Sunny window, Palm Springs

This sunny window was on Palm Canyon Drive, next to the Cocky Cactus and just up the street from Coffee Bean. I SO wanted to go inside, but we had to buy coffee and run! Maybe another day!

Skywatch Friday February 27, 2009

Geese flying above the JW Marriott, Palm Desert, CA. Skywatch Friday for February 27, 2009.

Another flamingo photo

Another view of the flamingo population at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert, CA. You can see their island on the left. At night, they all settle in on their island. Don't you love the palm trees that line the driveway?

Watery Wednesday for February 25, 2009 flamingoes

The Marriott has a variety of birds that live in it or stop by, but the flamingoes stay year-round. Many tourists enjoy stopping there and taking photos of them! Right now there are mud nests and soon there will be baby flamingoes! That is their island behind them and at night they go there to rest. Watery Wednesday for February 25, 2009.

That's my World for Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Modern art? This shade is near the Cuistot restaurant, which is located in the Palm Desert visitor's center. That's My World for February 24, 2009.

Pretty garden center gate

I saw this pretty garden gate up in Anza this weekend. I stopped by to buy a wisteria for my front porch. I had one last year that I bought at the same place, but...alas...over the summer, when we went on vacation, our son neglected to water it while we were gone and it died. You know how it is here in the desert! If you don't water plants, they DIE! What a concept! It was only $18.00, compared to the nearly three times as much that one would be down here in the desert, if you could even find one! I arrived early to find the gates still locked, but I had never seen them closed before and I took this photo!

desert doorway~~Scenic Sunday for 02/22/09

I wonder what this doorway leads to? I took this photo exactly six years ago at the Living Desert Reserve. We love to visit the LDR and have been members since 1975! I've seen many changes at the Living Desert over the years, but we still enjoy visiting it! Scenic Sunday for February 22, 2009.

Shadows at the Living Desert Reserve, PD

Pretty shadows at the Living Desert Reserve, Palm Desert, CA. We often visit the LDR, cameras around our necks! We've been members since...1975~where has the time gone? I used to take my classes there every year, but can't afford to do so anymore. No money for field trips and it costs $6.00 per child and my kiddos are all from Coachella. Last year we walked down to the CV water district offices. Alas, a sign of our economic downturn.

Skywatch Friday~~Clouds~~Feb. 20, 2009

These pretty clouds were hanging around the Santa Rosa mountains one afternoon. I was on my way down the hill after visiting my horses. For more SkyWatch pics, please visit SkyWatch Friday. http://skyley.blogspot.com/

A taste of SPRING?

Yesterday was a beautiful, somewhat warm day here in our desert, 68 degrees! As we near the end of February and the beginning of March, I wondered, is Spring near? Photo taken at the Living Desert Reserve in 2006, on a sunny Spring day! It looks like a sunny weekend is ahead of us, with the chance of another storm next week sometime.

Watery Wednesday February 18, 2009

Not only can you see the water in the lake in this photo, but if you look at the building, you can see the reflection of the snow on our mountains! JW Marriott, Palm Desert, CA. Watery Wednesday for February 18, 2009.

Our world from Joshua Tree National Park overlook~~That's My World

Hubby and I drove up to Joshua Tree National Park this weekend, on a gray sky Sunday. While it was a cold and cloudy day, we basically went to "scope out" the park, since it has been over 30 years since we were last there! I believe we had our 1977 VW camper last time we drove through the park! We could see from the Salton Sea, to the Indio Hills, to Mt. San Jacinto. What a beautiful view, even though it was very cold up at Keys Point (at over 5,000 feet)! With the low temperatures and the wind blowing, we quickly ran back to our warm car and headed to lower elevations! For other views of other worlds, please check out: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Desert Springs~~Mellow Yellow for Monday, February 16, 2009

Hubby actually took this photo of the JW Marriott Desert Springs during the holiday season. Aren't the lights incredible? Mellow Yellow for Monday, February 16, 2009.

Scenic Sunday~~Whitewater preserve

Yesterday hubby and I decided to get out for my birthday. He had been wanting to go out to the Whitewater preserve, so into the car we hopped, cameras and all. Between us, we had 5 cameras! Our mountains still had the snow from a storm earlier this week and we wanted to take some photos before the next one moved in, probably late tonight. It's nice having a four-day weekend to get out and explore!

The mountains still had a lot of snow and from the preserve, we got a wonderful view of them! If you take the Whitewater road, you'll go up about 4.5 miles to the preserve, which also has a fish hatchery. You can park and explore the many trails there. They also have picnic tables. I've tried to also include some of those photos so that you can see what's up there. It's a great place to take the family and do some hiking. On one of his visits there, without me, hubby spotted bighorn sheep up on one of the ridges!

Scenic Sunday for February 15, 2009. For more Scenic Sunday photos, please visit: http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Happy Valentine's Day!

This colorful vendor is at the College of the Desert street fair.

More storms coming!

Marriott Desert Springs' villas. Well, it looks like a series of new storms is coming our way! Apparently they are lining up out in the Pacific. While we certainly need the rain and our mountains need the snow for our aquafer, I have to drive up Highway 74 to go buy dog food and horse feed this morning. I listened to the news report and I'll have to leave shortly and get OFF the mountain before it starts snowing again! In this cold weather, my 5 horses need the extra calories from their sweet feed to help stay warm! Even though they have lots of winter fur, the extra calories from the feed help their bodies stay warm and I'm completely out of it! I SHOULD have bought some last weekend, but hubby was working and I drove up to the mountains ALONE and I couldn't haul around the 50 pound bags of feed! So, this morning he'll go with me and we'll make a quick run up Highway 74 and get back home ASAP (at least before it starts snowing again up the hill!)

Thursday Challenge: Clothes!

Clothes, hats, and a big doll at the COD street fair. Look at all the colors! For more pics, please visit: http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

Snow! February 11, 2009

As I drove to work yesterday, I was impressed by all the snow on our local mountains. I just heard on the morning news that another storm is due this weekend, then a short break, and another one! Yikes!

MORE from the Coachella Valley Reserve

If you visit the Coachella Valley Reserve, DO stop in at the visitor's center. There is a lot to see and read about there!

Coachella Valley Preserve, Thousand Palms

In the 35 years I've lived here in our desert, I've NEVER visited the Coachella Valley Preserve in Thousand Palms until Saturday. Saturday was the perfect day for driving and taking pictures, so I finally stopped and hiked around a little while. The signs posted me to the dangers there, but other people were out and around and I figured they scared off all the wildlife! An owl had been spotted in one of the palms that morning.

Scenic Sunday February 8, 2009 palm oasis on San Andreas fault

After the rain stopped yesterday, I drove out Thousand Palms Road to visit the Coachella Valley Preserve. Can you believe that I've lived here 33 years and I have never visited it? I've also never been up the tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto! MY BAD! Anyway, this palm oasis is at the base of the Indio Hills, right along the San Andreas fault line. Enjoy your Sunday! Scenic Sunday for February 8, 2009

peaceful Thermal date grove

Sometimes I like to drive home from work on the "back" roads of Thermal, La Quinta, and Indio. I used to take those roads when I taught at Mecca Elementary School, about 15 years ago. I miss the vineyards and orchards. So, once in a while, I drive back to Palm Desert through these areas. Yesterday was the perfect day to do so: blue sky, clouds, fresh air...aaahhhhhh! These are some photos from yesterday's drive.

SkyWatch Friday, February 6, 2009 fountain and blue skies

Blue skies, a warm winter day, a beautiful fountain...what more could a person ask for?
SkyWatch Friday for February 6, 2009 For more SkyWatch photos, please visit: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Not a real horse!

Real horse? No! This red horse is next to Mallards, on Highway 74 and 111 in Palm Desert! It certainly looks like it is going somewhere!

Cheetah~ABC Wednesday for February 4, 2009

C is for cheetah~~
We LOVE to visit the Living Desert Reserve in Palm Desert and we often head over to the cheetah enclosure to spot them. On this morning, they had just released them and this one was sitting up on his bluff, overlooking the hills. Maybe he was looking over at the African cattle? We don't always see them, so when we do, we enjoy observing them. They are so quiet! This one started to move off to another spot and we didn't hear a thing. For more entries, please visit: http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/

That's My World for Tuesday, February 3, 2009 COD swap meet

I hadn't walked down to the COD street fair for some time, but Saturday I wandered over to check it out. It was much larger than I remember! I got there about 8:00 a.m., before all the crowds, and I browsed the various stalls. I went back on Sunday and bought a new purse and two skirts! Next weekend, I'll also return. Even if you don't buy anything, the College of the Desert street fair is a fun place to be! I found this delightful vendor on the outer fringes of the street fair and, with the morning light, framed this photo. For more photos of different worlds, please visit: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Mellow Yellow Monday February 2, 2009 Pretty flowers

Pretty flowers at The River, Rancho Mirage. Mellow Yellow Monday: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/