July 14, 2003 Day one on the water! Whew, what an exciting day. We left our cottage at the Birdsong Resort at 6:30 AM and headed for the Perryville Marina. When we arrived, Kay Campbell of the Huntsville Times was waiting for us full of inspiring remarks and laughter. Pete and Kenley put the boats in the water and Pam and I struggled to remember our preparation ritual. We got to mile 131 and the swimming offficially began. The first day is usually one of the most difficult days because it is so mentally difficult keeping your face in the water for eight hours. My prayers were answered because for a majority of the day, I handled the semi-sensory deprivation well. During the first hour I came to understand Einstein's theory of relativity. The night before the swim, while discussing plans with Pete and Pam, an hour seemed like a minute; from 8:00-9:00 this morning during the first hour of my swim, a minute seemed like an hour. We made great time and will be starting at 8:00 tomorrow at mile 111! The river now widens significantly, so I might not do as well tomorrow. Today I thought about our Freedoms. I believe our foremost God given freedoms are the right to clean water and clean air. These freedoms are slowly being stripped from us. Who is the enemy? They are all around us and within us. The enemy is the person that opts to throw household garbage into the river, the person that overuses pesticides, hebicides and household cleaners; the person that drives a poorly tuned watercraft/ vehicle, the person that litters, the person that uses the Earth as an ashtray, the person that wastes water, the person that buys products or uses irresponsible companies and corporations, and the person that choses not to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The enemy is often difficult to pick out because we usually look innocent- ignorant innocence perhaps? In most cases, yes. When I reflect on what I knew about being environmentally friendly when I started this swim five summers ago, I realize how little I really knew. I am considerably more knowledgeable now, but there is still much to learn and many environmentally friendly habits to aquire. If I continue to look inward for the enemy and make changes within myself, others will follow, and our two most basic freedoms can be preserved. Freedoms preserved for our children and their children, so they too can enjoy our constitutional freedoms our troops are fighting to uphold. "For God so loved the world..." Take care of it. mimi