Thursday night swim:

I swam in the lake tonight. I wore my speedo under my shorts so I wouldn’t shock the citizens of Nelson. I carried my courier bag over my shoulder. My towel and swim goggles in it. The mid august sun was setting through a smokey haze caused by far away forest fires that surround our town. The air has a sweet burnt pine scent. At the shore, on the sand I set my towel, tee shirt and shorts beside my bag. With my goggles in my hand I waded into the sweet cool clear lake. Each watery step washes the day away and I’m soon sliding into the darkening waters, each stroke pulls me, gliding forward. When I finish I take my suit off under the towel wrapped around my waist. Dressed now I carry my sandals in my right hand and sit on a park bench to wipe the sand off my feet. Six Spanish speaking boys are playing volleyball on the sand. Three hombres on each side. A beautiful young woman, deep in thought is wading in ankle deep water along the shoreline. A family has gathered on the grass behind me, escaping from the heat of the day waiting for their houses to cool, the old men are playing chess and the kids are eating ice cream. Two benches down a group of young teens are clustered together. One girl has her phone on speaker and I can hear her Mom asking her to come home. The girl says she wants to stay but I can hear in her voice part of her wants to go. I walked to the car and drove home