP OF SUMMER. I always know that such choices come with consequences. My body has Zero insulation, and I get dangerously cold Very fast. But I felt the danger was worth it today. I Knew there was my tiny spot of Sun for warming, and knew I did not need to be totally mind-alert the rest of the day, so what the heck, go for the cold-induced Coma, right?

I swam many more laps. I did not count, nor do I have any idea how many minutes I was in the water. At one point, I noticed one of my neighbors had brought a chair onto the balcony. She was smiling, and watching. I did not mind. I never worry about the ones who can see the enjoyment in simply living life without barriers. I used to live in fear. I used to panic at the “What if’s” when I might be seen. Part of the joy in finding freedom is learning to live in the moment, not live in fear, and never get a chance to enjoy life. The freedom was great, but I was very cold, and needed to get into the sun. When My body reaches that point, I must get it warm immediately. (Yes, even nekkid, there is too much of a good thing, and it can turn not-so-good.)At the point when I decided I was Too cold, I was dangerously close to becoming unconscious. I was at the deep end, and could not manage to stay in the water even one more lap. I climbed out using the deep-end ladder, and while I really wanted to just immediately go lay in the sun, I Knew I could not be so free outside of the water. I walked to where my shorts were floating by the steps. The lady on the balcony giggled as I bent to retrieve them. Odd as it may seem, even when cold has shriveled me to almost non-noticable size, I still do not mind others noticing, as long as they are not mean about it. Pretty sure she was just giggling at the overall freedom I had found. (I later found out it was the freedom, AND the cold-effect she was giggling at, but she was in no way mean, just enjoying the moment. She came to visit me in my apartment later, and mentioned she loved the freedom I lived by. She also laughed and mentioned she was glad to see I had gotten warmer.)

I put my shorts on, and went quickly to my sunny spot. I fell asleep almost immediately, since the cold had zapped all my energy. But that, too turned into a cherished thing. Napping in the sun after such a great swim, was so refreshing! I slept for almost an hour in the sun. This of course helped keep up my now wanting to fade tan. Yay! Still Tan for at least another week! As Fall overtakes the region, I will quickly turn pale again.

My Final Swim and Skinny Dip of Summer will Always be Cherished.

Yup! This is my pool. Hardly secluded. This sign happens to be here,
I took this in the end of August, then added the word Skinny to it.
I wonder if The City really had any idea how true this sign was when they placed it....