Spring Storm

                                             Enjoying the new blooms during a rainstorm

                                               

We enjoyed a brief but refreshing rain shower today. I like to walk in the garden and look at the plants and flowers when it rains. Jack reminded me that after three weeks of continuous rain in Shelton I may be tired of it. Meanwhile it is a rare treat.

Neighbors and friends are slowly leaving the desert and returning to their Northern homes. We are heading into the warmer, windier weather now just in time for the spring break crowds, BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament, Stagecoach Country Music Festival and Coachella.

Temperatures in the coming week call for mid 80's which should be perfect for the visiting grandkids. 

Red Light, Green Light

Remember that game you played outside when you were a kid, Red Light, Green Light? Players stand in a line across from the "leader" who yells out green light, players move forward. When the leader yells out red light, players must stop. If the leader catches you moving, you must return to the start line and begin again. First one to tag the leader wins.  I'll make an admission now that as leader I never let my younger brother win.

The cats play this game by moving closer and closer, silently across the patio, until they reach the golf cart in the garage. Our only role in the whole thing is basically ignore them and play along. Yelling out red light would send them scattering over the garden wall. I don't know what they have planned in that golf cart, but they seem to enjoy sitting in it.

                                                                      Red light! Stop!

                                                            Green Light! Go!

First Day of Spring

 Honestly the first day of Spring here is not much different from Winter. Temperatures in the upper 70's, sunny, but it is pretty windy today which is typical of March and April. The wind means blowing sand and a messy patio covered in leaves and orange blossoms.  The fragrance of the orange blossoms in the air is one of my favorite "smells". I am happy that my sense of smell is returning to normal. Lingering effect of covid or brain tumor?  Dr. Google gives you a choice.

Our feral kitties are being weaned slowly off wet food and onto dry. Our Summer kitty volunteer feeder won't be leaving wet food out in the 110-degree heat, so they need to adapt. I will miss watching them this Summer. 

Story Book Living, or Hell in Rancho Mirage?

 Rancho Mirage sits between Cathedral City, CA and Palm Desert, for the most part. It is one of the more affluent cities in the Coachella Valley. Lately, I've read news articles describing a new master planned community in Rancho Mirage. The desired location is across the street from the Annenberg Estate, or Sunnylands as it is also known.  Sunnylands.org is worth a Google search as are the Annenbergs. 

 So sweetly named, the Story book living community will be a 618 acre "Disney Experience" master planned community containing 1700 homes, 400 hotel rooms, some commercial buildings and a 24-acre swimmable lagoon, which will be open to the public. There isn't one thing about this that I like so far other than it will be in Rancho Mirage and NIMBY (not in my backyard). Oh wait...we get Acrisure Arena instead. See my previous blog post. 

Most cringey of it all? Disney employees, called cast members, will be in the community welcoming residents to yoga and cooking classes. 

There is already a fence around the proposed construction area. This just seems wrong to me, and bad timing. These homes aren't gonna be cheap. It gives me Stepford Wives vibes and a 24-acre swimmable lagoon sounds like a Canada Goose magnet to me.

Acrisure Arena

 

Acrisure Arena.Com

Check out the new arena being built down the road. Desert home of the Seattle Kraaken and Coachella Valley Firebird Hockey teams.

Planning

 The grandkids will be here from March 31 to April 7. We're looking forward to their visit. I have a couple of medical appointments to take care in the days following their departure and then we will leave the desert after Easter, on Monday April 18, arriving in Shelton on April 20. 

Many of you know what goes into closing up a home for several months and the planning it requires. Jack is an expert now at figuring it all out. I throw stuff on the bed in the guest room and hope it fits in the truck. 

Roadtrip!

We took a 42-mile road trip up twisty, steep Highway 74 to Idyllwild. Idyllwild sits at around 5400 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs. Some desert dwellers retreat to their summer cabins in Idyllwild where it is typically 10-15 degrees cooler. Today it was a pleasant 75 even though there were piles of snow alongside the streets.

In the late 1950's, my dad taught here at a private boarding school, The Desert Sun School. My parents talked about the celebrity kids enrolled there such as Frank Sinatra Jr.  I attended Kindergarten at Idyllwild Elementary and remember drinking milk out of little glass bottles, and the bus ride to and from school. The Desert Sun School closed down in 1990 and was later reopened and named Astro Camp. Idyllwild is a a small, artsy community and elected a Golden Retriever, Max, as it's Mayor. 

 

                                                                 Idyllwild

                                        The Painted Deer, there are 22 of them

                                                        Unique stores

                                                        Max, the Mayor of Idyllwild

                                                This is where I attended Kindergarten