A day at the beach, Montana-style

©2012 Lydia Hinshaw 

Not many folks brave the water here

Colorful rocks clearly visible in shallow water

 WHITEFISH, MT -- Like most Floridians, we are fond of beaches.  On our days off, we sometimes take a picnic lunch to City Beach, on the shores of Whitefish Lake.

 It's not quite like a Florida beach, however.  Usually there are more lifeguards than swimmers.

 One day, we were there when several groups of kids from the city's summer camp showed up.  They were all quite eager to change into their swimsuits, just like Florida kids.  They had to be scolded to put on sunscreen, just like Florida kids.

 But all similarities to Florida end once the moment comes to go swimming. The water here is cold, probably in the low 60s. It's rare for any child to go very far into the water for very long.  The norm is a quick, shrieking run into knee-deep water, followed by a quicker retreat to get warm again.

 In the top picture, a stoutly-built youngster was the only one able to tolerate waist-deep water for more than a quick dip.  He couldn't get any of his pals to join him.

 It may not be much for swimming, but there's a lot to like about City Beach.  Away from the trucked-in sand beach, I can look down over the seawall and see the wonderful multicolored rocks that are the natural bottom of the lake.   The second photo was shot through six inches of water so clear it's invisible.