No chill zone

[Walden Pond; 7:15pm, 8/1/07]

It was hot yesterday, so I left work 15 minutes early, went home and put on my bathing suit, grabbed my gear, and sat in rush hour traffic for a bit in order to get to Walden Pond to cool off.  Alas, there was no swimming due to a high bacteria count.  We're expecting very hot weather for a couple of days, but I don't imagine anyone will be able to cool off here.  There were a few intrepid swimmers practicing a little civil disobedience in some of the farther reaches of the pond, away from the official beach, and the bacteria counts might be lower out there, but still a bit daunting.

I found a shady spot and read my book for awhile, then went for a walk around the pond before returning home.  When I bought my parking pass a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of the days after work last summer when I'd stop in at Walden after leaving work at 4:30, cool off with a swim, and read awhile before heading home.  It broke up my long commute and refreshed me after a long day of work.  I was planning to change my hours at work for the rest of this summer so that I'd leave at 4:30 again and go to Walden after work.  Now I'm wondering if that's going to be possible.  I had one nice visit here two weeks ago, then it was closed last Sunday due to crowds and closed to swimming last night.  Sigh.

Comments

[marja-leena]

How lovely! I'd feel the same as you if I were deprived of a swim on a hot day - if I had such a lake nearby. The ocean near here is too cold for me. Hope it cleans up for you soon.

[Ches]

Not sure how long you waited around on Thursday, but the officials reopened the pond for swimming around 5:30 p.m. There were many people swimming by the time I got there at 6.

[Leslee]

Thanks, Marja-Leena. I hope so too.

Ches: I was there on Wednesday night, not Thursday - arrived around 6pm and stayed until around 7:30. But thanks, I'll have to try again another time.

[Mouse]

Walden closed?
That is the saddest thing I have read today!
I don't understand about the bacteria. Can nothing be done to rectify that? If not then I, for one, would be all for a little civil disobediance!
We are headed to the sea today too
Summers has finally come to Brittany

[leslee]

Mouse: The thing with the bacteria, I think, is too many people and too hot weather. All they can do is close up for awhile and let the pond clean itself. I'd be for civil disobedience, but not for swimming in icky bacteria-loaded water! Glad to hear you, too, went to the sea and that summer finally showed up!