Summer is coming and so are the swimmers

280 swimmers and 9 newbies despite the still cool water temps

(I must say I'm rather partial to the colours of this year's winter badge. Don't forget The Ceremony on 22 September, let's all get in sync for it)

It's a newish feeling to leave home in full daylight but in a few weeks when daylight saving starts we'll be back with darker mornings for a while.

The early morning ambience at Manly

The 6:30 crew, some of

Dog of the day, Polly

Here are 4 newbies, all the way from Cronulla. When I asked if they were going to the NRL game against Manly later and they said maybe. Hope you enjoyed your first swim with the Bolds, and we see you back soon.

The drum lines are back nuff said

It's Robyn's birthday - happy birthday, Rob, hope it keeps getting better all day. Here with son Edward, and Kerry

Errol

Another of Robyn's sons, Keith with honorary WOW Dave

Gillian blog tarting

In we go

A gentle reminder on etiquette - this is a social swim. Barging through your fellow swimmers and potentially causing injury is just not nice. If you want to get past someone and there isn't space between that person and the people next to them, please just go around them.

At Shelley

Cloning

Amelia and Elanora.  6 weeks to go, Amelia before you meet your small human

I only just caught Robyn's birthday splashes

Once again I missed the turtle, but we have lots of friends in the bay

The crayweed appears to be growing

The surf lifesaving season starts in 2 weeks' time, and the activity is hotting up.

Robyn and Edwina

Here's fabulous sea creature photographer and fellow blogger Lainey, smiling despite having missed the turtle too.

Some of the OMOS (Old Men Of the Shed) trying to keep the evil Witch of the WOWs at bay

Fellow blogger Elizabeth reckons I take fabulous wave shots. This is the best I could manage in today's flat conditions

Management notices

2019 Winter Badge Ceremony – Sunday 22^nd September

You’ve done the hard yards and earned your Winter Badge(s), now come and collect your badges with all the pomp and ceremony the B&B can muster.  Bring along $10 for each badge you have earned (correct money appreciated). The venue is the Royal Far West Centre (Wentworth Avenue, Manly) on Sunday 22^nd September, straight after the regular swim! Everyone is welcome, family, friends and swimmers alike.

A $5 donation will be payable to the RFW at the gate for hosting this event, and .... RFW will provide a FREE breakfast (sausage sandwich and a coffee/tea). Bookings are essential to ensure there is enough food.  Book here for Badge Ceremony.

All 2019 winter badge qualifiers will be presented with their well-earned badge(s), so whether you are getting one personally or you want to enjoy the celebrations of your fellow swimmers, a great morning is guaranteed, so come along, soak up the atmosphere and get inspired for the upcoming summer badges.

In conjunction with the badge ceremony, Royal Far West will be holding a raffle with great prizes, so don't forget to bring along extra money for the raffle (credit card payment facilities will be available for the raffle).

 

EMMA'S AT IT AGAIN!!

I've signed up to walk 35km in one day in The Bloody Long Walk. I'm walking to support people living with mitochondrial disease (mito), a debilitating, terminal disease that affects thousands of Aussie kids and adults. Mito is a cruel disease that can strike anyone at any age. There is no cure.
Please support my 35km walk by making a donation through my fundraising page:
https://event.bloodylongwalk.com.au/s/7410/8175/e
All donations are tax-deductible and a receipt will be sent to you immediately. Your support will help The Mito Foundation continue their work to improve the lives of people living with mitochondrial disease and fund research to find a cure.
Thank you.
Emma Grose

What am I listening to? While writing this blog a documentary came up on my Youtube feed while I was listening to something entirely unrelated  - the collaboration of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. It was a interesting doco and I am a sucker for vocal harmonies which is a good thing because I get to listen to music I may not normally.