Guess who? Our World Tuesday~January 31, 2012

Guess who followed me at the park on Sunday morning?  I'll be posting more on them later this week.  They are my new-found friends!  Our World Tuesday for January 31, 2012.  To visit OWT, please go to:  http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Yellow flowers~Mellow Yellow Monday~013012

While hubby ran into LA Wines yesterday afternoon, I hopped out of the car and snapped these photos of some flowers in the strip between the parking lot and the store.  I get bored in wine shops, since I really don't know what to look for (after being married to hubby for 40 years this June, I still don't know my wines!)...sigh...I know what I like and I don't venture out of my comfort zone, but that's another post.  I was delighted to see so many variations of yellow!  Aren't they adorable?  Mellow Yellow Monday for January 30, 2012. To visit MYM, please go to:   http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

River~Nature's Frames~Sunday Stills Challenge~012911

One of Yosemite's rivers last spring, framed by trees for this week's Sunday Stills Challenge.  012912

New laptop (well, not really)...

I've inherited hubby's "old" laptop.  It isn't that old, but he needed another one, so I got it. He got a newer, faster one with more memory as he does graphic design.  So, I got his old one.  UNfortunately, the dogs stepped on its power cord and now this morning, it isn't working and the battery is dead...sigh... so I'm back to using this old one.  We'll be giving this one to our son and hubby transferred ALL my photos to our external hard drive, so this one is basically stripped down to almost nothing.  One of the culprits (the Weimeraner) is asleep next to me on the couch, snoring away!  I'll be posting photos as soon as hubby gets the laptop charged up, which will probably be tomorrow.  I'm heading out today to go work with my horses.  Santa Ana winds up to 60 mph are expected today, so it will be another interesting ride up the mountain!  See you all later!

sunrise~SkyWatch Friday~January 27, 2012

Sunrise looking toward the mountains from my front yard.  I LOVE these mountains!  SkyWatch Friday for January 27, 2012.  To visit Skywatch Friday, please go to:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Living Desert trains

We took the grandson to the Living Desert Reserve a couple of weekends ago to see the trains.  One of the docents had (I think...) a Mexican milk snake and he got to touch it!  Nope...he wasn't too interested in that.  He wanted to go see the trains!!!!  They have one of the finest miniature train models I've ever seen anywhere!  Ben had to go see all the trains (see him marching off to go see another one)!  They run the trains so that they don't run into each other, so there are always a couple of them running at all times for the youngsters!  If you have a chance, it's a great place to take the family.  There's also a carousel which the kids can ride for $2.00, but he also wasn't impressed with that either.  At the end, he asked to go back to see the trains.  Here's a link to their website:  http://www.livingdesert.org/admission.html

Ducks at the park~Sunday Stills Challenge~012212

I always enjoy going to our local park to see the ducks there.  They are so cute!  Somebody had just fed them right before I arrived this morning and the pigeons were busy eating, too.  There's a bunch of white ducks...I believe I counted a dozen of them and they seem to like to hang out together.  One of them is quite pushy and he has nibbled on my pants leg when I've fed them!  They are all quite enjoyable!  Sunday Stills Challenge for January 22, 2012.

High winds yesterday!!!

We had high winds here in the desert yesterday, as well as up in our local Santa Rosa mountains.  Wind gusts of up to 66 miles per hour were recorded at the Palm Springs airport.  The Humana golf challenge was cancelled for the day.  Trees fell on cars and on one apartment building in Palm Springs, knocking out the power there.  It wasn't too windy up at the horse ranch, but, driving down the mountain yesterday afternoon was an "E" ticket ride!  I've NEVER seen it so windy!!!  Dust was blowing everywhere and a couple times, when I stopped to take photos, I thought I was going to lose my car door!  I made it home safely off the mountain and one gust nearly took our roof off!  And, the huge mesquite tree in our front yard, which shades our porch, nearly fell over.  But, all is well here.  Hubby reported that several trees fell down over at Desert Springs' Marriott and that along the way home, many tree limbs were out in the streets.  It is calm here this morning, thank goodness!

Tree and clouds~SkyWatch Friday~012012

Tree branches and sky up on tree Highway 74, along Deep Canyon, last weekend.  Skywatch Friday for January 20, 2012.  To visit Skywatch Friday, please go to:  http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Mountains and clouds

Clouds on the Santa Rosa mountains this week.  It was clear the last couple of days, but last weekend had cloudy days.  Another storm will move into the valley this weekend.

The pass and clouds

We have a weather pattern here in the Coachella Valley like this frequently.  Since there is a 10,000 foot mountain on the left side of this photo, and an 11,000 foot high mountain on the right, the clouds get caught in the middle.  The middle is Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, and Yucaipa.  It was like this all day yesterday.  The clouds were just caught there and didn't move.  The rest of the Coachella Valley was sunny, but not in the pass.  They do make an interesting photo!

More canal pics, part 2

We drove down to our daughter's for breakfast yesterday morning and I decided to stop and take more photos of the All American canal.  This part of it is about 3 miles east of yesterday's post.  There were clouds in the sky again and it was a crisp morning.  The golfers were out and there is a bridge over it at one point.  As you can see, however, there are no fences along the canal.  There are fences along the housing developments, but not along the canal.  And, yes, people DO fish along it.  Apparently there are carp in it. 

All American canal, Indio, CA

I was out in Indio yesterday morning for my horsemanship lesson and on my way home, I crossed the All American canal.  I had my camera with me, the clouds were just right, and I had time to take some photos.  The All American canal comes from the Colorado River and traverses our desert, bringing water to the farmers and cities of the Coachella Valley.  There are plenty of signs around it warning people to stay OUT of the canal, but every year somebody falls into it and drowns.  On my way to my lesson, I saw a father and his son fishing in it.  OYE VEI!!!!  I stopped to take a photo of the algae on the sides of the canal.  This makes it nearly impossible for somebody to climb up the sides and get out!!!!  We used to have the water district lady come to our classrooms and warn the students about the dangers of the canal, but with budget cuts, she doesn't come now.  I remember her telling the class that the calm water is deceiving.  There is an undercurrent which is moving constantly because of the pumps which suck the water down, down, down into them...THAT's where people get into trouble and drown.  Beauty is deceiving, right? There are NO fences along the canal and there are a LOT of homes along it in Indio. 

Tehachapi tree

We found this tree when we stopped in Tehachapi, on our way back from northern California and I stopped to hop out of the car to snap this picture of it.  Then we took the road down to the Tehachapi loop and along the way, a bobcat crossed the road right in front of it!  He was FAT!!!

Dry Creek abandoned house~Whimsical Windows and Delightful Doors~010912

During our trip to the wine country in December, we passed by this abandoned house in Dry Creek.  Just look at all the windows!  It was condemned and a "No Trespassing" sign was posted.  Don't you wonder what stories an old house like this could tell?  Whimsical Windows and Delightful Doors for January 9, 2012. To visit WWDD, please go to:  http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/01/whimsical-windows-delirious-doors-6.html

Going for a ride

There are several boards at the horse lesson place and this lady has 3 horses, all rescues.  On this afternoon, she saddled up her Arabian gelding and off they went!  I was talking to her while she was tacking him up.  She only began riding 3 years ago!~ Isn't that amazing?  Ha!  Maybe I'll be riding again soon! (I guess there's hope for me, after all!)  My problem is that with my back injury (from a fall 2 1/2 years ago) my legs cramp up, which is why I haven't been back on a horse for 2 1/2 years.  But, she sure looks like she's enjoying her afternoon!

Desert sunset~SkyWatch Friday~010612

I took 3 lessons in basic horsemanship this week, since I was still on vacation from school and I had the chance to do so.  I learned a lot during my lessons and found that I was doing some things wrong, or incorrectly.  It's hard to adjust from training dogs and cats to working with horses.  Horses are a prey animal and their first response to danger is flight.  That's why they make such good racehorses...they run!   Anyway, I signed up for these lessons out at a horse rescue in northern Indio, which is actually located between our son and daughter's homes there!  It's very dusty out there and I'm always covered with dust when I'm done, but I tell you...the sunsets out there are incredible!  I took my cameras with me on Tuesday for my first lesson and took these photos.  Today's sunset wasn't spectacular, as there were no clouds in the sky to make it interesting... :-( SkyWatch Friday for January 6, 2012.  To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Healdsburg window~Whimsical Windows and Delirious Doors~010312

Here's an interesting window from Healdsburg, CA. It's a yarn store!  We stopped in Healdsburg for breakfast and went walking around the town square afterwards. To visit WWDD, please go to:  http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/

Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma, CA

Hubby and I stopped at the Buena Vista Winery before leaving Sonoma this week.  It's about 2 miles off the main road in Sonoma and the road is curvy and narrow.  It's up in beautiful country, though, and well worth the drive, if you have time.  Buena Vista Winery was actually founded by the father of California winemaking and hubby has always wanted to visit it, but never had the time.  He knew it had an old stone building and he spent some time inside just wandering around.  Here are some pics, then, of the Buena Vista winery.