HIKING TO THE FLAG

March 19, 2017

There are a lot of hikes in the desert. One I had heard about for years, but never been on.  It is directly across from our campground.  It is 2.5 miles one way, but very steep.  Decided to go with  Cindy, the activities director at the park. She has done it many times.  The other man with us was  from British Columbia, Canada.  Even tho  I was the oldest of the group, I was able to keep up.  I had to stop a few times when it got really steep, thank heavens for my walking stick.   I had taken lots of  water.  Took us 1.5 hours to get up, 1 hour to come down.  Our guide, Cindi has done it in 1.5 hrs round trip, but she is a lot younger. Still, that is pretty fast.  Felt pretty good about it because a lot of people take 2 hours each way. At the top of the mountain are 2 flags, one U.S., one Canadian.  Glad I did it, but, not sure I would do it again. 

 Taken just before we started the steep part

You can barely see the flag at the top. We were fairly close when I took this

Taken from the bottom, across from our park. The flag is on the peak to the right of the tallest one. 

FLOWERS EVERYWHERE!

March 11, 2017

Last Saturday, we went to the Anza-Borrego State Park.  It is about an hour drive south  from Palm Springs.  Flowers bloom in the desert in the spring , but, because of all the rain, they are spectacular  this year.  It has even  been on the National News, at least in L.A.  Most of the areas in the pictures I'm sending are brown, but not now. Because this year is so unusual, the traffic was a mess. Everyone from Southern CA must have been there.

The town of Borrego Springs is also know for the metal sculptures.  They are from 20 ft tall to very tiny. A man puts them together somewhere else, takes them apart and installs them all over the desert. Amazing to see.  The pictures below were taken a few years ago. It was too crowded with people this time looking at flowers to see. 

SAD DAY

March 16, 2017

Yesterday was a sad day for us. My dad passed away 3 years ago yesterday. My Mom passed away 3.5 years ago on Sept 5, 2013.  You can't really think about one without the other. They were so very happy, very much still in love and joined at the hip.  They still held hands and kissed up  up to the end. I think of them every day and miss them so much.  I was very sad to lose them, but happy that they were both out of pain and together at last. I see them dancing to the Big band music and sitting around the kitchen table talking and laughing with my aunts and uncles at the farm in 

Kinmundy, IL.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of them. They were always smiling and having a good time.

Their wedding day, Jan 23, 1943

During the war, my dad was a pilot

A beautiful lady

College days

Younger days on the farm

Always kissing

Kissing again!

Traveling in their 5th wheel was one of their favorite things to do

Dad was in the Army/Airforce

Another one of their favorite things to do-sitting around the kitchen table talking to my aunts and uncles. There were always a lot of laughs

HOT, HOT ,HOT

March 10, 2017

Palm Springs has had more than double the rain they usually get,  over 5".  Doesn't seem like a lot to us  Washingtonians,  but it has been overwhelming to them eventho they need it.  One day last week we had almost an inch in less than 24 hours. Palm Springs can be a  very windy place. Last week we had winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts at 70-80 MPH.  It can be windy, but that was very unusual to be THAT windy.  In an RV, when there is a lot of rain or wind, you are a rockin' and a rollin'.  In that  wind, I expected us to tip a little, that's how bad it was. 

 Summer weather started this week,  it feels so good. This is why we leave for the winter- on the hunt for warm weather

Next week it will be up to 95. Seems a tad hot, but, because the humidity is so low, it doesn't feel as hot as in Washington. 

 Linda and I went to the Palm Springs Vintage Festival held once a month. There were some very interesting pieces  and things to see.  Palm Springs is the Mid Century  Modern Capital of the world. Back in my day, we just called it Danish Modern and it was everywhere. My parents had some pieces that I saw there.  I used to collect  a lot of vintage things, hat boxes,  purses, hats, perfume bottles and glassware.  I was in heaven looking at everything that I used to collect.  Even tho  we are traveling 6 months and I shouldn't collect anything anymore,  I couldn't resist buying a few vintage pieces, a hat box, a hat and 2 perfume bottles.  Will probably just collect dust, but, I couldn't resist.  Below are pictures of a few things I saw

Here are the vintage pieces I bought. Buying them brought a smile to my face! I haven't really bought anything to add to my collection in over 20 years!

Only in Palm Springs would you see such landscaping at a shopping center

I took this picture from the shopping center.It seemed so unusual to see palm trees and snow in the same picture.  That shows how unusual the weather has been here. The mountain is Big Bear to the north

One day, Denny and I went out geocaching.  Sometimes you have to walk a little  to get it , but not very far.  Came to one and had to give it some thought if I would do it, but decided I needed the challenge. Denny stayed behind. I took the first picture when I got to the top of the hill looking down to our truck. The second picture is when I finished and took the picture looking up to the top of the hill where the cache was. It was a short walk, but, VERY steep.