OK, let’s face it.  It’s here.  There’s no point in avoiding the issue.  It’s best to talk about these things.  WINTER HAS ARRIVED!!  I’m not a winter person.  I’d move to Darwin if it weren’t for the crocs and the box jellyfish (and the shorts and long socks thing).  So today I reminded myself of all the wonderful things about winter when you have the B&B in your life, and I’ve shared them below.  Think of it as clickbait, without having to find the “next” button.  And if you couldn’t get out of bed this morning, maybe they’ll encourage you to come down to the beach tomorrow.

 

Winter Wonder #1: Getting to the beach in time to see sunrise.  OK, so the sun didn’t cooperate this morning!

 

While I was still tucked up in bed, Roger was teaching a module from the B&B Advanced Pointing course (thanks Renee for the photo).  If anyone knows what was going on here, feel free to share in the comments!

 

Winter Wonder #2: Finding fellow smiling swimmers when you arrive at the beach.  Dave and Kerry waiting patiently for the 7am call.

 

Dave, Kerry, Lisa, Jacqui and blogger extraordinaire Anne.

 

Neil was smiling, despite being off the sand and out of the water for the time being.

 

Father/daughter combo Richard and Natalie.

 

Winter Wonder #3: There’s always dogs.  This is the beautiful Chantelle.  I see her (and her Dad) walking down Ashburner St most mornings, but we only got formally introduced today!

 

As 7am approached, no one seemed keen to strip off, but seeing the board prompted my Winter Wonder #4: Being grateful for any rise in temperature.  Today was a toasty 20, after dropping to 18 point something during the week.

 

Anne and Shaun, both recently returned from overseas.  (Separate trips!)

 

Elizabeth and Dom, with some superb photo-bombing from fellow Welshie Sam.

 

Ian waiting to give the “Let’s go”.  Not that I need a reason to take a photo of Ian, but this photo proves I was at the point in time for the let’s go!!!

 

Greg F showing how it’s done.  Winter Wonder #5: Getting to kid myself that the only reason that swimmer overtook me is that they’re wearing a wetsuit 🙂

 

At Shelly I bumped into my commuting buddy, Jo, which reminded me of my Winter Wonder #6: Getting to show off my piping hot porridge to Jo on the 8.20 ferry!  (Jo – will this be the year you switch to porridge??)

 

Marcus enjoying his start to the day.  We discussed existential topics such as – if there’s no blog, was there a swim?

 

Tracey, Cara and Lisa, photo-bombed by Greg.  Work has been interfering with Lisa’s swimming recently so she was super excited to be back in the water:

 

Lisa even took charge of this week’s Grab the Blogger’s Camera segment:

 

 

The toilet block looks great any time of year :).

Winter Wonder #7: Amazing visibility.  This morning wasn’t brilliant given the big swells around, but I managed to find these guys:

 

 

 

 

As I swam back to the beach, the sun finally broke through:

 

 

 

Winter Wonder #8: Warming up with caffeine.  Jo, Lenore and Lainey showed how it’s done.

And with Colby’s continued absence we found a new labradoodle to love.  This is seven-month-old Kelso:

 

 

 

The scene as I left the beach prompted my Winter Wonder #9 (this one’s my fave): Keeping the morning’s images in your mind all day, and feeling smug as work colleagues long for the return of summer so they can get back in the water :).

Stay positive, everyone!

 

Stats:

280 swimmers

3 newbies

20 degrees

Notices:

Dinner:

The Next B&B monthly dinner for the year will be held on Tuesday 11th June at 6.30 pm at Bluewater Restaurant. Our guest on the night will be B&B Swimmer, Pam Greening, who has recently completed a climb to the Mt Everest Base Camp. Pam describes this adventure as the best experience of her life (apart from swimming with the B&B). Come along and hear about this exhilarating and life-changing experience. If this is on your bucket list, you will learn about the logistics, costs, accommodation and other details such as the best time to go, what clothes to take etc. Don’t miss it!

 

Please book early for this event as it is sure to be popular. The cost of the dinner is great value at only $25 a head, which includes shared entrees, and a selection of mains to choose from (including a vegetarian option). Glasses of beer or wine and desserts are also available at the special price of only $5 each. Numbers are limited, so bookings are essential. To avoid disappointment and secure your spot please book at www.boldandbeautifulmanly.com.au/bb-bluewater-monthly-dinner.html

Winter swimming

The B&B Winter swimming season starts on 1st June. Although the water temperature may be a little colder than you might like, there are several advantages of swimming in winter, including flat seas, good visibility and no bluebottles. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that you can also qualify for a winter badge by swimming a minimum of 20 times between 1st June and 31st August. You must also swim in at least 7 different weeks. If you manage to do all of your qualifying swims without a wetsuit (or other thermal enhancing equipment), you will also qualify for the coveted WWW badge (Winter without wetsuit). Start now, and don’t forget to log your swims to qualify.