Underwater treasure
I couldn't swim on Tuesday, as I had done the previous two weeks, as one of the lights in the pool chamber had fallen down, or was falling down, and they seemed rather vague when I asked if it would be OK next week. But I rang today and was told all was fine again, so I headed off at 8.55 p.m. and was in the water by 9.15. This is the latest time for admission, but I like being late because I usually have the pool to myself for the last ten minutes before ten o'clock, which is the official closing time, though one of the pleasant things about the set-up is that no one seems to be bothered about hurrying me out of the water.
Whether it was typical I don't know, but Thursday seemed a bit less busy than Tuesday; I wasn't having to concentrate so much on swerving to avoid other swimmers, though I had to keep my eyes open for a couple of Asian women in full-body swimming costumes who were swimming widths instead of lengths. I have found that I can fit in at least forty lengths (a kilometre!) in the three-quarters of an hour I give myself in the water. Tonight, however, I wasn't the last to leave the pool, which was partly because of a drama involving someone losing a cross and chain while swimming (me, I take my ring off before leaving the house!) She found the cross easily enough, but no one could see the chain; I excused myself from the search on the grounds that I'm so short-sighted once I've put my glasses in the locker that I can hardly see anything in focus. But one woman - not the owner of the chain, it appeared - was very determined, and spent a long time searching, though eventually she said she'd had enough, and resumed swimming. So we were the last two in the pool, but when I got out at ten she decided to have one last go, as the water would be almost still now neither of us was swimming any more.
She had just given up when I finished dressing - by now it was about ten past. As the water was now very clear and I'd got my glasses on, I peered in as I was walking along the edge, and thought I could see something. After staring at it for a minute I decided it was just a dirty mark, but then I noticed something else a couple of metres further in, and was sure I was catching a glint of gold. So I called one of the lifeguards, who said "No, that's just a mark... hang on... I think you might be right!" Another lifeguard appeared, and we all agreed it did look promising, and called back the woman who'd been searching - she'd only got as far as the shower, whereas we were all dressed. It was just about the middle of the pool, so she could stand up and peer down; the problem, of course, was the distortion caused by the water, and having to dive downwards to touch the floor. I was glad it wasn't me, as I hate putting my head under water, particularly with my eyes open. She had several goes, while we all shouted "left a bit! right a bit!", and kept missing it, and meanwhile it was shifting around as she made the water move. But in the end one of the lifeguards threw her some goggles, she went down and she came up clutching the Rheingold, shrieking with delight while we punched the air and I yelled "Don't drop it!"
I wasn't entirely clear whether she knew the chain's owner, but there seemed to be a general belief we could get it back to her, so everyone was very pleased, and they kept saying "But you said you were short-sighted! You've better eyes than the rest of them!" and I kept pointing out that this was because I now had glasses on and anyway the water was at its stillest once everyone was out. But it made for a very satisfactory conclusion to the outing.
Also posted on Dreamwidth, with
comments.
Whether it was typical I don't know, but Thursday seemed a bit less busy than Tuesday; I wasn't having to concentrate so much on swerving to avoid other swimmers, though I had to keep my eyes open for a couple of Asian women in full-body swimming costumes who were swimming widths instead of lengths. I have found that I can fit in at least forty lengths (a kilometre!) in the three-quarters of an hour I give myself in the water. Tonight, however, I wasn't the last to leave the pool, which was partly because of a drama involving someone losing a cross and chain while swimming (me, I take my ring off before leaving the house!) She found the cross easily enough, but no one could see the chain; I excused myself from the search on the grounds that I'm so short-sighted once I've put my glasses in the locker that I can hardly see anything in focus. But one woman - not the owner of the chain, it appeared - was very determined, and spent a long time searching, though eventually she said she'd had enough, and resumed swimming. So we were the last two in the pool, but when I got out at ten she decided to have one last go, as the water would be almost still now neither of us was swimming any more.
She had just given up when I finished dressing - by now it was about ten past. As the water was now very clear and I'd got my glasses on, I peered in as I was walking along the edge, and thought I could see something. After staring at it for a minute I decided it was just a dirty mark, but then I noticed something else a couple of metres further in, and was sure I was catching a glint of gold. So I called one of the lifeguards, who said "No, that's just a mark... hang on... I think you might be right!" Another lifeguard appeared, and we all agreed it did look promising, and called back the woman who'd been searching - she'd only got as far as the shower, whereas we were all dressed. It was just about the middle of the pool, so she could stand up and peer down; the problem, of course, was the distortion caused by the water, and having to dive downwards to touch the floor. I was glad it wasn't me, as I hate putting my head under water, particularly with my eyes open. She had several goes, while we all shouted "left a bit! right a bit!", and kept missing it, and meanwhile it was shifting around as she made the water move. But in the end one of the lifeguards threw her some goggles, she went down and she came up clutching the Rheingold, shrieking with delight while we punched the air and I yelled "Don't drop it!"
I wasn't entirely clear whether she knew the chain's owner, but there seemed to be a general belief we could get it back to her, so everyone was very pleased, and they kept saying "But you said you were short-sighted! You've better eyes than the rest of them!" and I kept pointing out that this was because I now had glasses on and anyway the water was at its stillest once everyone was out. But it made for a very satisfactory conclusion to the outing.
Also posted on Dreamwidth, with
comments.