I got to the new campground at 12 o'clock. Talked to the owners for about 1/2 hour. They were excited about their new zip line being completed. They are awaiting certification before it can be used by the public. We joked about a zip line to the springs, not likely. The owners were in their usual happy friendly state. They have made a lot of progress in making a world-class campground. They also told me they made a trip to the springs and removed 7 large garbage bags of trash. I can not thank them enough. I got a pretty campsite and went to the springs there were only about 15 persons there. Only one couple were camping out. It was a real pleasure to see no trash anywhere. Throughout the day there were never more than 25 persons there. When I got my thermometer out the air temp was 77 degrees with a gentle breeze of about 5 mph. Only a few small clouds this day. All temps were taken near the center of the pools near the surface. The Arizona pool was beautiful at 105 degrees. Most people I talked with said this was their favorite pool. The Anniversary pool was at 104 degrees. I got the hose there and removed all the dead algae and trash out for a cleaner soak. The Womb pool was at 100 degrees. Most people were hanging around engaging in friendly and polite conversation. They were mostly the 20-30-year-olds. Also a regular by the name of Richard was there he is always a delight to talk with. The Serenity pool was a pleasure to soak in at 103 degrees. The Crab Cooker pool was at 118 degrees as usual. The Contemplation pool was 85 degrees. It is nice to soak in after overheating in the Crab Cooker pool. The creek water just upstream from the Arizona pool was 62 degrees. It was an all-around delightful day to be at my favorite hot springs. And little did I know it was about to get even better. When I got to my campsite I noticed a beautiful young woman camping at the site next to mine. The sun was sinking and I had to get my camping gear ready. Jessie came around to do maintenance to the poop house. The young woman asked her if she could borrow a sleeping bag. Jessie said she would see what she could do. This started a conversation that lasted through the next day. Jessie came back with a sleeping bag for her. We all talked for way too long. As far as I could tell it was a terrific place for sleep as I slept like a rock. The next day the pretty woman invited me for a marvelous breakfast. She made an old man like me feel 40 years younger with her delightful demeanor and positive attitude. We hiked to the spring and talked all day long. She made my day. I will leave the rest to your imagination. A great BIG THANK YOU to all Veterans for their patriotic service to the greatest country in the history of our planet. HAPPY hot springing!
