Mark had the best plan today. In the intense heat, he was in the Rhenish pool twice: once for a "splash-in" gala in the morning and again for swim practice in the afternoon.
We learned that a "splash-in" gala is focused on participation rather than performance. So, the Grade 3 students had a sunglasses relay and a helmet relay. For the sunglasses relay, they had to swim across the short side of the poll wearing sunglasses and pass the shades to the next swimmer. Same thing with bike helmets. The kids all had a blast.
It still is very hot here. This article summarizes the situation nicely. (Scroll down to where the article discusses the situation in Stellenbosch.)
The heat of the last few days has led to continued fires in Jonkershoek. When I was running this morning before dawn, I could see the orange glow of the Jonkershoek fires through the hazy smoke they were spewing. It sure would be nice to have some rain to douse both the fires and the heat.
The other day, the Epperly's asked (in the blog comments) what the "T" on Catherine's swimming costume (I mean swimsuit) stands for? Catherine's answer: "T is for 'Tracy'." Real answer: probably Tommy Hilfiger.
--Matt