Artichokes, artichokes, and MORE artichokes!

There's a field off Interstate 10 near Indio which is currently growing artichokes.  Did you know artichokes grow on stems?  Yup.  They do (see photos).  These look nice and healthy and seem to be surviving our low  nighttime temps (we've had frosts here for about a week).  I passed by this field the other day and stopped to take these photos.  We love artichokes and stuff ours with garlic and drizzle them with olive oil!  :-)

Back to the canyon

I still had two days of vacation left on Saturday, so that morning I once again headed back out to Thousand Palms Canyon.  This day, my goal was to hike up the trail to Pushawalla Canyon.  However, our daughter called and asked me to come help her with their yard sale (she IS 6 months pregnant!), so I abandoned my plans and returned to my car...SOMEDAY I'll hike that trail.  There was a man ahead of me and 2 couples behind me, so I felt safe.  I wouldn't hike that trail ALONE, especially since a mountain lion was spotted near that area a couple of years ago!  But, it was such a beautiful morning, how could I resist?

Thousand Palms Canyon

I've been spending most of my vacation driving up and down the mountain road, but yesterday I headed back out to Thousand Palms Canyon road.  If you are ever in this area (near Indio, CA), DO drive out that road to see some spectacular desert scenery and washes.  There are also some hills there which are right on the San Andreas fault and you can see the faulting.  There are also jeep tours which go in this area and frankly, I was hoping to get some photos of birds in the early morning light (it was 8:00 a.m. when I went out there...) but...NO SUCH LUCK!  I didn't see ANYTHING!  :-(  And, it was cold and windy, and I'm a "desert rat", so I scurried home!  (I had 3 layers of clothing AND my thermal underwear on that morning, a jacket, and I was STILL COLD!)...I'm such a chicken!  HOW in the name of tarnation could my ancestors have been Vikings?  I can't stand to be cold! Anyway, here are some pics from yesterday.  Don't you just love the early morning light?

Windmills and clouds the next day

Yesterday was cloudy and VERY windy.  In fact, some gusts were recorded up to 60 mph.  According to the news, a tree blew over on a car down at the courthouse in Indio.  So, of course, I headed back out to the windmills.  This time, however, I went the "back road"...out Dillon Road and off the Interstate (Interstate 10).  There are just too many wires in the way on the interstate.  Dillon Road travels right through one of the windmill farms and provides close up views of the turbines.  I had NO IDEA they were so noisy!  When I stopped to photograph one of the giant ones, I could hear it clanking away!  And, when I drove up Painted Hills Road above North Palm Springs, the noise was almost deafening!  I don't know how the residents there stand it!  Anyway, here are photos from yesterday.  It was snowing in Yucca Valley by afternoon (I was up that way about noon) and I'm sure it snowed during the night.   :-)  You can tell how much the wind was blowing in the first photo...look at the plants that are swaying!  On my way home, the sand was also blowing (unfortunately) and when I stuck my camera out the window to snap a photo, a gust blew dust ALL OVER me and my camera!  I'm hoping that it didn't damage my polarizing lens!  :-(  That would be bad!  I'm sure my windshield got pitted, too...:-(  So, SPARE PARTS, be careful when you drive up there this weekend!

Windmills and sunny skies

Well, sunny skies YESTERDAY.  For the next few days, we have a winter storm bearing down on the valley and it will be raining or snowing up in our local mountains.  It's still too dark to see outside, but I have a feeling I'll be running errands today and not getting out much.  I got my flu shot yesterday and so far (...knock on wood...) I haven't had a reaction.  I had a BAD reaction to my last flu shot, which was 35 years ago, before our daughter was born!  However, I don't wish to get bronchitis (again) or pneumonia this flu season, so I opted for the shot....I'm crossing my fingers that it will keep me healthy and safe from the 20,000,000 germs my students will bring to class on Monday!  :-(  It was good to get out yesterday, while it was warm and sunny!  (It was in the mid 70's here!).  I always enjoy taking pics of the windmills near Palm Springs.

More Joshua Tree snow

What is it about Joshua Tree that is so captivating?  Is it the rocks?  Is it the joshua trees?  Is it the pinyons nestled among the rocks?  Whatever it is, we LOVE to drive up there and now that hubby is 62 and has his national parks pass, we don't have to pay entrance fees.  The entry post was closed Monday anyway and there were quite a few cars in the park.  We don't often get to see snow on the rocks and joshua trees up there, so I'm glad we went.  Another storm is forecast to roll through the valley on Thursday, but I'm not sure snow is forecast for the park.  I know that the Anza area will be getting snow because I'll now have to cancel Friday's lesson with my horses.  They WILL be getting fresh snow, which is forecast to be down to 3,500 feet.  Oh, well...I can't wait for Friday morning!   :-)  Here are some pics from Monday's trip to Joshua Tree national park.

Joshua Tree National Park had SNOW!!!

I was going to head up Deep Canyon and drive to Pinyon Flats, since a friend posted they had new snow up there, but when I went out to buy gasoline yesterday morning, I saw ALL the snow on the San Bernardino mountains and some up at Joshua Tree national park.  Hubby took the day off yesterday (I still have this week off school for winter break), so we decided to head up there.  There was a light dusting of snow in the park and on the higher peaks, as well as on many of the rocks in the park.  I doubt it will last until the weekend, but who knows?  We drove out to Keys View.  I REFUSED to get out of the car, since it was so cold and the wind was blowing.  Hubby got out, took a couple of photos, and was nearly knocked over by the wind!  I stayed in the car with the heater running!  It was a good day to visit the park and I'll be posting more photos tomorrow.