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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Healing Waters and Birds
A week or so ago, when I wrote about being scattered since my surgery, when I wrote about feeling lost since the day they cut my shoulder, my friend, Judy, could hear how hard this has been. She emailed me with loving understanding and offered to drive me to the Indian Hot Springs if I'd like. Her words were balm to my frayed soul and her offer a remembrance of a way to heal. Thank you, Judy!
So yesterday Judy and I soaked in the mineral water caves of Indian Hot Springs, on the six-week anniversary of my surgery. Ahhhhhhh.....
Before I write about melting in the heat, I have to say that, while soaking I thought about the fact that the Ute and Arapaho used these waters without all of the stuff that has been built around it now. We killed or pushed them aside so that we could take the land and we "modernized" the springs by building structures for comfort. I wonder which people will be the next to take over ownership.
The Indian Hot Springs is located in Idaho Springs, a short way into the mountains. There, waters flow out of the ground at 125 degrees. The caves were created by drilling into the rocky mountainside in the early 1900s. Walking into the stony womb, the hot, steamy air just about takes one's breath away. I don't know the temps inside that cave that drips with mountain sweat, but my body said that the waters - cooled down to 104 to 112 degrees at that point - were hotter than the air, so maybe the air temp was only in the 90's. There is no little window or vent to create some evaporation so EVERYTHING was wet - BEFORE even getting into the water! I haven't ever done a Native American sweat lodge, but I am guessing that the heat there is as breathtaking (literally) as it is in these caves - the difference being the 1000% humidity found in the cave.
Anyway, after steaming every muscle until it was soft, pliable clay, I could actually raise my arm to an almost normal point with no pain!
Later in the day, I spoke with a friend who had visited the Owl family earlier in the morning. She told me that she saw two of those little guys out on a limb by the nest. You know what that means??? Most likely, by this time next week, we will no longer have the privilege of watching this lovely family. The sons and/or daughters are getting ready to leave home. They will be hanging out in various places in the area for awhile, but the soon-to-be leafed out trees will offer them protection from being seen by the likes of me.
My friend discovered this owl nest a day or two before my surgery, so throughout the last 6 weeks of recovery, I have been able to witness the amazing experience of watching this family. It has been so healing!
I'm a little sad to think that I won't be seeing those little featherballs much more, but at the same time, I'm happy that they have grown so big and will soon fly.
It all just comes and goes, doesn't it?
So yesterday Judy and I soaked in the mineral water caves of Indian Hot Springs, on the six-week anniversary of my surgery. Ahhhhhhh.....
Before I write about melting in the heat, I have to say that, while soaking I thought about the fact that the Ute and Arapaho used these waters without all of the stuff that has been built around it now. We killed or pushed them aside so that we could take the land and we "modernized" the springs by building structures for comfort. I wonder which people will be the next to take over ownership.
The Indian Hot Springs is located in Idaho Springs, a short way into the mountains. There, waters flow out of the ground at 125 degrees. The caves were created by drilling into the rocky mountainside in the early 1900s. Walking into the stony womb, the hot, steamy air just about takes one's breath away. I don't know the temps inside that cave that drips with mountain sweat, but my body said that the waters - cooled down to 104 to 112 degrees at that point - were hotter than the air, so maybe the air temp was only in the 90's. There is no little window or vent to create some evaporation so EVERYTHING was wet - BEFORE even getting into the water! I haven't ever done a Native American sweat lodge, but I am guessing that the heat there is as breathtaking (literally) as it is in these caves - the difference being the 1000% humidity found in the cave.
Anyway, after steaming every muscle until it was soft, pliable clay, I could actually raise my arm to an almost normal point with no pain!
Later in the day, I spoke with a friend who had visited the Owl family earlier in the morning. She told me that she saw two of those little guys out on a limb by the nest. You know what that means??? Most likely, by this time next week, we will no longer have the privilege of watching this lovely family. The sons and/or daughters are getting ready to leave home. They will be hanging out in various places in the area for awhile, but the soon-to-be leafed out trees will offer them protection from being seen by the likes of me.
My friend discovered this owl nest a day or two before my surgery, so throughout the last 6 weeks of recovery, I have been able to witness the amazing experience of watching this family. It has been so healing!
I'm a little sad to think that I won't be seeing those little featherballs much more, but at the same time, I'm happy that they have grown so big and will soon fly.
It all just comes and goes, doesn't it?
Labels: friends, Indian Springs, owls
posted by Carol at 8:05 AM
2 Comments:
I’m glad you could experience the springs. Those are some hefty prices for a day of soaking—prices, I assume, that no Ute and Arapaho ever paid.
Oh! The fledglings are preparing to launch out into the world! Wonderful! I so wish I could watch their first flight!
You're right, Nick. It is expensive. But it's cheaper than any of the other therapies I'm doing!
I wish I could see a baby owl take off, also. I have never been at a nest for an occasion like that. Wouldn't THAT be amazing to see? The babies from the owlcam I've been watching have both left the nest in the past few days and I wasn't watching when either of them did it.
Maybe it's all a very private matter...
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