Eagles Mere lake is about 5/8 mi across from beach to boat dock. Swimming across this lake is an annual ritual for me. It doesn’t take long – this year only 24.7 minutes – but it takes a lot of effort to make it happen. I have to be accompanied by a canoe and two paddlers, one of whom is over 18, and get permission from the beach desk. I need good weather. Getting paddlers is the big challenge. It took me three weeks to secure all the elements needed. But I did it.
Not far from the dock where I pull myself out of the water is an orange buoy. This year, on a lark, I took the buoy – that is I swam a victory lap around the buoy. It was a symbolic gesture to represent victory. Once again, I had completed my ritual.
I realized as I paddled back to the beach, that there are many times where we fail to take the buoy. We get to the end of the task and before tying up the ends, we move onto the next. Glad I “took the buoy” this time.