Though I love swimming in the pools here at Catalina Spa, some mornings particularly after a windy night, the pool temperatures drop below the usual 90F (32C).
Today, I joined two other woman on a brisk, 4 mile walk instead which was great.
It got my heart rate up a bit, something I have difficulty doing when swimming) and the hour went by very quickly.
The best thing is we yapped the whole time, had some good laughs and I didn't feel like I was exercising...even better!
Yesterday I posted an evening picture of a smokey Banning Pass (in the distance) taken from Catalina Spa.
Today the smoke has still filled the valley though I am pleased to report that the fire is finally 100% contained.
Here is the same view from last night, taken this morning!
The wind shifted here today, bringing plenty of smoke from the Esperanza Wildfire into the Coachella Valley. This morning we could see it drifting in when we headed out for a motorcycle ride and late this afternoon everywhere as far as we could see was covered in a grey-brown haze. Fortunately, the fire is almost out so hopefully soon the smoke will blow out of here and we will see clearly once again!
The Coachella Valley was once just desert but starting with Palm Springs it has developed into a mecca of golf courses and resort properties. Where we stay in Desert Hot Springs, over the summer the grass just burns off but once the cooler fall weather arrives, the water gets turned on once again. Now every day the sprinklers come on several times a day and the volunteers work tirelessly to "green up" the park. It's looking good!
Last night we went to the Palm Springs Village Fest, one of our favourite weekly events. Many of the village fest vendors were dressed in costume in celebration of the upcoming festival of goblins, Hallowe'en. At some of the booths they were giving out treats to "little costumed attendees" and one vendor had dozens of pumpkins on display. It was evident that Hallowe'en is just around the corner.
Hummingbirds migrate from Canada and the Northern United States every winter for warmer weather in the south.Many of them come here to the Coachella Valley so we have several hummingbird feeders set up for them to feed from. Rick has placed one on the window beside my desk and I am always facinated by these tiny little creatures. The placement of the feeders also proves to be a form of Cat TV and Sam is as enthused as I am to watch them. This little guy came back several times this morning and seemed oblivious to the human and her camera inside!
We were up very early this morning and heading into Palm Springs before 7:00 AM.For the first time that we can remember, there appeared to be a thick fog hanging around the mountain that I photograph so often. As we approached the city we could smell smoke in the air and it was then that we realized that the fog was in fact smoke; remnants from an unknown fire burning somewhere. This picture, I took at 5:30 PM and the smoke still lingers. It makes for an eerie photograph.
I love early mornings and last winter while we were here I would be up by 6:00 AM to enjoy them.
So far, since we have arrived here, getting up by 6:00 just isn't happening as often though I did manage to get up early one day last week.
Perhaps when the weather gets cooler I might get up to get more sunrises but for now this will have to do!
Yesterday we rode our motorcycle into LA. We were lost for a while but we didn't care in the least. After all the weather was gorgeous and it was a picture perfect day. We stopped along the Coast Highway, Highway 1, to admire the view and enjoy the weather and wished we could stay there all day. Now we know why the area is such a desired place to live...it was beautiful!
We were up early this morning to take advantage of the peacefulness of dawn. That is the time of day that all you can hear are the birds singing and an occasional flock of ducks flying overhead. It's also the time of day when the face of the nearby mountain changes colour several times in just a few minutes. Gorgeous!
...just joking. I will never say it is too hot but I will say it was very warm today in Desert Hot Springs. The temperature soared to 33C (91.4F) with no breeze, wind, gust or whisper to cool us at all. It was a great day to hang out by the pool or stay in the shade but not the kind of weather for any kind of vigorous activity.
We know that in the near future the mercury levels will be hard pressed to reach the low 20'sC so we are basking in the warmth now and appreciating every minute of it.
What a crazy title! Really other than "wrinkleless" clothes, what on earth can be joyful about ironing? Yes, I am referring to that mundane job that some of us do occasionally with a heated metal object to press the wrinkles out of an article of clothing.
Living in a Moho, means ironing just isn't a priority. Let's face it, this lifestyle is supposed to be more casual than that and if you are that fastidous, RVing really isn't for you.
Having said that, occasionally I have a blouse or Rick has a shirt that needs to be ironed. Being the procrastinator that I am, I usually wait until I have accumulated a few items before I make my way to the campground laundry room to undertake my "beloved" task. (We do not carry a full size ironing board.)
Today I was alone, mindlessly ironing and really enjoying the tranquility. I took my time and meticulously pressed each item until each one looked new and I gained a sense of satisfaction for a job well done.
Though I won't go so far as to say I love ironing, I will say that it has it's merits and I found it to be one of the more relaxing jobs I have done in a while.
I won't be rushing out to wrinkle anything unnecessarily, just to give me more to do but I will say, there are a million other jobs that are worse.
I thought I would post today, our view from the front window of our Moho while parked here at Catalina Spa & RV Park. (Just in case anyone reading this is interested that is.) It certainly is nice to wake up to and it beats looking at a road.
.....it's really good! Yes, Desert Hot Springs can be very windy which gets tiresome pretty quickly.
There's no denying that wind wears on a person after awhile BUT Desert Hot Springs also has NO BUGS, no humidity and very little rain.
Having lived in Ontario for 35 years, I know bugs; mosquitoes the size of small birds and black flies that come with their own knives and forks.
We spent time in Florida our first year on the road and Florida has bugs as well, maybe not armed with cutlery, in fact some are even invisible (no-see-ums) but BUGS just the same.
I love the NO BUGS, I love the no humidity and I love the very little rain. Oh yes, I love the temperatures as well!
When Rick and I first started talking about touring around North America it was in 1997. At that time fuel was still reasonably priced and we knew nothing about fulltiming (living and traveling in an RV).Because Rick was an experienced trucker we had thought that we would buy a big truck and use it to finance our travels. Well fuel costs went up, the deal we'd made to sell our resort went sour and those plans were put on hold. Everything changed in 2003 and here we are living and traveling in a motorhome instead.
Last week we saw this baby, with four slide-outs parked at the Oasis RV Park and it gives a whole new meaning to the word "trucking". It's not quite what we had in mind with our original plans but it sure is pretty!
Having spent the summer in Mission, BC, dry air was not something we had to deal with.
Mind you, it wasn't damp either; the weather was beautiful but in Desert Hot Springs the air is excessively dry. Don't get me wrong; I love it and I'd rather be in warm, dry weather than cold, wet or snowy weather. When we are here we compensate for the dryness by placing little indoor "air moisturizers" in a couple of places in the Moho.
They aren't noisy, take very little space, use even less electricity and are quite decorative. For the next few months we won't use the exhaust fan when we shower either because every little bit helps to keep the indoor air comfortable!
The good news is we don't worry about mildew and wet towels and bathing suits dry very quickly!
Today for our coffee, we visited downtown Palm Springs; more specifically, The Corridor Shops.Here there is a collection of some very cool stores where one can buy some really unusual things for their home and garden.It is when I poke around these stores that I think I would like to have a stationary house so I could acquire some of these objects for it.I particularly liked these palm trees complete with their climbers!
Yesterday on our drive from Las Vegas to Desert Hot Springs, we drove through the Mojave National Preserve.
It was pretty much all desert but we came across a huge area that was covered with Johua trees.
Evidently Joshua trees are not only abundant in the national park that is named after them!
This morning we left Las Vegas, Nevada and headed into California.
When we left, the clouds were moving in and the forecast for Las Vegas was calling for thunderstorms later in the day.
We played tag with a couple of rain clouds for a while but soon we were deep in the Mojave Desert and there was no rain in sight.
It is nice to be back in California again!
Yesterday, we drove from Kanab, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada, about 350 kilometers away. The weather was perfect; clear blue sky and plenty of sunshine. As we approached, we could see that the entire city was sitting in a sea of thick pollution. The grey-blue haze was everywhere. What is wrong with us that we accept it and do little to change it? Man is so arrogant to think that the pollution we create doesn't really affect things that much! If you look closely , you will actually see the city in the distance there!
Yesterday we spent most of the day at The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary just outside of Kanab, Utah. It is the largest no-kill sanctuary of it's kind in the USA, built on 3,000 acres with an additional 30,000 acres of leased land around it. It is an immaculate facility that houses in excess of 1500 cats, dogs, horses, donkeys, rabbits, birds, pot-bellied pigs, goats and sheep. Volunteers are welcome as are donations, adoptions and sponsorships. We enjoyed our day and cannot recommend the place enough!Here are just a few of the residents that live in "Dogtown".
Yesterday we drove to Zion National Park in Utah.
The highway that leads through the park took us through two tunnels.
This picture is of the short tunnel, chiseled through a huge rock formation.
The second tunnel is 1.1 mile long and was completed in the 1930's.
Because of it's height restrictions, campers, trailers and RV's require a special permit and then traffic is stopped in one direction so that they can pass through along the middle.
We only drove our car through and I was glad that we weren't in the motorhome!
Yesterday we rode on the bike to Bryce Canyon National Park.
On our way there the weather was perfect; blue sky, lots of sun and a few clouds.
Before we arrived at Bryce Canyon, we passed through the Red Canyon in the Dixie National Forest.
The contrast between the red stone structures, green trees and blue sky was stunning.
Yesterday we rode our motorcycle from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The sun was shining and the sky was clear, however when we reached the rim, there was a haze (from pollution) which impeded our view.
It saddens me to think that we humans just don't "get it" and as a result we are ruining the world for future generations.
I wonder what kind of view our great-grandchildren will have this magnificent piece of the world?
Last night we stopped in Page, Arizona for the night. We'd been driving in unsettled weather all day and the rain had stopped for awhile so it seemed like a good place to stay overnight. Wal-mart parking lots are not our favourite RV parks, but in a pinch they come in handy. It was great waking up to blue sky again and this morning this is what we could see from the Wal-Mart parking lot; not bad at all!
Today we left Moab, Utah and headed south on Highway 191 on our way via Arizona to Kanab, Utah. It poured with rain for several hours, which was really unfortunate because it hampered our view of some pretty amazing landscape. At one point we passed the Navajo Twin Rocks, a gorgeous nature-carved sculpture. We are traveling through Navajo land and though the natives are plagued with monetary poverty, they are rich in some of Mother Nature's greatest gifts!
Yesterday we explored The Arches National Park in Moab. It was filled with beautiful, fascinating, nature-created structures and we didn't know what we would find at each lookout or waypoint. We stopped at one lookout and from there we could see this structure, "The Three Gossips". It was amazing!
When we are driving in the Moho to a destination, we often pass by areas that are worthy of some picture taking. On our way to Moab yesterday, had we stopped at every place we wanted to for pictures, we'd still be driving to get there. Highway 6 has some exquisite scenery along the way but the best I could do was take pictures through the windshield. They don't do southern Utah justice!
Utah, the Beehive State, is very populated by folks who attend the Church of the Latter Day Saints. In fact 70% of the population are Mormans and consequently, there are Tabernacles galore. Here is the Logan Tabernacle, pretty impressive for a town of only 48,000!
On Saturday, we rode through Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Though we have been to this park three times before, we never get tired of the breathtaking scenery and the wildlife throughout. Here, a herd of buffalo casually rest beside the road, crossing at their leisure and often stopping traffic. Is it any wonder?
We are in Idaho; "The Potato State". I have always known that Idaho was where a lot of US potatoes are grown and a source for some potatoes in Canada. I had no idea about all the other farming done here. Yesterday we went for a motorcycle ride and rode through a lot of farmland. It was very pretty and very evident that every bit of land that can be used, IS!
Though I love swimming in the pools here at Catalina Spa, some mornings particularly after a windy night, the pool temperatures drop below the usual 90F (32C).
Yesterday I posted an evening picture of a smokey Banning Pass (in the distance) taken from Catalina Spa.
The wind shifted here today, bringing plenty of smoke from the Esperanza Wildfire into the Coachella Valley. 
The Coachella Valley was once just desert but starting with Palm Springs it has developed into a mecca of golf courses and resort properties. 
Last night we went to the Palm Springs Village Fest, one of our favourite weekly events. 
Hummingbirds migrate from Canada and the Northern United States every winter for warmer weather in the south.
We were up very early this morning and heading into Palm Springs before 7:00 AM.
I love early mornings and last winter while we were here I would be up by 6:00 AM to enjoy them.
Yesterday we rode our motorcycle into LA. 
We were up early this morning to take advantage of the peacefulness of dawn. 
...just joking. 
What a crazy title! Really other than "wrinkleless" clothes, what on earth can be joyful about ironing? 
I thought I would post today, our view from the front window of our Moho while parked here at Catalina Spa & RV Park. 
.....it's really good! Yes, Desert Hot Springs can be very windy which gets tiresome pretty quickly.
When Rick and I first started talking about touring around North America it was in 1997. 
Having spent the summer in Mission, BC, dry air was not something we had to deal with.
Today for our coffee, we visited downtown Palm Springs; more specifically, The Corridor Shops.
Yesterday on our drive from Las Vegas to Desert Hot Springs, we drove through the Mojave National Preserve.
This morning we left Las Vegas, Nevada and headed into California.
Yesterday, we drove from Kanab, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada, about 350 kilometers away. 
Yesterday we spent most of the day at The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary just outside of Kanab, Utah. 
Yesterday we drove to Zion National Park in Utah.
Yesterday we rode on the bike to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Yesterday we rode our motorcycle from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Last night we stopped in Page, Arizona for the night. 
Today we left Moab, Utah and headed south on Highway 191 on our way via Arizona to Kanab, Utah. 
Yesterday we explored The Arches National Park in Moab. 
When we are driving in the Moho to a destination, we often pass by areas that are worthy of some picture taking. 
Utah, the Beehive State, is very populated by folks who attend the Church of the Latter Day Saints. 
On Saturday, we rode through Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. 
We are in Idaho; "The Potato State". 
