Get Your Snorkel On
I recently had the pleasure of swimming in Burden Lake to cool off. It’s pretty much a private lake. You gotta know someone to swim there. But there are ways to be incognito for a dip in that cool dark lake. The real end goal of this trip is to stop at Kay’s Pizza. The joint has choice pizza and it’s only open during the summer months. To cool off on your way to Kay’s there are some other spots that are open to the public, such as various swimming holes and Grafton State Park.
Kay’s is usually packed so play a few video games (Buck Hunter!!) while you wait. My favorite feature believe it or not; is the game room floor. A tangle of small hills. You will just have to go there and see it.
Back to beating the summer heat: I brought my snorkel gear to the lake. I know snorkeling is to see fish but there are other uses. This trip inspired the following pictures and rant. Yes, I even had a brief toe dip in the Hudson.
To beat the summer heat
eat an ice cream treat
and move those feet
away
from the concrete street
and
find yourself sitting in front of a fan
to cool your golden tan
those who lack air condition
or for those who just have ambition
will find themselves at the beach
or their secret retreat
So I say beat the summer heat
and find your water elite
pop a squat on that grassy knoll
and plunge into your favorite swimming hole
Some pockets of water are secret and off beat and deserve to be celebrated with some whiskey neat. In this summer heat, to swim where you need permission will result in sedition as who can sustain the summer fever drain. The crazed won’t endure it and rest assured there is allure of any summer oasis. Just make sure you cover your bases. If you know someone, great, if not, why wait?
At the lake, swimming with snorkel gear is a must. You can swim faster, farther and see into the dark. Or just lazily swim on the surface bobbling around like a shark. Just watch out for boats as you float. One fear with snorkel gear when diving into the dark water is finding a shoddy dead body bloated and reaching. It makes my heart pump and skip. The possibility of brushing with a stiff. Then why do I dive? The thrill of it just a bit, to be a fish, discover beams of light through the murky wet; to peep, to scan, to find an old man. To feel like the only soul out for a swim stroll, as the motor boats drone. The deep dark unknown with a boat’s monotonous low tone will give some comfort that you are not alone.
