Why did we pick January?

So... when you realize that you've been married nearly 40 years (or done anything for 40 years for that matter) and you're feeling like kicking "old" in the teeth, where do you go but to the fountain of youth, right? Well, we have one right in our own back yard, so to speak. I've tried to find it several times in past years and gotten lost, kind of like Ponce de Leon I guess, but this time I had a map and a groupon to make it more affordable. We arrived at Warm Mineral Springs around lunchtime and decided to eat first before venturing near the spring. There were tables outside but the people sitting there were wearing stocking hats, mittens and jackets (what's with that?!) so we seated ourselves inside and I got someone to take our picture to record the moment for posterity. And just who is posterity anyway, I don't know. It's a beautiful place, this spring, and the number of chairs indicated there are times of the year when lots of people come but there was no crowd for us to battle. I wore my swimsuit underneath my clothes. Dennis forgot his back on the kitchen counter (I think his subliminal desires were kicking in). After lunch we walked around and chose a spot near a ramp to settle in. I went swimming and Dennis started reading "A Dirty Life" on my kindle. Thirty nine years has taught us at least one thing - that we don't very often like to do the same activities and that it's okay. And how else could I have gotten him to read a fun book that I wanted him to read?

The spring is 87 degrees all the time, warm but not hot, and on a cold day, the trick is to stay in the water for as long as you can and then get out quickly. I got a good bit of exercise and conversed with a few other swimmers before getting out and drying off. The water was quite clean and a bit salty tasting - purported to have the highest mineral content of any spring in the country. I don't know if a body actually absorbs any of that because I don't feel any different, except from the exercise, but it was a pleasant experience and I'm glad to have finally "been there and done that".

Back at home we cleaned up, Dennis got a much needed haircut, and we took our next groupon over to Lakewood Ranch to have dinner at El Lago Ranchero. That was fun too and we have leftovers for lunch today. Finally found a place that has fresh salsa and chips just like Estellas in Tampa, not to mention the two for price of one sangrias every Saturday. So another anniversary is past, I've cleaned all the tarnish from the spring off my silver jewelry, and we are starting on the big 40.