Sunday 18 October: Fun, friendships and farewells

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL IS NOT CURRENTLY MEETING DUE TO THE CONTINUED RISK OF COVID-19. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND FOLLOW PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE. THANK YOU FOR SWIMMING AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY.

An overcast sky this morning.  As I walked down Ashburner Street I could hear the ocean, which is normally a sign of a challenging swim, but conditions didn’t look too bad at all:

 

Nor did the temperature:

 

Numbers were definitely down though.  Maybe it was due to yesterday’s fires at North Head and the video clip of a great white cruising around Deadmans (hey, it’s the ocean – they live there!).  The good news was that there was no sign of either, and Dave reported seeing a grey nurse shark (the only sighting I heard about this morning).

Guy and Jeff getting ready for the plunge:

 

Mother and son combo Juliette and Barnabas:

 

Barnabas starts his HSC on Tuesday.  Good luck!  To both of you!!

Lisa beaming post-swim:

 

Roz and Peter, comparing fins before the plunge:

 

Al found this watch in the surf.  Please let him know in the comments below if it’s yours (or if it’s not yours, Al can provide his bank account details 🙂 ):

 

Top elbow action from Mary:

 

Greg and Angela:

 

Seconds before this photo was taken, a very large wave came through at the point.  We were all relieved we were just outside the surf zone.  If we hadn’t been, there might not have been a blog today!

Then Jac, Fi and Cath turned up, bearing the important news that Kerry was in the bay for her very last swim:

 

While we waited for Kerry, they kindly put on a show:

 

And then Kerry turned up!

 

Kerry and family are returning to the US and will make their new life in Lake Tahoe.  It’s been a sad few weeks for all of us as Kerry has made so many friends at the B&B, with her infectious smile and sense of adventure.

 

The WOWs made Kerry’s final swim one to remember (nice photo-bombing by the jelly):

 

 

 

 

 

 

By this time we’d been in the water for about 20 minutes and hadn’t made it past the point, so we thought we’d better swim a bit.  Visibility was so-so, and not helped by the substandard photographic skills of a rusty blogger.  Spot the groper:

 

Spot the parrot fish:

 

Near the shed we found the side-lying fish:

 

More impressive was Mary’s impression of the side-lying fish:

 

The jellies were everywhere near the pool.  They’re the non-stinging, bubbly-feeling kind, and they’re pretty hard to photograph:

 

Sets rolling in at the point:

 

Kerry enjoying her final (for now) post-swim coffee with Clare and Belinda.  She’s already planning some swims in Lake Tahoe, and we can’t wait to see the photos of her there in her pink cap!

 

With Jac:

 

With Jimmy:

 

And with Izzy:

 

This morning summed up what the B&B means to me.  Friendships build gradually, as people slowly reveal themselves through daily chats and (sometimes scary!) shared experiences.  Then one day you realise these are some of the best buddies you’ve ever had in your life.  Stay safe, Kerry, and stay in touch!

Happy Sunday, everyone!