Cold Swim in a Greer Lake

During our nine-day vist to Greer, I went for three chilly swims in one of the three reservoirs in Greer (Tunnel). The first day I swam, there were huge puffy clouds in the sky. There were brilliant yellow flowers in fields all around me.

I waded into the squishy mud, feeling the chill of the water on my lower legs before I took a deep breath and plunged in. The water was dark and murky. The cold water enveloped my being, snapping my existence into sharp focus. I swam toward the other side, where siting ahead, I could see a great blue heron walking around near some tall reads. I felt such an impulse to shout for joy.

I mixed it up between freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke. I was swimming a long stretch of freestyle when I heard the rumble. It couldn’t be, I thought. I stroked along on my back again, noticing how the once small puffy clouds had enlarged, now transformed to dark and ominous. I swam back toward shore, pretending I was sprinting for a finish line. And I exited the water, feeling exhilarated. My husband wrapped me in a towel and we ran for the car as large raindrops fell from the sky and lightning flashed. This swim, though shorter than I anticipated, still didn’t fail to disappoint. It was a workout, a celebration of life, a connection with nature. All good!