Feelin' Hot Hot Hot

We completed our Habitat commitment on Friday and drove to Pagosa Springs in search of healing waters for all our ouchies. We found the original Spa Motel and RV Park to our liking. It's right in the middle of town and the Spas, and it's 1950's quaint. Friday night I felt like goldilocks though. The outdoor hot tub was filled with Talk Radio wanna be's discussing whether obama is really a citizen, the cost breakdown of a loaf of bread (this from a Kansas farmer), the price of RE in Sante Fe, and the trials of running a cleaning service. Made my head hurt, says Goldilocks. So I moved to the HOT women's room, where the 108 degree water felt like boiling. In and out of that one really fast. Tried the steam room, where two locals were chatting, one of whom told me I needed to move over, honey. There were resting beds, but the flourescent lights were a turnoff. That left me one choice, the big pool with kids in it. I discovered that when you float, you can't hear a thing, so I floated until the kids went home and there was just me and the new moon shining down on me. Goldilocks was finally happy.

The next morning, after a massage from an Australian who got right into my knots, Daisy and I took a walk round this charming town, down the path by the river where springs bubble up and leave large mineral deposits. Across the river was the Schliterbahn of hot springs, called The Spring. It has 23 pools, grass huts serving drinks with umbrellas, big walls of mineral deposits with water flowing down into the river where rafters float by and surfers try to mount a standing wave.

Then we took in the Fiber Festival, filled with spinning divas who raise llamas, alpacas, highland cattle, sheep, dogs, rabbits and anything furry and then spin the hair. Lots of happy spinners there. One of the events was the sheep to sweater contest. It started at 10 and ended at 3. How could you go from sheep to sweater so fast??? It was a miracle.

We were so mild after our soaking and massaging that we stayed another night, soaked another time or two, and were generally bums. I did walk a lot. In addition to the river walks, the spa backs up to Reunion Hill, which is laced with mountain trails. Daisy and I ventured in a ways to explore, but I avoided all vertical approaches. Seemed smart at 7,000 feet.

I remain grateful for the opportunity to work on the Habitat House. So many wonderful people we met, working on a common cause, to make someone's life a little better. We all got so much more than we gave.