But its a dry heat!

Maybe it was the heat, or that I was tired and feeling tetchy, perhaps it was one horse fly bite too many that needed soothing, or maybe I did it just because I could do it now as there are no fish, but as I walked back to Rock HQ, a faithful canine entourage around my heels I had an overwhelming urge that could not be resisted. The dogs watched patiently as I carefully climbed into the largest of the water tanks, almost brimful of ice cold stream water.
Once I got over the you are about to die from heart failure feelings and my breathing returned to a relatively normal state I almost floated and smiled at the six Bernese Mountain Dogs heads peeping over the sides as I bobbed around in 300 or so gallons of water thinking how lucky I am.
A long time ago, in another life I almost managed to kill myself in a small glacial pool, another boiling hot day climbing in the alps, a small patch of open blue ice melt water beckoned so I dutifully immersed myself in the nearly freezing water. The ice was beautiful, the colours amazing and I held my breath to look under it, in reality it could only have been seconds, my memory plays it forever. I surfaced and now the distance from the ice wall to the bank, which was only about 8 feet suddenly seemed like 80 as the cold suddenly began to have an effect. I could hardly move. I managed to get back to the shallow side and climbed out, rather like one of those walruses on the beach in a wildlife documentary. The sun temporarily went in as Matt my climbing buddy stood over me and said something like I told you so but with a few F words for punctuation. Lesson learned.
Today was drama free, except for Spotty taking off with my boot, but as this was in preference to chewing the inlet water pipe I really couldn't complain. As I dripped my way back to the front door I knew my impromptu dip was worth it, I felt good, I felt awake, but most of all it was worth it for the "I don't believe you sometimes" look from my beautiful and oh so patient wife.