Here’s a link to the original post on my old blog: Original Post
When I first arrived at Harrison Hot Springs, I was feeling pretty punchy from a long day of driving but I was clinging to the fantasy of staying at the resort and soaking in the springs.
It didn’t disappoint! First I was upgraded to a room up on the 5th floor overlooking the lake. Then I headed straight to the restaurant for food. I hadn’t eaten anything since “breakfast” which ended up being just toast and hash browns, hold the Spammy Dog food hash (see my last post). The dinner meal was nothing special but the company was memorable for sure!
I sat outside at the restaurant under a heater and waited for my food while enjoying a Pear Cider. It was a rainy, cold evening but inside was full and I didn’t mind being outside as long as the heater was nearby. I was totally alone until an older couple came out and sat a table nearby. One thing led to another, and they ended up joining me at my table. Bernie and Sheridan were in their 70’s and they were there to celebrate their honeymoon! Both had been previously married to spouses who has passed away and they had been friends for years. In fact, they had done many things together as a foursome over the years and enjoyed being couple-friends. When their spouses passed, they remained friends and, with time, became more than friends.
You see, they remind me of my dad. My mom died a year and a half ago and he’s been feeling lonely. At 81, his social scene is limited and most of his friends have passed. Theresa is his best friend’s widow. The four of them used to hang out and do things together before my mom and Theresa’s husband each got sick, one with dementia and the other with kidney failure. Both my dad and Theresa took care of their spouses and played the difficult role of caregiver until they died. That common history and their existing friendship recently became more and they are now “dating”. So, meeting Bernie and Sheridan and talking to them gave me a new and improved understanding and appreciation for my dad’s new relationship. It was just so…coincidental that I met a couple who is so similar to my own family situation. Sometimes it is hard not to believe in fate.
After an absolutely lovely evening talking with them, I headed out to the hot springs pools to soak away the 6 hour drive, the scary snowy mountain pass, the spammy hash, and the Seattle traffic. It all just melted away into the depths of the spring. I got back up to my room in time to see the last moments of twilight lingering over the lake. Still hot from the springs, I sat outside in my robe and let the steam waft off my body as I enjoyed watching the light change over the lake until I could no longer distinguish the deep purple of the mountains from the darkening sky.
The next morning I was up early (like always), and the coffee situation was a problem. The room coffee came with those packets of chemicals and turn brown water into less brown water. Ew. I still made a cup, but I dreamed of sitting on my balcony enjoying several good cups of coffee. I decided to splurge on room service, only to find it wasn’t available. The other options didn’t open until 7am and it was still before 6 am. So, I got creative. I took my not-so-brown cup of hot water, got dressed, and headed out to say good morning to Rosie in the parking lot. I got out my coffee maker, got it ready, turned on the inverter to power up the AC outlets…and waited what felt like forever for my good coffee to brew. I put some of my organic half and half in a mug and headed back to my room with my insulated coffee pot full of fresh hot coffee and my chemical-free creamer.
I had the morning I was dreaming of…I sat out on my balcony and enjoyed most of the pot as I looked out over the lake and wrote the last blog post. If you read the last post, you know that I even got to watch a flock of Canada geese with their goslings. Afterwards, I had a last soak in the springs before enjoying a buffet breakfast (no spam today). Back at the room, I took care of a few things online while I had wifi, and then headed out for a day of driving.