Baby pic~~I just had to share!

Baby Benjamin, born February 26, 2009. 6 pounds, 6 ounces, Palm Springs, CA (like my own two grown children!) He and the proud parents (my son) are home now! I'm a PROUD GRANDMA!~my first grandchild!

Skywatch Friday, February 27, 2009

Bare trees against a blue sky at the Big Morongo Preserve, Morongo Valley, CA. Skywatch Friday for February 27, 2009! My first grandchild, a boy, was born yesterday! Welcome to the world, little one!

Footprints in the snow!

I've been posting so many photos of our desert, I forgot that I actually had some of the snow in our local mountains! I thought I'd post them now as our snow is disappearing!

Watery Wednesday 022509

Desert waterfall in Whitewater Canyon, near Palm Springs, CA. These waterfalls only happen when there is a rain. A few days after this, it was gone! Watery Wednesday for February 25, 2009.

My flowers! Mellow Yellow Monday for 022309

My African daisies are now in full bloom! I took these photos on Saturday. The sunflowers next to them are nearly five feet tall, but haven't opened up yet. Mellow Yellow for Monday, February 23, 2009.

Scenic Sunday Feb. 22, 2009

A sunny afternoon at the Living Desert Reserve, in Palm Desert, CA, during January. Scenic Sunday for February 22, 2009. http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Step into my parlor!

Ha, ha! Not my parlor! This delightful door leads into the garden area of the Living Desert Reserve in Palm Desert, CA!~ Come enjoy the sunshine!

SkyWatch Friday February 20, 2009 Whitewater Preserve

Whitewater Preserve near Desert Hot Springs, CA. Skywatch Friday, February 20, 2009. Here's the link: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Watery Wednesday February 18, 2009 ~~Lake Tahoe

When our son was at UC Davis, we frequently drove out to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the scenery! I used to go to Camp Richardson as a kid with my mom, aunt, and cousin. We would camp out beneath the pine trees and sometimes I would go horseback riding. Camp Richardson is still there. For other watery photos, please visit: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Joshua Tree National Park

The Joshua Tree National Park is located about an hour's drive from our home in the lower desert. If you ever wish to drive through the park, PLAN AHEAD! Carry water with you and gas up your car in Yucca Valley or Joshua Tree BEFORE you enter the park! It is a national park and if you have a national park pass, you can use it there. There are NO (and I mean "NO!") gas stations once you get in the park and very few in Joshua Tree. I only had a little over 1/4 tank when we went last weekend, but...fortunately, once you get to the top at Keys Point, I coasted downhill into Yucca Valley and bought gas. BUT...I would NEVER do that again! I was lucky! It was only our second trip to Joshua Tree, the first one being over 35 years ago! We had a VW van then and we traveled through quite a lot of the western states with it, even up to Yellowstone. Also, if you are traveling to Joshua Tree, there are a lot of picnic areas and restrooms, BUT...our desert can get quite hot in spring, as well as summer, so carry extra water with you. I got dehydrated last summer (I didn't drink enough water and I was working the horses) and even I got muscle cramps (in my chest) and ended up in the ER. And, I've lived in the desert since 1973!! So, hydrate! Also, bring sunscreen and a hat. I always cover up now.

If you drive to Joshua Tree, the entrance is up quite a way (about 4-5 miles) from town. From there, you'll drive past various rock formations. When we first entered the park, I was struck by what a different world it is! Eerie. Silent. Definitely some kind of energy there! If you drive to Keys Point, it is about a 16 mile drive from the entrance of the park. Once there, you are at the highest point of the park, about 5100 feet. It was cold and windy this past weekend when we went. We probably won't return again until spring break, since I have no more 3 day weekends, and most weekends, I'm up working with the horses. We SHOULD have a lovely display of wildflowers this year with all our rainfall! So, here are some pics from Joshua Tree this last weekend. Enjoy our trip to Joshua Tree National Park!

Yellow grasses, Turley Cellars, Paso Robles, CA

As you know by now, we LOVE to travel to Paso Robles and visit the wineries there! Turley Cellars is one of our favorites! Not only do they have outstanding wines, but they have old wine zinfandel vines that still produce excellent grapes! These beautiful grasses were growing by the front of the winery when we stopped there last December. Mellow Yellow for February 16, 2009. For other yellow posts, please visit:

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

From desert warmth to mountain snow

We drove up into our local mountains yesterday to feed our horses some extra feed. We stopped for breakfast along the way and took some pics of the snow in our local mountains. Even longtime residents commented that this last storm was a big one and there are three more lined up out in the Pacific Ocean, due to hit us next week.

Skywatch Friday February 13, 2009 desert sky

We have so many beautiful, clear days here in our desert that I don't really have many photos of sunsets or sunrises. Instead, I DO have many, many photos of our desert scenery with blue sky. Don't you think the late afternoon shadows and blue sky are beautiful? SkyWatch Friday for February 13, 2009. For other sky photos, please visit: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Watery Wednesday February 11, 2009

A fountain at The River in Rancho Mirage, CA. For other entries, please visit Watery Wednesday: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Sunflowers! ~~ That's My World Tuesday February 10, 2009

These wild sunflowers grew all last spring and over the summer and there are still a few groups of them every now and then here in our desert southwest. These were on a seldom-traveled road, although I pass a clump of them every morning on my way to school. Aren't they pretty, considering it's the middle of winter? My world for Tuesday, February 10, 2009.

Scenic Sunday February 8, 2009 fence post

I love finding fields with fence posts in them and this one was at the Coachella Valley Preserve on Washington Street. If you enlarge it you can see our mountains behind it, covered with clouds. While it was cloudy yesterday, there were occasional breaks in the clouds giving us just enough of a glimpse of blue sky to believe that yesterday's storm was breaking. Our mountains received fresh snowfall and we need that here in our desert, since we get our water from both the Colorado River and our huge underground aquafer from snow runoff. A beautiful day for Scenic Sunday!

Thermal date grove February 7, 2009

My last post showed how the farmers irrigate the grape vineyards. Last night I drove home through the date groves. This is how they irrigate them. They flood the groves and the water travels along long rows. It's similar to the vineyards, but a LOT more water is used. In fact, when I walked out to take these photos, I sunk into mud in an area that I thought was dry! It's just that the water spreads out. The date palms need DEEP watering and this is how the farmers do it.

Grape vineyard~~Watery Wednesday~~Feb. 4, 2009

While driving home from school last week, I went a different route and found this field watering its grapes. I could actually hear the water bubbling up through the irrigation lock. It was the only noise in the field. It was absolutely quiet out there except for the bumping and gurgling of the water~ How peaceful~ For other watery photos, please visit: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Date orchard That's My World for Tuesday, February 3, 2009

My world, the southern California deserts, consists of many date orchards. Of course, there are fewer now than 30 years ago, but at the lower end of the Coachella Valley, you can still find them. This one is out in Thermal. Every morning I used to pick up a fellow teacher a few years ago and we would carpool to school and pass many fields and date groves. Unfortunately, many of the groves which were close to La Quinta are now housing developments and the farmers have had to relocate further down the valley, toward the Salton Sea. A date palm nursery was just down the street, so I stopped and took a couple of photos there, too. It was pretty with the afternoon light shining down through the trees. For more glimpses into different worlds, please visit: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/