I love to see my wife as relaxed as she gets in New Mexico. I guess it is something about the state being so "enchanted". Beth has a very serious job that adds a great deal of stress to her life. I am sure I contribute too. Here it all seems to go away.
After finding the turquoise at Tim's and visiting with him we headed North toward Taos. Going to Taos was actually the real reason for going out to New Mexico. The drive up there was spectacular. Like I said in my last post, every square inch is a photo opportunity.
We were heading to Taos to be a part of Jen and Dan's wedding. Dan use to work for Beth at Under Armour as a customer service representative. He worked his way up the ladder to sales and is now the Southwestern sales rep for the company. Jen is originally from Questa New Mexico and they have always had the plan to move back to the Southwest. They have been together for many years now and make a very stable couple that seem to always be on the same page. We are very happy for both of them.
The service was wonderful and combined Christian service, Buddhist, and Lakota Sioux. The mountains made an incredible backdrop for the ceremony.
Lucky for us, we have good friends in Taos that let us use their guest house. Leslie and Jonathan have a great house and their kids Shasha and Perry are a lot of fun. We have abused their hospitality a few times now and for some reason we keep getting invites to return.
The next morning we headed West. I drove this road for an hour and only passed one car. This gravel road is the short cut to our next destination on our trip. Beth and Leslie drove together so they could have "girl talk". I drove solo and tested the properties of the rented Avenger.
Every time we go to new Mexico we go to Ojo Caliente. This place is unbelievable. Nothing I will say can actually let you know what the experience is like. If you are writing a bucket list or working through it prematurely like I am, well, put Ojo high up on that list. You will thank me for it. I can guarantee it.
The spa has been here for a long time. It was used by the Native People long before the brown man and then the white man showed up. In resent times the spa has been worked on and the grounds are totally re done. Ojo offers every spa service you might want short of "a happy ending".
There are five different "waters" at Ojo. I always begin my visit to this spring in the middle of the compound. It is the Lithium Spring. Lithium is what all the spastic kids took when I was a kid. The water does not taste too good, but it really gets you in the mood to relax. I generally visit this spring a half dozen times during my visit.
The Main pool is 88 degrees. That may seem warm, but after soaking in the others, it is rather refreshing. I took this photo while soaking in the Arsenic Spring. Yes, arsenic. Apparently it is in fairly high concentrations. The water was only 106 on this day. Last time we were there it was 109. This is my favorite pool for it treats the painful joints and muscles that affect me after so many years of hard labor.
The ladies like to sit out around the main pool and take in serious amounts of vitamin D. The sun is very abundant in New Mexico.
The hammocks are a new addition to the spa. I tried to get one, but they were always taken. There is also the Iron Spring that is always a consistent 103 degrees. Next to it is the Soda Spring that is usually 101. Each Spring has a different property and aids in treating various ailments. All of the Springs come out of the ground naturally and is not changed in any way.
There is also the Mud Spring. The mud is rich in various minerals. You slather it all over you and bake it in the sun. I know all you macho readers are thinking "What the hell Frank? You lose your mind?" But folks, this is an excellent experience.
As you see, as it dries it shrinks and pulls all the bad stuff out of your skin. I have to say I never felt so youthful in my life. Okay, just bull shitting, it sounded good. It was a great experience and I recommend it to anyone, even my macho readers.
In a couple of days I will post part 3. After that I post about the work I have been doing on Anna. Stay posted folks.
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