swimming in the rain

Most of the days of our three week swimming holiday have been gloriously perfect beyond belief. But it's the times when it's rained - and one early evening, even really stormed - that are often the most magic for me. Because, unless there's thunder and lightening, I'm swimming. In the rain.

Click below, if you'd like, to illustrate these images with song. It's the song I sing while swimming, but I change some of the words.

These top three shots are, again, from Tranquility, NJ: I hadn't realised til later, that Maryann took some shots of me from the mill/house, while swimming in the river above the waterfall. The others are from the pool here, on the North Fork, Long Island. We leave tomorrow, and once we're back in the UK, I'm hoping we'll go to Cornwall, to swim some more. It's been a washout for my poor husband, who usually fishes - we don't know where the fish are this summer, but they're not in the Sound.









I love the different colours of blue, depending on the light. Bliss. As Alexandra Therese said: 'I think that swimming is the ultimate freedom - I feel so privileged that I can swim, I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't.' In fact, soon as I hit publish, I'm off to swim in the soft, English rain.* There's something so endlessly magical to me about rainy days in summer: the sunshine is for everyone, but the rainy days feel special, like they're mine alone.

*(Clarification: my mom, who is next to me ON Long Island, just read that part and thought it might be a bit confusing. I am still here. Here, being Long Island. We fly back tomorrow. I meant the rain is.. English-esque. Soft. Unlike say this morning, or yesterday when we were driving to see the Help: that was a Hard Rain. Driving Rain.)

If you want to see something absolutely charming, click here.