Water in the desert

I went on a hike up Pushawalla Canyon yesterday, with my cousin. She rode one of her horses in and I walked, since I still haven't been back on a horse after my accident in August of 2008. Yes, nearly two years! When I dismounted off a friend's horse, I tweeked my back. Actually, I suffered two slipped discs and I now have permanent nerve damage along my sciatic nerve. Both of my feet are constantly numb and tingling and I occasionally get leg cramps so bad that I can't walk! But, I've noticed, on my spring break, that walking actually lessens the leg cramps, so I've tried to go out and walk as much as I can! Anyway...she showed me where to park my car and then Valerie rode her horse down into the canyon while I hiked up to it. Pushawalla Canyon is located right ON the San Andreas Fault. There are lots of palms in the canyon, since because of the fault, water flows to the surface. On my way back OUT of the canyon, I spotted these palm trees lying about a mile down from the entrance and about two miles down from the palms in the canyon. Don't take water in the desert for granted! These were HUGE palms lying on their sides. The water carried them about 2 miles downstream! BEWARE and be safe and smart when you see water running over roads! I believe I heard on the news that even a little bit of running water can carry your car away. And, believe me, these palms weigh more than most cars! I thought they told a story, then, and wanted to share it with you! BE CAREFUL of driving through water in the desert (or anywhere else!) Be smart! I know that Arizona has a "stupid driver" law that states if you drive through water and get stuck, and you have to call for help, YOU have to pay for your own rescue! Something to think about... Believe me, I have a lot more respect now for our summer monsoon storms after seeing these palms two miles down from the canyon!!!

Not sure what to post today!

I'm sitting here, not really knowing what to post today. Sometime during the night, our power went off and this morning, when I found out what happened, hubby also noticed that his computer was running WINDOWS updates. And, it had erased EVERYTHING from his desktop! Now, being the "Type A" person that he is, he was extremely annoyed. He just uploaded ALL of his photos from Joshua Tree yesterday and has nice, neat little folders for our pics and they were all gone! The photos were still there, but, honestly, after he explained how to find them, I just walked away. Too much technology for me. I just like to point and click! I have my own photos of Joshua Tree on two cameras and they are all uploaded to the laptop, but I haven't had time to go through them and I'm heading out the door shortly to go to Pushawalla Canyon with my cousin. Maybe tonight I'll post some pics from there!

Coachella Valley Preserve~Nature Notes 040710

Hubby and I drove out to the Coachella Valley Preserve on Tuesday morning. We didn't get out there until about 10:00 (MUCH too late for me!), and I was hoping if we got there early, we might see more animals, but alas...The CVP is a large area of desert which is undeveloped and preserved as it once was, with palm oases. The CVP is right along the San Andreas fault, near Indio, CA and the palms that line it are an indication of an active fault line. It is very cool inside the palms and a nice wooden walkway was out path for a while. There was plenty of cool water along the walkway, nourishing the palms. There is no charge to visit the preserve and, if you are in the area, it's a great place to learn about the flora and fauna. Nature Notes for April 7, 2010.

Desert oasis~Watery Wednesday 040710

This oasis pool is at the Living Desert Reserve here in Palm Desert, CA. I enjoy walking through it every time I visit because it is so cool inside the palms! Watery Wednesday for April 7, 2010.

Grapes~That's My World 040610

I took a drive out to the vineyards Thursday afternoon right after my spring break started. I like to see them at various times of the year. Spring is an especially delightful time because the grapes are so tiny! Can you see the baby grapes? These are table grapes, growing out in Coachella, along Interstate 10. I also saw fields of 3" high corn and another field of squash. Warm season crops are already planted. I remember that last year, the first crop of corn was harvested in May. With a 365 day growing season, the farmers rotate crops all year! That's My World for Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

Yellow flowers and EARTHQUAKE! Mellow Yellow for 040510

I found these pretty yellow flowers at the Palm Desert Visitor's Center. I was out and about early Saturday morning. Today it is windy and cloudy and cool. Go figure. Most spring breaks are fairly warm, with temps in the 90's, but this week, it will only get up to 88 by Tuesday. That's GREAT! And, yes, we felt the rocking and rolling from yesterday's 7.2 earthquake near Mexicali. Our kitten went running down the hallway, our wine glasses, in their rack, were bumping into each other, and it sounded like a freight train rumbling through the valley! I ran to a doorway and held on! Hubby got up from his computer, too, and headed for a doorway! Of course, we drove out to check on our daughter and son-in-law and our son's house, too! We had to make sure everybody was okay (they were fine, but our daughter dove under her countertop!) We've had two 5.1 aftershocks already this morning and will probably get more today. Mellow Yellow for Monday, April 5, 2010.

Wildflowers on canyon walls~Scenic Sunday 040410

Yesterday morning I took a walk on one of our local trails here in the desert. Not far, just for a little way. I was intrigued by the wildflower shrubs which are growing right out of the canyon walls. Aren't they pretty? Scenic Sunday for April 4, 2010.