And the water's fine!

After months of preparation (it would have been weeks if we'd been younger, but oh well ...), the hot tub is installed, wired and full of water!

We filled it last night with water we trucked in from the ghost town. We didn't use our own well water because it's so full of minerals; we opted for the treated stuff instead to kind of jump-start the process. This tub is a two-seater and takes 200 gallons to fill it, so it took awhile to get all the water pumped in.

As soon as the tub was filled with water (and it was brrr cold water, too), Mr. Wizard checked the chemical balance and fine tuned it. We set the heater to 103 degrees, put the cover on, and hoped that by the following night (tonight), the water would be warm enough to enjoy.

This morning when we checked the water temperature, it was already 103 degrees. Yay! It didn't take us long to grab towels and bathrobes, shuck our clothes, grab some water (yes, we always drink plenty of water whilst soaking in hot water), pin up the hair, and climb right on in. It was heavenly! It was wonderful!

Of course, right away Mr. W's glasses fogged up ... and then there was that pesky rising sun shining right in our faces. We'd positioned the tub so that we could watch the moon rise. Unfortunately, in the early mornings, that's the very same position to watch the sun rise, too. (Note to self: grab sunglasses when enjoying a morning soak.)

Because we have no bathtub here at the Lunaloca, I have really been missing soaking in hot water since we've been here, especially during the colder months. Back in Austin, I would float in our hot tub at night and watch the few stars that are visible in the light pollution of the city. There's something very peaceful and therapeutic about floating in hot water, and I've certainly missed it.

Because of his lupus, Mr. W's missed it, too, but he misses the water-jet action that helps his legs and back. His medical condition is such that his doctor prescribed hot water therapy for him, and it really helps with the chronic pain and lack of mobility he suffers.

I don't care for the bubbling and noise; I'm just in it for the floating and soaking. As soon as he turns those water jets on, I'm out of there.

Of course, there are the hot springs in the national park just an hour's drive away, but that's an hour's drive away. And the Big Bend hot springs close at dark. And there's usually lots of other happy strangers soaking there, and they sometimes stare at my fat thighs, or at least that's what I imagine they sometimes do. I'm funny that way.

We're really looking forward to tonight's star-watching while soaking in the hot water. I saw a couple of falling stars last night, but it was too chilly to stay outside long. Tonight we should be toasty warm while enjoying the therapeutic effects of the warm water on our tired ol' bones!