A quick dip in a large lake

Escaping to rural Oklahoma after a family Thanksgiving allowed for some outdoor swimming outside the UK. 

Keystone Lake in northeast Oklahoma is a reservoir just upstream from Tulsa where I'd been for Thanksgiving in late November. Following the festivities and family gatherings, a few quiet days in a remote cabin with deer in the garden were just the ticket. 

Truly grounding was finding a noiseless spot away from the fishermen in the next bay where I could squelch my feet through the mud as I waded out until it was deep enough to swim. With one child wading and the other threatening to hurl themselves in I had to be quick, but it was worth it. The mud is truly ikky and easily churned to reduce visibility to nothing, but if you can get over that it's an enjoyable and silent place to swim. 

The next day I headed, with my family, to the State Park, where a sandier beach awaited. Though there was less mud, the geese who resided in the bay had left droppings that I tried to avoid as I strolled in. My four year old joined me, to the waist, and I swam twice, relaxing a little more than the day before. 

Maybe it's busier in the summer, but the lake was so calm and there were so few people around, it felt like a genuine treat to get in and splash around.