Water is the stuff of life, especially during extremely high temperatures like those we have been experiencing over the past week.

That got me thinking that it’s possible some of our readers may not know about a free-flowing source of fresh, cold water that can be found right here at home in Harrison County.

First, a bit about my household. My husband, Mike, and I have had cats for years. One in particular, though, holds a special place. Her name is Fu (pronounced Foo), and she was born a stray on our front porch almost 19 years ago.

Fu had a rough start in life. Her mother was an abandoned cat that showed up at our home just a few days before she was ready to deliver a litter of five kittens — two orange tiger striped cats and two calicos, along with our gray-striped Fu. We managed to find homes for all of them except for Fu, since she refused to socialize with any other human beings. So, she became our cat.

Fu moved indoors and, despite the fact that we had the mother cat spayed and vaccinated, that poor stray only lasted about three months after her kittens were born. She had heart work disease before she arrived, and it caused her heart to fail.

Fu, who was the runt of the litter, felt the effects of her mother’s ill health. She has had a heart murmur since she was very young, and our veterinarian, the fabulous Dr. Christy Stephen of Barnesville Veterinary Service, warned us that she might not have a long life. Boy, did Fu surprise her!

Thanks to Dr. Christy, Fu started a heart rhythm medication that she tales twice a day. For her first 18 years, that was enough to keep her in good health. Today she also needs blood pressure medication and a potassium supplement.

In doing research about how to keep an elderly cat healthy, we came upon multiple people who said spring water was better for cats than tap water. So, we decided to give that a try. After purchasing a few gallons of spring water, though, we wondered if there wasn’t a way around that expense. That’s when we remembered that Christopher Spring just outside of Cadiz was available.

For 120 years now, Christopher Springs Farm has been a family operation, and it has been revitalized by owner and operator Emily Wagner and her team.

“Christopher Springs Farm is working to build a stronger community from the ground up by providing locally grown, farm fresh produce to our community, with a dedicated focus on soil health, creating healthy foods that help feed a healthy home,” the farm notes on its website.

The spring for which the farm is named flows year-round. It pours from the hillside along Ohio 9 between Cadiz and New Athens into a large trough, unless someone has a jug handy to catch the crisp cold water. A roadside pull-off allows anyone who wants or needs fresh water to just stop and take as much as they can carry. Whether you refill your water bottle as you are driving by or fill up as many jugs as you can fit in your trunk, everyone is welcome to share the bountiful resource.

Owned by Liggitt Enterprises today, the farm was purchased in 1901 by T.B. Christopher, who named the spring in honor of his two daughters, according to a sign posted at the water’s outlet.

The spring is still maintained today, in honor of the late Tony Pietrangelo, who tended the grounds for many years.

Since we want to keep our pets as healthy as we can, Mike and I have started making the trek from Belmont to Cadiz every few weeks with a load of empty plastic jugs. We return with plenty of clean, clear water to refill Fu’s bowls and fountain for weeks at a time.

Although it is hard to say if the change has made a difference in her health, it is easy to see that there is much less residue left behind by the spring water. Instead of calcium and lime deposits clinging to the side of her dishes, we see a few flakes of minerals in the bottom of her bowls.

And I can vouch for the fact that the water is delicious. We often use it to refill our ice cube trays, which become caked with white when we use harder tap water.

So, if you are in need of drinking water, or you just want to take a nice ride through the country with an interesting, no-cost destination in mind, consider trying the water from Christopher Spring.

∫ ∫ ∫

I tried something else new this week. Thanks to some delectable-looking images shared by my sister-in-law Amy Pellegrini, I decided to stop at Better You Nutrition at Plaza West in St. Clairsville.

The weather was hot on Friday, and I didn’t feel like having a heavy meal, so I thought I would try a smoothie instead.

When I walked into the shop, I was greeted by a friendly employee. I was a bit intimidated by the menu, so I told her I had never visited before.

The next thing I knew, I heard someone speak my name. In a happy coincidence, when I turned around I saw that my niece, Brooke Chamberlain, was at the counter enjoying a smoothie of her own. Brooke had been to the gym for a workout and stopped by to get refreshed. Like her mother, Amy, she is a fan of the shop.

Since Brooke clearly knew what she was doing, I decided to let her order for me. I ended up with a “Cow Tail” smoothie filled with a caramel swirl and some toffee chips, along with a “Jolly Rancher” watermelon tea. Both were delicious, and the smoothie did the trick. I felt cool and comfortably full for several hours.

So, much like that spring water, I recommend giving Better You Nutrition a try.