Saturday, Sept 10, 2022 - Swim to Alligator Lighthouse At the start whistle, I swam out of the starting gateway with the group which began to spread out within the first 100 yards. We veered toward the first buoys where swimmers were required to merge with their support kayaks. Luckily, my kayaks spotted me quickly … Continue reading CH 5: Open Water
Saturday, Sept 10, 2022 - Swim to Alligator Lighthouse I knew it was vital to be rested before an athletic event but I was awake at 5:00AM and checked the clock every five minutes (ugh, adrenaline) with the uneasy, and mistaken, impression that we were late. Our phone alarms woke everyone else at 6:00AM as … Continue reading CH 4: Event Day
Friday, Sept 9, 2022. One day before “race” day. Friday morning, Anton stayed in the hotel room to finish up a few things on his laptop for work while the rest of us went exploring before the mandatory safety meeting at 1:00pm. We chose to drive south on the lone road that threads the length … Continue reading CH 3: Anne Beach and Amara Cay
Thursday, Sept 8, 2022. Two days before "race" day. Reaching the general vicinity of the venue of the Swim to Alligator Lighthouse was an endeavor in itself. Seriously. I currently live in Tampa, FL. Our destination was the village of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. I won't give you a minute-by-minute account, but I woke … Continue reading CH 2: Point A to Point B
I participated in an open water swimming event this past weekend in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The course began at Amara Cay Resort and took us 4-miles off the coast to Alligator Lighthouse and back. Anton (my brother) convinced Maddie (his girlfriend), Vanessa (our older sister) and me to sign up with him in … Continue reading CH 1: Swimming Adventure in the Florida Keys
I sleep well anywhere. My cot below deck aboard The Constellation was no exception. I woke instantly when a steward made rounds for wake up calls at first light. I dressed and ducked out into the narrow passageway. Lally stepped out of his own compartment and we saw each other as we secured our respective … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 14)
Thonotossasa, FL - I started at the trail head at Trout Creek Conservation Park (mile marker "0" on the map) and hiking north/northeast along the upper half of the 15 mile loop (Hillsborough County, FL). Some pics from the hike: It's beautiful out there.
Lally made three attempts with his fork to spear a tender sea scallop in buttery white wine sauce without tearing his eyes away from the distant table just in case the rare event (aka Mesa's smile) should recur. He feared missing it a second time. "I've never seen him smile," Lally lamented. Attention arrested as … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 11)
The sleek luxury schooner The Constellation sliced through the open seas with full sails, as close to flight as the ocean-going vessel could ever be. From the moment the anchors were weighed until the sun plunged into the western horizon, Captain Gisela Koning maintained a grueling pace with the help of her first mate Mr. … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 10)
“Mesa! Always on time!” a woman crowed down at me from the deck of a twin-masted luxury schooner emblazoned with the words ‘The Constellation’ visible clearly in the first warm rays of morning. On deck, a half dozen deck hands were prepping the shop for launch. “Good morning, Captain,” I said. Lally and the others pause … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 9)
Duri Rolvsson 