By June 21st, 2011, Austin had already had 45 days of temperatures over 100˚F/38°C. Twenty-four more days tie the record. I don’t know if we have reached that yet, but we must be close. Summers are always hot, but not this hot. The rest of the year rewards us with mostly great weather for our travail.
We have another très cool reward--Barton Springs Pool with its natural, ever-flowing water. The water temperature ranges from 68.0 °F (20.0 °C) in the winter to about 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) in the summer. Real fans swim laps in the early morning all year long. Many then dress in professional garb and leave for work downtown, just a a few minutes away.
In summer I treat myself to lap swimming several mornings a week. The pool is 1000 ft./304.8 meters long. After the initial plunge into the water takes my breath away, I feel quite comfortable. I love seeing the sun come up and swimming in open air. Afterwards I feel cool and mellow. Swim free before 9:00 am (closed Thursday mornings).
