Go Skinny-Dipping - DID IT

This is one of those things I probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't on the list. My best friend in school lived on a quiet suburban lake. On summer evenings after the sun went down, the lake seemed extra warm and inviting. We would sneak out and go for a swim in the moonlight sans bathing suits.  Her mother disapproved and said that it was immoral for girls to be outdoors without clothing.  So we went to the Goodwill and bought HATS!  We foo-fooed our hats with elaborate decorations.  Hers was a fedora with a cluster of red cherries and a polka dot bow.  Mine was a wide-brimmed, Greta Garbo style picture-frame hat with a large fabric rose and a 15-inch long Ostrich plume (the Queen of England wishes she had a hat this cool!)  I'm sure it won't surprise anyone to know I still have the hat!

We thought we were so brave and daring.  Then one night a blinding spotlight caught us in its beam, pinning us in the water.  A neighbor kid had discovered our little adventure and I guess was hoping for a better look.  It got really cold stuck in the water for nearly an hour before he gave up and switched the light off.  We couldn't yell at him for fear of attracting the attention of all of the neighbors, so we were stuck making threatening gestures in the spotlight - not very effective when you are also trying to remain submerged up to your neck.  You know who you are, Tim K.!!!

My sister has a vacation spot on a secluded lake in Oregon.  Guests there are known to take a suitless swim after dark (and after a couple jugs of  homemade Yucka - stay tuned for more on the magic of Yucka in a later post!), but they no longer refer to it as "skinny dipping."  These days they call it "chunky dunking" - for obvious reasons!