I stripped down to my swim jammer and waded out until the water was up to my chest. The lake bed was soft and squishy. I kept thinking of Dory from the movie "Finding Nemo" when she encountered a small jelly fish and called him "squishy". It helped distract me from imagining broken bottles or bones in the lake bed or thinking about the opening scene of the 1990 film "The Giant Brine Shrimp" that was filmed here on the lake.
I waded out with the girls to the buoys. bobbing with the cascade of waves and a pleasant breeze. I was a little nervous, at first. Elena commented how there was no chlorine smell. I advised the girls to not splash, "why dad?" but before I could answer, one of them got a taste of the water and another got water in her eyes. I reassured Amanda to wait a little bit and her tears would wash out the salt. I reminded them that there is no pool side to swim to and to stay close to a "buddy".
The water looked dirty, it has a green and brown hue and it smells strong of brine and "something dead". I leaned back into the water and was pleased to discover that it was true, you really didn't have to "swim" in this water because you float like a cork. I remember being told about this from my older sisters when I was very young. It was fun to float on the water like an otter and watch the clouds pass overhead or study a sailing ship on the horizon. I felt rejuvenated as depressive feelings slipped away. I believe the minerals in the water are healing.
We washed off the salt and sand as best we could at a fresh water station. My hair was caked with salt and I remember something from running marathons: salt is very abrasive. What a relief it was to use fresh water to rinse off! We went to the gift shop and picked up some post cards as souvenirs. I wish I had taken the plunge earlier or even more often over the past 20 years.
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