Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa

Sunshine this morning.  Laura, Gilbert and I arrived yesterday in heavy rain. Seasonal Affective Disorders were bloating the office. In Egypt there's riotting to overthrow the military tyrranny of Mubarak.  As yet there's no Islamic Sisterhood to offset the extremes of Islamic Brotherhood. Locally Vancouver was declared the third most unaffordable city in the world.  Added to that was the revelation that it had the greatest density of ex convicts per capita.  Then the news declared more shootings and the largest ketamine drug smuggling operation in years. $50 million dollars worth.  The borders at best get 1 in 10 or 1 in 100 of the traffic. That's why the hoopla from the services.  They rarely get their man or woman these days.  The greatest criminal China has ever known is still being kept in Vancouver despite the demands of FBI and Chinese to release him to prosecution.  Finally the CBC announced that peace in the middle east can't happen because too many Arabs, Jews, Europeans and Americans would be out of a job in the regions greatest job creation industry.  "Let's get together and talk about peace but not do anything." The 20 years of stalemate turn out to be exactly what was ordered.  Wikileaks strikes again.
There is no where better to get away from it all than Harrison Hot Springs.  Nestled in the mountains just beyond the verdant farmland of Rosedale and Agazziz looking out on glorious Harrison Lake, this resort is spectacular. I've been coming for decades and every time I come I'm overjoyed with something new and different.  Always the same old decadence and caring, though.  It's luxurious.
This time, because of Gilbert, we got a cabin. We love the cabin. The last time I got a cabin was when I brought my parents here and had my old dog, Shinto along, some 20 years ago. The cabins are not quite as rustic and cozy as our favourite Bungalow Cabins down the street but they have room service and sit next to the spa.
The view this morning of lawns and blue sky, trees and mountainside are delightful.  When we parked the truck out front and we came through the door Laura exclaimed, "I want to live here."  The little gas fireplace stove is a perky treat.  Naturally I hit the couch immediately and began to read the Carl Hianson  book I'd just bought at the Bookman in Chilliwack. That's when we remembered we had the hot springs to savour.  Gilbert was happy (enough) to stay in the truck guarding it while Laura and I walked in robes to the pools. It was a brisk walk.
It was a younger crowd this year.  I'm the man with the grey hair and ponch.  Laura looks terrific in bathing suit with the soft glow of lights.  A couple beside us were talking non stop. I refused to silence them and instead moved a little away so I didn't have to reflect on the benefits of euthanasia.  Silence.  Healing hot springs.  Kids in another pool.  Just adults here.  All of us preparing our bodies for cannibals.
I'm a mollusk.  Oozing on simmer.  Ahhh.  When I turned to Laura she looked equally contented. She likes to day dream.  I don't think she's thinking of cannibals.  More likely her kids and grand kids or knights galahad or some such drivel.  I'm in my own adventure.  Everyone is naked and it's a Christian Sweedish nudist colony.  Oops. She and he get to wear clothes but not those other two. They should be banned from wearing clothes ever.  Probably make a living nude modelling and had to borrow bathing suits for this pool.  I'm overheating. Time to get to the next pool .
The indoor pool is even hotter. But here we're up close with each other. Face to face.  Better to look away.  The kids stare. A couple of asian kids with floaters on their arms are sitting with their mother. They don't even know about cannibals.
This is a First Nation Kwakiutl land.  A hundred years ago this spa would be a feast area.  The Kwakiutl despite the abundance of salmon and venison ate people.  Anthropologists who thought it was just a last ditch survival tactic of crashed airplane survivors were wrong. Long pig is a delicacy.
These pools are hotter. I don't last long in the soup.  Laura is concerned about Gilbert in the truck.  We run back to the cabin in our robes and free the little guy from his big guy truck watching duty.
Then it's room service Pizza and salad with the order in  movie, RED.  Bruce Willis, Morgan Freedman, Helen Murren, John Malkowich and many others in this great cast and fun action packed thriller about retired CIA assasins forced out of retirement.
Now it's morning. I've slept like a dog. Gilbert has jumped up on the bed several times before I responded to his face licking message about his morning walk.  We found a great nature trail out behind the parking lot and he ran for his life up and down the trail while I wished I'd had coffee first.
What a glorious sunny day.  Great wind, white cap creating, 30 knots across the lake.  I get cappucinos and egg bacon muffins at the Resort coffeeshop. Everyone comments on how cute Gilbert his.  He's focusing on the food and wondering why I've only got two muffins.  He thinks I've forgotten about Laura.   Laura is up when we return.  I do a stupid thing and erase the pictures I took of Gilbert on the walk.  That's really stupid. I haven't done that in years but I'm using mac again and still getting used to the nuances of switchover.  No fault but mine.  Gilbert is quite happy to run up and down the trails again for a retake.  Maybe later.
We've got to check out in an hour and I've got to get another morning fix in the cannibal broth.  I'm convinced that Harrison Hot Springs are highly medicinal.  They list all the minerals that are in the water including magnessium, potassium, iron. But it's the mystical stuff that's not listed that does it magic.  Definitely some sort of natural gift of God for good health given to us here in the valley. I imagine the first Natives finding this place and rejoicing.  Probably kept it a secret for as long as they could.  Then the advertising executives came and after that the bloggers.  Now even Gilbert is talking about it to the chihuahuas who just love heat in any form.