Clear Lake Penguin Dip

I am up early. Again. Though not quite as early as yesterday. This morning's early wakeup came after 4.

I'm being cranky right now because Fort Worth is still keeping my pool closed. It is 65 outside right now. It was warm yesterday. My pool water is likely a somewhat swimmable temperature. Certainly, more so than the last time I got in it.

My closed pool became a current issue this morning while reading my old hometown newspaper, online, that being the Skagit Valley Herald. There was an article, with pictures and video, of the New Year's Day 18th Annual Clear Lake Penguin Dip.

Clear Lake is only a couple miles from where I used to live, in Mount Vernon. My nephew, Joey, lives in Clear Lake. I don't know if Joey was a Penguin dipper. My longtime reader may remember me blogging about Clear Lake last August, when Clear Lake was the site of the infamous Mannequin Murders.

About 100 men, women and kids ran into the 34 degree Clear Lake, when a Countdown Clock reached zero. Apparently there was a lot of screaming and shrieking when the Penguin Dippers hit the water.

There were 2 large bonfires on shore to warm the Penguin Dippers, after they quickly got back out of Clear Lake.

The Clear Lake Penguin Dip began in 1990. I had no awareness of this event when I lived there. I suspect I would not have participated had I known