Money can't buy this much fun!

There's some very special things in life that money can't buy  and today was one hell of a gift.
 
The view towards the lighthouse on Fidra was a little imposing, especially as we were about to swim across the channel towards it. I trotted down the beach, excited, and plunged into the cold water. It wasn't so bad as to get ice-cream head through.
 
I was out a little and then waited for Jim, Izzy and Rosemary. There was a breaker around 50m out, suggesting submerged rocks. Jim suggested we sighted off the aerial thingies  on the island as that looked like the best line.
 
I was soon ahead of everyone, Jim having stopped, deciding he didn't want to go to the island. We left him to swim in the shallows instead. Clearing the shallows, kelp rose up from its attachments below, making it a little scary. Although we pitched and turned a little, the sea was reasonably flat and it was easy to get into a rhythm.
 
I saw a jelly fish, pulsing in the clear ocean below and hoped there weren't too may more. I stopped and let out a noise…..Izzy and Rosemary stopped to check I was ok…."They're guillemots" I squawked staring towards the sky watching miniature flying  penguin like birds flap just above our heads. We were in their environment.
 
The plan had been to land on the island but the currents close to its rocky shore didn't look overly inviting and I didn't have shoes. We were also a little worried about nesting birds so decided to head back to the shore. It was much harder doing so as we were getting pulled by the current and it was much harder to sight that before. Firstly we headed right but were too close to the rocks on Yellowcraigs beach. I felt exposed and a little bit afraid, but loving every second too.
 
We headed left, across the incoming tide and I got a few mouthfuls of salty water. I pinned myself on Izzy's hip and we swam until a rock avoiding line into the beach became apparent. It was easy going from there on in. We met Jim close to the shore, bobbing happily wetsuitless in the waves.
 
It was sad to get back on dry land….I think it had been my best open-water swim ever.
 
A few hours earlier, we had arrived at North Berwick for a day that Rosemary had been planning for a few weeks. Her and Izzy were doing a swim-run from the west beach to Gullane. Jim and I were simply heading along the coast to pick them up at the other end. They are training for a race in the Scilly Isles.
 
After Yellowcraigs, the girls disappeared around the headland jogging in their special swim-run wetsuits and funny socks, Jim n I went to get changed and then wait in Gullane. We had a jolly time, but did get a little nervous when they didn't appear when and where expected. We had simply missed them and thought it was best to wait at the rendezvous point, Falko's in the village!
 

Just as we had finished our coffee and cake, they both arrived looking happy. They trotted off to get changed after their epic and then we all had a cheesy lunch together.