I am currently at Rancho La Puerta for a few days. My plans included being here for the opening of their exciting new cooking school . However, as things generally go with construction, there is some delay and I will only be able to visit the cooking school on Wednesday - not experience a cooking lesson. Oh well, there's always plenty of other things to do.

I brought my sister-in-law, Pam, with me on this trip and it is always fun to visit a spa with someone who is experiencing it for the first time. Pam is not a spa lover - this is a good reality check for me because, of course, I think everyone is. She had her first body treatment yesterday and asked all the normal questions about nudity and gratuities which are always a mystery until one has experienced a spa treatment. I signed her up for a salt body scrub but I’m afraid she found the salt itchy and was glad when it was over. Oh dear. Not a good start.

At the moment she is having a 90 minute Healing massage and I am hoping she will enjoy this a bit more. She did love the water exercise classes (this is a special Water Week at the Ranch- the instructor is some water-guru) and she absolutely has fallen in love with the gardens, the art, and the food.

It's been interesting to see how many aspects of the ranch someone can embrace that have nothing to do with exercise.

Tonight Deborah lectures..."Musings since turning 85." I look forward to seeing if we can make Pam a convert before her stay is over.