After a nights sleep, that dreams are made of, we swam 1 1/4 miles in Buttermere on Sunday morning. It has been the most magical start to our challenge and I am still smiling now. Lets see if we are still smiling in two weeks (or when the rain returns)!!

Our third swim in Ullswater was less sunny than the previous two. But a delight all the same. There is a rocky outcrop on the less accessible side of Ullswater that I have always wanted to get to, but never had the time...until tonight. Yippee. Another little dream come true. The swim was lovely. Clear and calm and fantastic views, down each dog leg of the Lake. (And even though I have forbidden myself to time my swims...it wasn't a bad time). 

Rydal Water for the fourth swim. Scenery that inspired poets and painters; not swimmers! Shallow and small, Rydal is 'warm'. But shallow and small make it cloudy green with reed that grab you like the brittle fingers of... You get the picture. To get around the island we needed to swim like crocodiles. 

Bassenthwaite for swim 5 very sociable, with 5 of us in the water and shore support of 8 children and Fraser. The Lake District National Park bailiff came to chat to us before we swam, and told us that the National Park were considering introducing permits to allow swimming!!! I managed to remain almost polite. A swim with a view; a magnificent view of the fells around Derwentwater to the South. Bassenthwaite is a SSSI site and rightly so. There is all manner of plant life surging up from the depths to grab you as you swim. Many with big juicy leaves rather than the average weed…including what seemed to be trees. Like swimming over a sunken garden. 

Swim 6 – Windermere – Early morning. My home lake and wonderful to swim somewhere I have never swum before...hard to find on Windermere for me. It felt like a stealth mission sliding out of Brathay Bay this morning; Swallows & Amazons for the middle-aged ;-) A few spots of rain, a few spots of sunshine and an entourage of swans (12 in all). Not sure whether we were being escorted or eyed up for breakfast! As we left the Brathay Trust Boat House after the swim, a group of young carers arrived, on an outward bound course. Nice to be raising money for a cause, at the same time as seeing the charity in action.

Swim 7 - Esthwaite Water - Over Half Way. Nostalgic for me. My family & I used to swim here a lot when we had a house in Sawrey. A tranquil swim for us with fish jumping and swans swanning. Not sure the fishermen appreciated our disturbing the fish though! Jason swam his first ever mile, and made a respectable hash of it. I would guess that is his training done for the Great North Swim next month!

Grasmere for swim 8 was a beautiful surprise. We expected it to be similar to the Rydal mudbath (they are connected) but the water was clear and a deep morning moss green. As i left home and a Windermere of howling gales, driving rain and white horses, I expected Grasmere to be no different. But seeing it brought a grin to my face, it lay unruffled and tranquil, nestled in its valley. And there is a view from the middle of the Lake, nearly impossible to see from anywhere else. Special.

Swim 9 at Wastwater. The most challenging yet, but possibly the most rewarding for that (and for being one of my favourite Lakes). The water had waves like the sea and as a solo swim, I decided to be less stupid than normal and stick to a shore swim rather than a width. The contrast of the peacefulness under the water and the turmoil on top prodded every sense. It was beautiful. The deepest lake in the Lake District, Wastwater is also one of the clearest and the water was the blue hue of wet silver-green slate, while the sun dappled the depths with silver. And it made me grin continuously. Swimming head-on into the waves on the way back, I chose to swim 3 strokes under for every 1 on top. And for anyone who knows me well, you will know how happy being underwater so much made me :-)

Swim 10 at Ennerdale - After a blast down to Chester from Wastwater, for a great party. And then having stayed up dancing like Sin all night (thank you Fiona & Mike & rest of the Sin Bin), made the 3 1/2 hour drive back to Ennerdale felt long. Not perhaps the best day for a solo swim, but the world was kind and the conditions perfect. A slowish swim, after Saturday night, and incredibly beautiful. The water was calm, with the reflection of the blue sky, the clouds and the mountains skating over the surface.  And the sunlight made the water come alive with a deep golden-green arrows of light. I was so wrapped up in la la land, gazing around, under and over the water I swam right by my stuff on the way back. A mile and a bit...

Number 11 - The One that Cannot be Named. The swim this morning was in a lake, in which swimming is not permitted. And as it happens for very good reason. The less said the better! An early morning stealth mission to avoid the 'security'. And once again fortune was on our side. We narrowly avoided arrest when they came looking for the swimmers...just as we both pulled on the last of our clothes. They believed we had been out for an early walk even thought Kaz was in a pretty dress and heels. When the vehicle followed me to Grasmere, I admit to a little concern. Will they arrest me; will they arrest me....A lake that is stunning to happen upon when driving North; I'm not sure I will ever look at it the same romantic light again.