The Tradition

Friends often are close enough to start traditions with family members that go on for years. Here’s a tradition that Dale started with my two daughters that lasted for five years. The girls both loved it, so here’s the story.

 

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The Tradition

 

 

On October 10,1987 at 6:30 PM, Dale and my two daughters, Kristi and Tamara started a tradition at Grand Lake that they would continue for five straight years. The temperature was 44 degrees F with a chill factor to 22 degrees F. Brrrrrrrr, they all three went swimming in the month of October at Grand Lake. We always went to Grand Lake in October to see the Pelicans that migrated through each year, so it was fairly easy to add a swim to the trip.

 

 

The tradition begins in October 1987 as Dale, Kristi and Tamara take a cold swim in Grand Lake. Kristi is coming up the ladder with Dale following close behind.

 

Tamara and Dale in1987 shortly after they got out of the Frigid waters. Looks like Dales teeth are chattering..

 

 

 

in October, 1989, we were out on the boat checking out the Pelicans when they decided to make the plunge. The weather wasn’t as cold, but the water was still chilly. They did the flying leap off the back of the boat.

 

Kristi, Tamara, and Dale lined up on the back of the boat building courage for the October plunge into Grand Lake. I think Kristi was trying to get in a good profile shot for the camera

 

Tamara doing a swan flop into the cold waters of Grand Lake in 1989 while Kristi and Dale recover from the shock.

 

Trying to decide who’s going to be the first to leave the cold cold water and warm up on the boat in 1989.

 

 

 

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In October, 1991, the last year the tradition was maintained, Kristi had a cold and was unable to participate in the tradition. However, our daughter Tamara had her friend Amanda along with her on that trip, so Amanda agreed to join Dale and Tamara and take the Polar bear plunge with them. I think Amanda was a bit of a wild child like Tamara. Anyway, since this was likely the last year for the tradition, we decided to document the plunges a bit better than had previously been done. Dale’s voice always got a little higher when he jumped in which indicated to me that he had suffered severe shrinkage of certain private parts as a result of the shock of hitting the cold water. The girls seemed to weather the shock a lot better.

 

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Amanda Tamara, and Dale building their courage to take the plunge. The life jackets are a precaution in case the body reacts bad to the thermal shock. I think that’s Dales Iron Man pose.

 

Well there goes Dale. He’s committed too far to back out now. In one second his voice will rise up two octaves.

 

See him suck in that big breath. The shrink is on big time. hold on Dale it’ll be better in a minute.

 

There go the girls with Kristi cheering them on. Their turn to suck in that deep breath. Dale sounds like he’s been breathing in Helium.

 

Looks like the girls are trying to knock each other out of the way to get on the dock. Dale is still trying to catch his breath.

 

They’re wishing they had a big wool blanket to wrap around them. That’s John on the dock snickering at the cold swimmers

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Time for Dale to take his bow as the girls exit stage left.

 

Heading for the warmth of the cabin and some dry clothes. The Tradition has been fulfilled for 1991. Good job you all.

 

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Nobody ever got sick or suffered any bad effects from the swims other that the temporary acute shrinkage previously mentioned. Dale still talks to the girls about those October swims each time he sees them. The girls loved the tradition as much as or maybe a little more than Dale. Sometimes friends become as close as family members. I think this was one of those cases.

Thanks for reading The Tradition.
Hawg Jaw Bill