Biker Bash at Pioneer Town

Pioneer Town doesn't have much going on any more!!

In some places the colour goes for miles

A Yucca in full bloom

A Joshua Tree in full bloom

Our new best friends in full bloom

If you push the first bike over do the rest fall like dominoes. Dare ya!!

The blooming of spring desert wildflowers is a huge event around here. Again today we ventured out into the desert and saw even more plentiful carpets of blossoms. This time it was back to Joshua Tree National Park, which has about a 3,000 foot rise from its southern to northern border. As a result, you will find flowers at peak bloom somewhere along the altitude continuum. It turns out the best show was at the southern end of the park, indicating that there will be wildflowers for at least a month to come, heading north.

Pioneer Town is a permanent community established in the 1940’s by Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, several other western movie actors and, a group of investors. Its purpose was to act as a permanent venue in which to shoot western movies and in fact, dozens of movies were shot in the community right up to 1996. The structures are real buildings as opposed to the facades often used in the movies. Pioneer Town was on our way home from the north gate of Joshua Tree Park and, we felt it our duty to mosey in and quaff back a beer (or two) at the town’s western saloon (only open on weekends). Much to our surprise a LARGE group of Harley drivin’, beer swillin’, leather wearin’ bikers had taken over the saloon, to hold a fund raiser for one of their comrades, seriously injured in a battle with a car (car won!!!) (Hillary’s health care initiatives might have been helpful in this case.) In any event, we walked in, tennis shoes, shorts, (matching top in Brenda’s case) and, started swillin’ with them!! We didn’t bother to mention that we had been out taking pictures of wildflowers!!! To say that this crowd was not in our usual circle of friends might be the understatement of the trip. More good pictures though!!!

The Bloomin' Desert

Joan and John getting ready to cruise in the "Coolmobile"

Anyone remember Monty Python's skit on Lupines. These are the desert variety

A Beavertail Cactus about to reach full bloom

John & Joan, friends from Brockville, left today, after visiting the area for the better part of a week. We had a great time and jointly discovered a few new eating establishments all along the dining spectrum. Since most of our exploits were nocturnal and, since I am getting lazier and lazier, we have few photographs with which to blackmail each other. They, too, rented a sporty convertible and therein blasted out of town this morning, heading to Phoenix in order to visit with John’s brother, who lives there. Tonight we’re eating in!!!!

Brenda and I hiked through the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Monument today. This is a national park in which the desert wildflowers are just coming into the peak bloom season. Again this year, the lack of rain last autumn prevented many of the seed species from germinating. However, some late winter rain did manage to coax many species into bloom. It is almost impossible to believe that so much colour can be produced out of rocks and sand. We are told that in a year where there have been autumnal rains in the prior year, the desert floor becomes a blanket of colour. We’ll just have to come back again!!! Even now, hiking through the washes and trails gets very hot by mid-day. The summer heat must just bake all this flora into oblivion.

We have sadly begun to plan the trek home. Since no comprehensive road trip of the USA could possibly be complete without a visit to NASCAR, we have just received our tickets for the Samsung 500 in Forth Worth Texas. We will be spending some time there on the journey home, in order to visit with Brenda’s brother, who is posted there. He promises us a rootin’ tootin’ time so we had best rest up. We noticed that north Texas got a dump of snow last night so, we’ll stay put for a few more weeks before setting out.

The Rolling Stones were right!!!!

Brenda and "JB", our golf instructor after a mid-day (hot) lesson

“You don’t always get what you waaaaant”. The Stones got it right!! Thinking my recent golf lessons would somehow improve my game, I played in a “scramble” at our local par 3 golf course, wanting nothing more than NOT to be the game’s comic relief. It was not to be!! Now… when I go to the driving range, I can put 3 shots out of 4 within 20 feet of a pin 100 to 120 yards out so, do you think I could hit the GD greens on these little par 3’s? Noooooooooooo. In fact, my short little drives were so wild, my team mates were yelling “Fore” BEFORE I swung (in the interest of safety of course). The group on the hole in front of us were always looking over their shoulders to see where I was and, took a particular interest in my drives!!! Could they ever dance!!

There was, however, SOME good news. I out-putted virtually everyone on our team and made three long birdie puts. Now if I could just figure out some other way to get that damn ball down to the greens!!! In spite of my “best” efforts, our team finished “in the money” and took third place. The golf lessons continue with a VERY understanding pro. Tuesday is “Scramble” day. I wonder if that term was coined in recognition of MY golfing ability????

One of the tiny facts that the Chamber of Commerce omits from its glossy brochures is that The Coachella Valley (Palm Springs) is one of the windiest places on earth, as evidenced by about 10,000 wind generators located just west of here. It can be bright, sunny and 85°F, yet the wind can be howling. When buying homes, the locals select their sites based upon wind exposure and/or protection. Not a phenomenon with which we Canucks are familiar. Maybe it’s the wind affecting my golf?????????

Rambling

I just missed capturing the full moon sinking behind the mountains at sunrise. Oh well, it was still a great sunrise.

Some clown walked in front of the "Hello Mary Lou" sign in the background!!! ML stands for Mary Lou.

ML is perfecting the art of reading with her eyes closed!!!

Den & ML left on Saturday after a week of on and off weather, contrary to the earlier forecast. However, they left with some tan and, saw a good deal of the desert. Mid-week, my globe-trotting cousin, Andy, popped into town on his way home to England. Neither of us can remember exactly when we last saw each other but it is fair to say that we were both a LOT younger. He and his family are planning to spend time in Palm Springs every year and, so are we. It would appear that the lack of contact thing WILL get fixed!!

Because Brenda had been away, she only got to her first golf lesson this week. No cameras allowed!!! She has agreed to go back for more so, she must have enjoyed it. I am playing in a scramble tomorrow, putting my newly developed skills to a test. My goal is to rise above the comic relief level of past golf outings however, as the Rolling Stones sing, “You don’t always get what you waaaant……….”

We are finding that as “the season” in Palm Springs reaches its peak, obtaining reservations at the most popular restaurants is getting tough. Brenda called one restaurant which everyone is talking about yesterday and had to pick a reservation date and time of THEIR chosing. They are full at all other times. Damn tourists!!!

Yesterday, I took in the spring version of the car auction that I visited last autumn. Even though there are many more people in town at this time of year, the auction was a mere shadow of the fall version. There were far fewer “exotics” on the block. Could it be the economy??? One senses that the US economy has a way to drop yet. We’ll see.

Some people are lucky!!!

Happy hour at one of our favourite outdoor patios just after the sun set behind the mountains.

Our friends, Den & ML, were rushing at the airport in Toronto, running a bit late because of inclement weather and, inadvertently lost the file with all of their travel plans, addresses, phone numbers and reservations at the airport. They boarded the plane to LA not knowing where they were staying or, what their rental car reservation was. They were able to finally get their car in LA and drove to Palm Springs without our phone number or address. We had earlier picked up the key to their villa and knew where it was.

Pulling into the Travel Information building in Palm Springs, they inquired about RV Parks in Palm Springs, describing what they knew of our park. There are dozens and dozens of RV parks in the area. However, the attendant pointed out our park on a map and, hearing the address, Den & ML remembered the street name as being where we are. They high-tailed it here and told their story over a beer. I have detailed the short, factual version here. Hearing them tell the tale with the usual spousal corrections was hilarious. To top the story off ……… they left our place after dark and drove to their villa complex. Almost all properties in this area are gated. After getting in the gate with much trouble, they looked for villa complex “K” and, drove around the property inquiring as to its location. No one knew!!! Finally someone told them “There’s no villa “K” here”. They were at the wrong property. Their’s was next door!!! An interesting day. When they finally returned to our place for a late dinner, there was much wine consumed.

Tired!!!!

In my wildest dreams I never thought I would be walking golf courses regularly!!!

Our new location in the park is very close to one of the 6 smaller "satellite" pools on the property. It's almost like our own pool ;-)

Brenda and the “Ski Widows” made it back from Mexico after having a great time in the sun. All her bags even followed her back, which did not occur on her outbound journey. Ya gotta love the airlines!!

Is anyone else tired of Hillary, Barack and John? In California one cannot escape. Even if you chose not to turn on a TV set or read a newspaper, you are accosted as you walk through event venues by “Republicans for the environment” (a small group) or “Democrats for the elimination of deficits”. They’re everywhere!! If we were going to stay here until November, we would have to hide in cave. This is an interesting race! But….. far too long.

A former university room-mate of mine and his bride are visiting this coming week. It sounds like they are keen to have Scotty beam them out of the snow in Ontario. We are also keen to see them. The forecast is for 10 solid days of sun!!

I have found an amazing golf pro to put up with my shenanigans on the golf course. She is an LPGA pro and, has shown me at least how to make contact with that damn little ball. If I had invented this game, I would have made the ball bigger!!!! The sweet spot on the clubs is also too darn small. So far, no broken windows (touch wood) and surprisingly, it’s fun! But, by the time we get back to Brockville I’m sure that I will have forgotten everything that I’ve learned so far.

Home alone

Our new view from the back of the RV

This area is smack in the middle of the city surrounded by shopping malls and golf courses

Since the lots in this RV park are all individually owned much like a condominium and, since the owner of our rented lot is arriving for February, we are getting the old “heave ho” from our wonderful, scenic location. We are being moved to another lot on the golf course but, with a less panoramic view of the mountains. The big variable is that our new lot has a huge screen on one side, theoretically placed to stop errant golf balls from dinging the side of our RV. Hope it works. The new spot is near a green; the old one near a tee. We like tees!!!

The weather is finally returning to a near normal pattern with temperatures coming up each day and, the daily sky conditions show nothing but sun for the next 10 days. This is more like it. However, it’s still a desert. It still gets cool at night.

Having abandoned my bride last week to go skiing; next week is the “turnabout”. Brenda and the “ski widows” are heading off to the beaches of Mexico for some sun and surf (no surf anywhere near here!!!). I will be left to mind the farm and continue the exploration of this area of southern California. We’re also looking at places that we might be able to come to next winter….. sans RV. I’ve been instructed to find something great! No pressure!!