Dunsmuir Community Pool!

“Damn damn damn damn!!!” I try to keep my swearing at low volume here at the Dunsmuir community pool. But it’s hard.
All the years swimming, I’ve never done this one. Sure, I forget essential swim items at times: caps, goggles, fins, ear plugs.
But my suit?
Have I ever forgotten my suit?
Hell no!

And now, here at the beautiful Dunsmuir Community Pool with only an hour allotted for lap swimming, I am in the dismal little locker-room frantically searching through my gym bag for my suit.
Cap: check
Fins: check
Earplugs: check
Leggings: check (The pool is outdoors and hot hot hot. So I’m happy that I didn’t forget my anti sun leggings.)
Rash guard: check: for the same reason as above, I’ve packed my sun shirt.
But no suit? Really? Can this be?
I try not to cry. How could I have done this? I take all my stuff out of my gym bag, laying it out to double check. But no. no suit.

Okay, so….the minutes are ticking by. And the beautiful pool awaits. I don’t have time to go back to the Cabin and retrieve the suit, if that’s where it is.

I have to swim in that pool!
So…yes, this will work. I have the pants. I have the shirt. Why not just wear my elephant t-shirt under the shirt and the pants will work on their own since they’re black? No one will know I don’t have a suit on under this ensemble, right?

Oh! It’s Dunsmuir. The locals are all heaterized in their cut offs and tank tops, smoking cigarettes and flip flopping round town. They won’t care.
Plus, there’s hardly anyone here at the Dunsmuir community pool with the exception of the 5 water aerobics ladies on their noodles bobbing up and down.

So, what the hell.

I don my make-shift swim ensemble and venture out on the deck, still upset but the pool beckons. Ian’s waiting on deck.
“Everything okay?”
“You’re not gonna believe this, but I left my suit back at the cottage I guess. Or maybe it fell off in the car….or…”
“I’ll go look!” he offers, eager to ward off a pre swim nervous breakdown
“No, there’s not time. I’m just gonna wear my elephant t-shirt and sun pants. I’ll be in the water. No one will know.”
And they don’t.

I hop into the aqua beauty of this lovely pool and it’s so delicious. The water is ‘solar heated’, meaning that it’s not. But it’s okay since it’s been over a hundred degrees this day. I swim the first lap and feel the soothing coolness of the water. The clothes are hard to swim in, but I don’t care.

I’m in the Dunsmuir community pool with the scent of burgers wafting over the water and the sounds of I-5 in the background.

Two middle aged guys jump in next to me; they’ve had a few beers. I smile to myself. They’re not really swimmers, so my strange swim apparel won’t register, I’m sure.

Then one breaks into an impressive butterfly and I have to re-evaluate. Okay, maybe he was a swimmer before the Dunsmuir Daze took over his paradigm. His friend cracks up after trying to fly, and they splash each other like boys.

I like this pool. It’s so different from the Y. It’s casual and clear and cool.
But best of all, I have a view of Mt. Shasta, when I turn at the wall.
What could be better than that?

My swimsuit?
Sure, this would help. But in the meantime, I’m happy happy happy as I swim swim swim across the blue blue pool!