Colorful ram

This colorful ram is in "The Gardens" on El Paseo. While I enjoyed viewing this one, I prefer to see the natural ones! Unfortunately their territory is being threatened by the continued hillside developments in Palm Desert. I guess this one will be the only one left. How sad.

Water and fountain~~Watery Wed for 042909

During our unseasonal heat wave last week (it was over 100 degrees!), ANY water fountain is a relief, even just seeing one! These pools were in The Gardens, in Palm Desert, and were a welcome relief from the heat. Watery Wednesday for April 29, 2009.

Windy day~That's My World for 0429809

Saturday morning was windy here in our desert. Just look at the palm trees! We've had windy days recently and yesterday was cloudy and back down into the 80's, a relief from the 100 degrees last week! That's My World for Tuesday, April 28, 2009.

Quiet spot

This was The Gardens on a quiet Saturday morning. So peaceful without people, don't you think?

Fake hummingbird

Here's more of the Palm Desert "public art". In front of the giant dragonfly (which scares me!) is a hummingbird. Not a little bird, but a huge one. See the car in the second photo? That's how big these things are...I guess I just don't understand public art. Oh, well!

Giant insect!

Right up the street from the iron horse, on El Paseo, in Palm Desert, is this giant dragonfly, complete with hairs on its legs. Hey, if I were a kid, I'd have nightmares about this thing! SCARY! Just look at those eyes! Ugh. Public art? Maybe in the eyes of the artist. I just don't see the point in something like this. What do you think?

Iron horse

This iron horse is one of the artworks on display on El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert.

St. Francis

The day I found the hummingbird nest at The Gardens, I wandered around by myself for a while, just enjoying the early morning quiet. This bench of St. Francis caught my eye. What a pretty spot to sit and enjoy the view!

Fountain~~Watery Wednesday for April 22, 2009

This delightful fountain is at The Gardens in Palm Desert, an upscale shopping center. When I was there, a man was with his standard poodle, who delighted in running and jumping in it! Hey, when it's 100 degrees, what are ya' going to do? Watery Wednesday for April 22, 2009. Happy Earth Day!

Sunrise! That's My World for Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Ahhhhh....a beautiful sunrise...crisp blue sky, a cloud or two over the mountains, a half moon, and a lovely view of the palm trees! What more could I want? I took this photo right outside my front door! That's indeed my world! For Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

Quiet morning walk through town

I took a short walk down El Paseo Saturday morning and found these delightful flowers and decorations. It was nice to be able to drive and walk without the views clogged by people! I love weekend mornings.

Quiet walk at "The Gardens"~~Scenic Sunday for 041909

Palm Desert has a shopping center called "The Gardens". It's very pretty with lots of flowers, fountains, and statues. It also has lots of overhangs for shade. There are several restaurants among the shops also. I got up early yesterday morning and visited "The Gardens". While it is nice that the city and the developer have these wonderful garden spots, I got to thinking, "What if we had these green zones in the city and county for wildlife?" Instead of statutes of bighorn sheep, maybe a green zone to provide food for them? Why not have something for the wildlife in their natural habitat? Scenic Sunday for April 19, 2009

Ramona, CA and Ramona Cafe

Hubby and I drove to Ramona, CA on Thursday. It is nestled in the rolling hills of San Diego County and is good horse country. We didn't see any of the areas burned by last summer's fire (we stayed on 67) and had an enjoyable day in town. We stopped for lunch at the Ramona Cafe (featured on "Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins") and weren't disappointed by the food! It was delicious! I had the turkey melt and hubby had the chicken sandwich. No canned food here...everything is made fresh! Hubby bought 6 cinnamon rolls to go and we even stopped back later in the afternoon for a fresh apple delight and a piece of chocolate cake and coffee before driving back home. We enjoyed our day in Ramona and will go back again! That's the inside of the Ramona Cafe. My uncle, who used to fly B-24's, would LOVE that place! Isn't it cute? You could also sit outside, but why would you want to when there is so much to see inside!

Bare tree against a blue sky~~SkyWatch Friday, April 17, 2009

Hubby and I drove to Ramona yesterday. We wanted to visit the Ramona Cafe (yum, yum!). After a delightful lunch (turkey melt for me and a fried chicken sandwich for hubby), we went to the feed store across the street, stopped at the True Value hardware store, and went back to the Ramona Cafe for desserts and coffee before driving home. What a day! We saw this beautiful, bare tree near Anza on our way home. SkyWatch Friday for April 17, 2009.

Swiss Donut

On a bright, crisp spring morning, people enjoy sitting outside by the Swiss Donut shop. Who wouldn't?

Devane's Italian Kitchen, Palm Desert

One morning I went out very early and caught the delightful morning light. Look at Devane's Italian Kitchen in the light! Isn't it pretty? I LOVE morning light! The food there is delicious and we enjoy visiting Devane's!

View toward the pass~That's My World 041409

I drove up through Sky Valley on Sunday morning, when it was crisp and clear. I saw a coyote along the way. The previous day was cloudy and the pass was filled with fog, but on this trip, it was clear. The two mountains with snow are Mt. San Jacinto, where the Palm Springs tram is located, and Mt. Gorgonio, where the towns of Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead are located. The pass is now filled with the big wind turbines that generate electricity for Southern California Edison. That's My World for Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

Lake in the mist

On Saturday, after we had breakfast in Idyllwild, we drove by Lake Hemet just to stop and take a few photos. As my fellow desert dwellers know, when we are clear down in the desert valley, the clouds sometimes will hang on our mountains. Such was the case on Saturday. These clouds were drifting by Lake Hemet and moving swiftly. It was eerily quiet when we stopped in the National Forest area of the lake.

A bit of advice for those of you who wish to visit Lake Hemet: If you take the side road (not in the campground), be prepared to show a National Parks Adventure pass or risk a ticket! When I pulled in, there were two dead fish on the ground by an open parking space. I pulled in and was soon confronted by a park ranger. He demanded to see my Adventure pass. I explained to him that hubby (who had wandered off, taking pics) and I were only there long enough to snap a couple of photos and were then moving out~! He picked up the dead fish and I explained that they weren't ours! By now, he was really getting hostile with me, so I offered to dig out my pass and I also explained that both hubby and I were over 55 (not that THAT made any difference with him!)...FINALLY, after talking to him for a bit(I DO have an adventure pass that we purchased last August, when we visited the Grand Canyon), he apparently believed me and did NOT give me a ticket. He explained that there was a posted sign on the way in, but we were so busy looking the OTHER WAY, at the lake, that we both didn't see it! So, on the way out, we both cranned our necks and yup...there it was! So, a warning to you...be SURE you have your pass. He got out his ticket book and was ready to give me a $100 ticket before I explained to him that I actually had said pass and would readily dig it out of my purse! I knew it was there because I put it in my purse last summer (since I paid the $80.00 for it myself)! Not exactly an enjoyable visit to the lake, so we drove home from there, but the fog and clouds were pretty!

Idyllwild snow! Scenic Sunday for April 12, 2009

I looked up at our local mountains Friday afternoon and it appeared to be snowing there, but was it cold enough for snow? Yes, indeed, it was! We drove up to Idyllwild yesterday and spotted cars with snow on them coming down the mountain, so we decided to proceed to our favorite restaurant/bakery, The Bread Basket, for a warm breakfast and some delicious coffee! And, we weren't disappointed! The town was dusted with 2-3 inches of fresh snow in a storm that surprised even the locals! An April storm! How refreshing! It was interesting to see the trees in bloom now surrounded by fresh snow! What a contrast! Scenic Sunday for April 12, 2009. Happy Easter!

Our walk to Coffee Bean

We had dinner with our son and GF and grandson last night. After dinner, we were all STUFFED and so we decided to walk down to Coffee Bean. It was a beautiful sunset~~thunderheads around the valley. This morning is clear and the winds last night must have moved them over to Arizona because they are gone this morning! So, we bundled up little BJD, took their dog, and walked to CB because I needed coffee for this morning (it's just starting to kick in!) Here are some dusk photos of our evening. We LOVE Coffee Bean!

Orange sunrise~~SkyWatch Friday 041009

Most mornings are perfectly clear here in the desert, but once in a while, when we have clouds, we get sunrises like this!

Skywatch Friday for April 10, 2009