Feb26-Monday- Moving day . We go to Indio and Indian Waters. It is still very windy and should be like this until Wednesday. But the sun is shining. I have WIFI for 2 weeks more.

Feb 25- Sunday-Indian Canyon again only this time Bernice and I do the East Fork loop another 6 miles and 800 elevation. Two in a row. Won’t I ever learn? This one wasn’t quite as difficult. But I sure enjoyed the mineral hot tub after. Shannon e-mailed and said they had Soujourn inspected so they can charter in Mexico. They left early today for Long Beach CA. They hope to arrive there in 5 days if all goes well

Indian Canyon hike

look closely and you will see the trails. A little rock scrambling too A great workout

Feb 24 Desert Hot Springs -Saturday- Bernice and I hike with 20 others in Indian Canyon again, this time we do Fern Canyon another 6 miles with 800 elevation gain. Rated Moderate. You think I would have learned after having trouble with 500’. Thankfully it was all at the beginning when we were fresh. I took it slowly until I got to the top. The hike was very scenic, great views. After a shower we went to Bernice and Gerry’s for wine. Jack and Renee were there too. They were also on the same Mexico caravan. We had a good time reminiscing

Feb 23 Desert Hot Springs-Friday-We are getting blown away, windy windy windy. We are parked out in the open with nothing around us in Vista Grand Spa behind Desert Pools. Today we take Ken & Linda to Jushua Tree . What a studio. We like the piece in natural light. If you want to see more of the artist work go to http://www.vigall-art.com/ Bill get his new tire for the truck today. They had to order it.

Feb 22 Desert Hot Springs -Thursday-Bernice and I plus 13 others hike with Linda from Edmonton (our leader). We hike the walled oasis at Biska Palms just behind Sun City. An oasis which almost became an Arabian theme park in the 20’s. The hike was about 5 miles round trip. Tonight we go to the street fair in Palm Springs as the artist said he had our roadrunner done but on a different background. (he ran out of the rock we wanted). It was hard to see the colours in the artificial lights so we made arrangements to go to his studio Friday.

Date festival

cottontail at park in Desert Hot Springs

Feb 21 Wednesday another sunny day in the Palm Springs area. Today Bills cousin, Ken and Linda and me go to the Date festival in Indio. We watch the ostrich ,camel and emu races. They had a very clever zebra. Great fun. We tour the art building and the craft building. We see the mineral display and the train display. We walk around for awhile then decide to go for lunch outside to the Thai Smile. A cottontail comes to visit at our RV

Feb 20- Desert Hot Springs-Tuesday- After we get settled I want to go to Desert Pools 1 block away and who do we see but Bernice from Spruce Crove near Edmonton. I get Terry to check that I have my booster set up correctly and sign up for one more month of WIFI. With tengo. We have a quick visit with Bernice and Gerry. I take Linda and Bernice to the 99cents only store then we go to Civic Park and the libruary to view Art in the park. We have a fun lunch at the Elephant Bar ( Great décor). We walk for a little while in El Paseo

Feb 19 Desert Hot Springs -Monday-moving day.We are surprised to see a dump of snow up in the mountains. Another unwanted surprise, when we lower the truck onto the truck we see we have a flat tire on the drivers side rear tire. Bill puts his air pump on and its full enough to go 2 blocks to Vista Spa where we are staying for a week. Bill cousin is staying here for 1 month. I go back to Catalina for another computer class.

Feb 18-Desert Hot Springs-Sunday- Another hiking day. We just about get tangled up in another marathon. This time runners. We go to Indian Canyon- the south end of south Palm Canyon drive, just before it makes a 90’ turn to hwy 111. We go into an Indian reservation so a charge of $6.00 each. I thought we were meeting in the Andres Canyon parking lot but at 9:05 we drove back to the gate and they were waiting for us there. We have a good little hike in Andres Canyon then get in our cars and go up to Palm Canyon where we do another short hike. A ground squirrel appears but not long enough to get his picture. I show them 2 natural hot springs on the hike. We share our path with 3 horseback riders. It was a good introduction to Indian Canyon. Next we go to down town Palm Springs and have lunch at the Thai Smile. (great food) . ST .Frances park is having an art show so off we walk. We meet the artist we saw at La Quinta show and ask if he still has his roadrunner. Alas he says he sold it but he is willing to make us another one. We decide to order it and it will be ready in 2 weeks. We will get to see his studio in Jushua Tree.

Stamp mill and Jushua tree

note stamp lower left

we climbed all over

Feb 17 Saturday- A bright sunny morning and Bill drives me to the K-Mart shopping center to meet Dennis who is leading a hike in Jushua Tree National Park about 40 miles away. We car pool. We go to the Wall Street historic stamp mill .A jack rabbit stops and poises for me we see 3 old trucks from the 30’s just rusting away. Old water well run by a steam engine and an old wind mill water pump are there too. We are able to crawl all around the stamp mill. Very interesting. Tracy and I decide to do one more small hike to the Baker Dam (1939). It held water about the turn of the century for mining and cattle. We also see a small rain fed reservoir used by park wildlife. We watch people climbing rocks, see some petroglyths and old Indian grinding mortar holes. All in all a very interesting day. We decide to go for lunch in Yucca valley at Waterworks café. This is an internet café very funky but good food. Next we visit an art gallery ,potteryshop , and an antique shop. Another interesting day.

Feb 12-16 I attend more computer classes with Sue. We defragment my computer and update downloads. I also install Internet Explorer 7 and service pact 2. I also up date my AVG and my ad-aware. Friday I go hiking at the Coachella Valley with Paul. He has a very large group. Some wanted to go to Hidden Palms and others wanted the Mcallum trail and moon country. So I volunteered to take people on the longer hike as we went to hidden Palms last week. I had 4 from White Rock BC, 2 from Ontario and 2 from Spokane Washington. I invite Ethel back to our place for lunch. She wanted to see my slides on Africa. It got a little warm for bill today 85’(29). It is supposed to be the same tomorrow.

Feb 14-Wednesday- We are in Catalina Spa RV park just off Dillon in Desert Hot Springs. It is a very clean park with all the ammenities. The only downer is some spots are not level. We luck out. They have a very knowledgeable computer expert who gives 3 lesson a week from 1-3 pm. Her Tuesday class is devoted to blogging. I am really learning alot. We go to Wal-Mart today I buy a harness for my camera so that it does't bounce when I am hiking. Shannon phones today. They have crossed the pacific safely and are in La Paz Mexico in the Baja. They might get the boat inspected to charter in Mexico. It is very windy here today but sunny.

Feb 11 Sunday- I find out there were just over 7 thousand bikers on the marathon yesterday. It did not rain like they expected today so we go on a 6 mile hike in the Mecca hills just east of Indio. Phillip our leader is very knowledgeable, he has even written a book on hiking in the Palm Springs area. We have 14 people and 5 dogs (all got along off leash). We meet at the Albertsons parking lot just of Washington and car pooled . It was a walk about where he told us of different trailheads to hike at another time. He showed us scenic and geological points of interest. A great time was had by all.
Feb 10 Saturday- I say a quick good bye to Cliff and Ruth Ann then I head out to the Palm Desert library for a free docent guided tour of art in the library inside and out , but I am stopped for 5-8 min as just outside the park 1000 of bikers ( pedal) are going down Dillon for a marathon . I finally find a small space to make a left turn. There are only 5 in our group. We are there for 1 hour . There were 12 pieces of art work to see. Very interesting. I take my computer as they have free WIFI and my month with tengo has run out. My favorite was a large frog titled-Puffed up prince. I also enjoyed "c" is for cat, a little girl reading to her cat, both bronze.

Feb 9-Desert Hot Springs-Friday Cliff and Ruth Ann get another day in the park. I go with Linda to the Coachella preserve to hike with Paul. He has 19 hikers. We hike to hidden Palms. I meet a former hiker I met last year( Ethel). We plan to hike together Sunday. Tonight Ruth Ann cooks a farewell dinner as they leave tomorrow.

Feb 8-Thursday. This morning I hike with the Coachella Valley group. We go to the bat caves near the Salton Sea. We are led by 2 sisters from Edmonton Alberta. There were 14 on this hike. We start at 220’ below sea level; the butte is 90’ above. We find some gypsum (desert rose) and some pumice stones on the way. We also see seashells as this was once under water. There were no bat in the cave today but they use them when they are migrating. We saw lots of wasps nest on the roof of the caves. We stopped to have lunch at the visitor’s center at the Salton Sea. We walk to the edge of the lake and we see many dead fish (tilapia). It sure made the place smell. Tonight we go to the Desert Art museum and the village fest in Palm Springs with Cliff and Ruth Ann. We meet Bills cousin and his son and granddaughter here. We buy gyros for dinner in the market. I sure sleep tonight.

Feb 7 Wednesday. We are still in Desert Hot Springs in Desert Pools park. I do the walk away the pounds and the water aerobics with a soak in the hot mineral pools. A computer class next. Tonight we go to dinner with Cliff and Ruth Ann to the Roadhouse on Dillon Road as they have 2 for 1.

Feb 6 Tuesday-We stay in the park today and I do the exercise programs. Tonight we have both Cliff and Ruth Ann and Dona and Orville (both from our 2nd Mexico caravan) over for dinner. We have a great time reminiscing.

Jan. 5 -Indio-Monday- It is still beautiful and sunny in the 80’s. Today we go to the Living Desert in Palm Desert. We take a picnic lunch as there is so much to see. They have added onto the train layout. We also went to their butterfly world and watched them hatch. I always enjoy the hospital tour. We go for dinner at the park. They have meatloaf with all the trimmings including salad and desert for $ 4.00. You can’t beat that.

Feb 4 Sunday-I go on a hike, only 3 miles in Palm Desert, part of the Hop-along-Cassedy trail . We hike 4oo feet right at the beginning. Somewhat difficult for me but it gets better as we go on. Bills cousin shows up in the afternoon. He books into an RV park near us for a month. It is hot today . It gets up to 85’

Hop-along-Long-Cassity trail Palm Desert we did 3 miles

Feb 3 Saturday- Today we go to the colledge of the desert market. We both buy another pair of croaks.

Feb 2 Friday-Our friends from our first Mexico caravan arrived today. They have rented the park model for 1 week. We take them to the Art Place in Palm Desert. They have a no host bar the first Friday of the month. It is not as elaborate as El Paseo but fun nevertheless .There are art stores as well as antique stores. A pottery store that makes 7 feet vases. Do you know if you double click on the pictures I posted they will enlarge.

Thousand Palms perserve

fruit from washington palms

Feb1 Thursday-Today we install my USB 2.0 adapter for wireless lan on my computer. I take Linda on another hike this time only 4 miles to Hidden Palms, still windy. Tonight we go to El Peseo in Palm Desert for the Art Walk. 3 couples tag along with us. We have fun in and out of art galleries drinking wine and eating h’orderves. Some galleries had champagne or hard liquor. All for FREE. About 20 galleries participated we didn”t get to them all as we pooped out.

Jan31-Wednesday-After the walk away the pounds I attend a computer class put on in the park. Terry has a WIFI signal finder. I buy one hoping it will work on our boat. I take Linda and Max on a 5 mile hike on the McCallum trail and Moon country in the Coachilla preserve. It is very windy but good for hiking.