Bob + Claire

Thursday morning, I met up with M+D at Santa Fe Baking Company to see them off. Their flights on Friday were uneventful, and they're back in warm Connecticut now.

We weren't able to spend the afternoon with Bob and Claire, in town visiting her family, but we were still able to meet up with them at Ten Thousand Waves. Claire had suggested that we get a private tub there, something we haven't indulged in since moving here, so we booked one for the evening. We got what is probably the coolest one (temperature-wise, I mean), the one that's most like a natural spring. With the low temperatures we've been having, it had us a bit worried.

But we didn't need to be concerned. Though the day was cold and snow was falling (looked like about 3-4", judging from the roofs of the cars coming down from the ski basin), it was plenty comfortable. And the adjacent sauna provided a pleasant break, and the perfect way to warm up and dry off when our time was done.

But while we were there, the steam was rising off the pool (and us), a light snow was falling and had been dusting the trees and the Japanese-style buildings all day. The golden evening light gave way to a clouded dark night as we soaked, visited, swapped stories, and caught up. It was a singular experience.

To finish it off, we brought Bob + Claire to Bert's La Taqueria, always a satisfying meal in a nice setting. We shared a giant sampler of their signature Mexican (not New-) tacos and rounded out the evening. We had to send them on their way after, but it made for a wonderful end to the holidays.