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You can click here for - Part One
Rolling the Odometer Back
I was ready for another birthday and we had reservations at a favorite place, a great place to ease on into the next year.
"I'll finish up with setting up here in the camper," the Lady offered. "Why don't you get to soaking those old weary bones of yours."
I'm not stupid and replied, "You bet, thanks!"
The healing, soothing, restorative hot spring waters went to work. I started seeing robins.
"Come on," I asked. "Please turn around for a good shot."
The robins ignored the naked old man in the hot tub.
We soaked into the night. The years and cares melted away.
Benton is doing an excellent job with coronavirus precautions and guidelines. They have a contactless check in set up and a thorough, straightforward list of precautions for all to follow. The guests were clearly doing just that.
We woke early on the eleventh, my birthday.
"Well, I've never done this before in my life!" the Lady exclaimed as she stretched and wiggled in our bed.
"What's that?" I asked. I was curious.
"I woke up in bed with a 68 year old man!" she smiled and added, "And I'm looking forward to doing it for a whole year!"
After soaking and morning coffee and after soaking and breakfast, the Lady asked, "What do you think you want to do on your birthday?"
"How 'bout," I asked. "I take this year off of thinking? I've done a lot of thinking thus far over my years. I'll take this next whole year off."
The Lady didn't even glance my way. "I'll let you do that when you turn seventy, not before. Now think."
"I think I'd like to hike up in the hills above here," I quickly answered.
"Me too," the Lady finally smiled.
We were off. We first passed by the hot spring source.
A deep chasm cuts through the granite hills. We climbed up the south flank headed for a high point on the ridge.
We plotted a way down into the chasm to find a place to cross. Our goal was to climb to the high point on the north side of the canyon.
The Lady did her best to relieve me of thinking duties. "Let's just go straight down here," she called.
We battled the dense vegetation choking the water course and made our way across.
We looked down the narrow, steep gorge below us.
We did a bit of scrambling and crested the top. We turned toward the high point after hitting a road along the ridge.
The views were incredible. Clear, crisp skies had finally returned.
The ground was littered with small drops of obsidian. Julie loved this one with mahogany obsidian. These started as molten drops of volcanic glass ejected during an eruption. The drops cooled in the air before landing.
We took our time dropping down to our campsite. Our camper is in the lower center of the photo.
As we neared the hot springs the ground was scattered with obsidian flakes from ancient point making.
Our private hot tub was ready and waiting for us. In our enthusiasm we almost rolled the age odometers back too far. The Lady didn't want to lose her greezer card. I didn't want to lose mine either. I sure want to hang on to Medicare.
"I'm back to 55," the Lady confessed. "We don't need to tell anyone, do we?"
"Nope, no way in hell do we have to tell anyone. Our identification clearly show our current ages. We've giving nothing up. They can pry our geezer cards from our cold dead fingers. We're never giving them up."
"Good!" the Lady breathed a sigh of relief. "Let get back to soaking. When should we stop?"
"51 for you and 55 for me I figure will be just right." I answered.
It didn't take all that long at all. Dinner, stars above, with cold air settling in all around us. The water was wondrous. The Lady watched for the streak of meteorites hitting the atmosphere overhead. "Shooters! I want to see shooters!" She got her wish. A couple were exceptionally long and bright.
It had been another perfect birthday with just the two of us at Benton. We had success with the three - boulders, Benton, and birthday. But we weren't done with this adventure yet.
Our adventure continues. Please click here for - Part Three
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