Rolling Rancher

LEAVING TOMMOROW MORNING FOR HOME

2009-04-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

The foothills look surreal, like they are a painting not a photo!

A couple more shots of the gorgeous desert that surrounds us here, the Ocotillos which I love are all blooming their red tips right now!

We will go to Bakersfield the first night and then to an RV park called the Lakes RV and Golf Resort in Chowchilla for two nights and a game of golf at that park, then to Red Bluff for two nights. Staying at Durango RV park which we stayed at on the way down. It is brand new and beautiful like the Springs. We will visit old town Red Bluff and then will just do overnighters after that and get home fairly fast from there.

Five months at the Springs and it did seem to go by pretty fast at the end!

We will be back here next year to camphost again, probably starting at the end of December and staying until mid April.

We again did so many fun social events this year and I regretfully did not record so much on my camera this year. But one thing I did that I really enjoyed was getting more involved in the art community here. Next year I look forward to taking classes with Ginger, the mosaic, clay and pottery instructor here. I did make one ceramic tile with her and it was very enjoyable to paint some fruit on it and see it after it was fired. Ginger did a demo and talk at one of the Art Guild luncheons and I won a gorgeous mosaic tiled mirror as the door prize. That is how I met her and I immediately knew I wanted to do some mosaic work, I love the colour and possibilities. I hope to try it at home this summer, I wonder who I can talk into doing some with me??

One More Update Long Overdue!!

2009-03-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

The wildfowers are out!

The Ocotillo are blooming red on their tips now!

Just a car that drove through on a weekend, there are a few of these old babies turning up here now and then!

It is far to hectic here to do this blog in actuality, I barely have time to sit and seldom do! But one of those times I took this shot that I see from the front windshield of the motorhome, this evening the sky was not solid blue as usual!

We have had some visitors, Donalie and Dave and their friends from Point Roberts. They just came for the day as they were staying in the Palm Springs area for a week.

We showed them some of the desert sculptures. There are tons of these prehistoric sculptures in the Borrego Desert all within 10 minutes of where we are.

This link has a few more shots but hardly covers what is out there, there are many more! http://www.alanhaynes.com/gallery/Anza_Borrego_2-2009/

These are two shots that I took one day but I need to go out and shoot all of the sculptures one day!

Bruce and Audrey also came for a day of golf as they too were staying in the Palm Springs area.

And Judy and Johnny also got down here and spent a few days in Barrie's motorhome in our RV park, we filled every minute with seeing the best of what this area offers!! This church was on our drive around town, it is the most photographed and painted church here

Judy and Johhny posing at the pool

We had lunch at the Red Ocotillo in its new setting at the Palms at Indian Head hotel, still the best breakfast and lunch on the planet and view is of the desert and the pool while you eat on the dog friendly patio.

Here is another shot of my art group having lunch there. I have joined a painting group that meets Friday mornings and have had a lot of fun doing that when I can!

The next batch are from our 5 day trip to Puerto Penasco, Mexico. We drove our motorhomes down there. Barrie and Brenda and us and Bill and Lorrie were already there. We camped on the beach at the Reef Rv resort and the Reef Restaurant was there as well. We celebrated Barrie's birthday there, great shrimp and nicely presented.

We had lunch at a cute place one day, beer 2 for 2.50 and the same with some entrees so it was pretty cheap! Larry and I and the dogs walked the beach every morning to a hotel down the way for breakfast, nice walk for some exercise and the dogs loved the freedom and the sand!There is a pic of a Suguaro cactus with its inhabitants, the woodpeckers!

I HAVE BEEN DELINQUENT AT BLOGGING!!

2008-12-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

So I will try to catch up some of the goings on here at the Springs!

We are having the same storm that is happening in BC except it is California style, our daytime temperature is in the high 50's or low 60's right now, perfect to golf in! The storm that brought all that rain and snow to Canada brought some here too, we did have a fair bit of rain and so hopefully this will mean the flower show will be spectacular again this year.

The shots below were taken 2 days ago first thing in the morning after the higher elevations got some snow through the night, the sight was beautiful and the snow is sticking a bit still!

Christmas Tree Shots next!

We had a tree decorating party this month and had ice cream with it! The tree turned out very pretty and got even prettier this week when I found even more decorations in the storage room!

Next are two specatular shots that were taken by a Springs guest, Vivian, who stays here every winter. She got these shots on her hike in Palm Canyon, absolutely gorgeous, amazing shots!!

The next shots are of Old Borrego, which I did not even know existed until an artist that I met told me they would be painting there and I should come and paint with them. I did stop by to meet the other painters and see Old Borrego and it was not easy to find, it is well of the road and the buildings there are small and barely can be seen from the main road.

Great history of this old area can be read here; http://www.borregospringschamber.com/BorregoHistory/Old%20Borrego.html

And next is a shot taken by Sharon of Larry doing his Camp Host duties!

And more shots Sharon took when I had no idea she was hanging out at the 9th hole and snapping us!!

This photo was taken by Lynn, we were at the Arches at the Borrego Resort for tacos and margaritas on their 2 buck Tuesdays! They have this neat old truck out front! There are 27 holes of golf course there and a lovely patio area, real desert feel to it!

And yet another golf shot taken this time by Lynn when we were all out golfing!

The next shots are of our trip to get Dolly. We found her on a rescue site online and she was in Chino Hills, California. About 3 hours drive from here, we drove up Montezuma to get there. The drive up is beautiful and we got a couple of nice shots on the drive.

Karl is now sharing the "Outlook Perch" every morning with Dolly as they scan all the dogs heading to the desert for their morning walks.

Dolly is a gem, she is quiet, cuddly, playful and so easy to have around. She just does what you ask of her and she is loving being in this family. She is about 4 or so, has had many litters and had spent the better part of this year in foster homes. She and Karl are really happy together, they are either playing on the bed or chesterfield or sleeping in a pile together. There are far too many dogs here in the rescues and shelters, I wish I could have adopted more.

This is Dolly at the dog park, she is the one trotting towards me. She looks like Eewok, she is a Pug Tzu, a cross of pug and shih tzu. She is tough as nails and does not back down from any size of dog at the park and loves to play there! But with so many dogs there she is either being picked on by two or more dogs OR she is one of the two dogs picking on one other dog!

Three is a crowd and in this shot it is Karl and Dolly being the tag team working cute little Willie!! And the Scottie is thinking about joining in on it!

Well that is my update for now! I hope that all of you back in BC are not too envious of us down here in Paradise......gotta go, we are golfing in an hour!

Larry Turned 62 on Monday, December 1!!

2008-12-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

We are so fortunate here to have met so many and so we had a big gathering outside our motorhome that evening to celebrate. Again, these RVer's know how to cook.

Thanks for coming by and wishing Larry a happy birthday and thanks for the amazing appies that you all brought, there could not have been a hungry person leaving the party that night!!

And Now there are Taco Tuesdays!

The Arches, which is not too far from here, has a Beer, Margarita and Taco night on Tuesdays.
2 bucks, 2 bucks, 2 bucks!!
Quite a few of us are now going for the deal and our waitress, Lilly, is a cutie. She comes around at the end and asks what we have had as it is all too hectic to keep track with so many tacos and drinks coming so fast!

THANKSGIVING AT THE SPRINGS

2008-12-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, this past Thursday, was truly a great day here. The Springs had 23 turkey breasts, quarts of gravy and the cranberry sauce too!

The Carvers, Larry and Barry, doing a great job and enjoying themselves to boot!

The lineup... and it was worth lining up for, it was a potluck! Some of the best food I have ever tasted was brought by everyone that came...... and it could not have been better even with a 5 star catering company!

The first ones to get seated!

I ate last and there was still a lot of food to choose from, whoever made that dressing, they can bring it again next year, it was delicious!

I enjoyed hostessing this event very much, we do have the nicest people staying here and many helped with the cleanup, which I thank you all so much for!

Molly is with Teddy, Czar and Oscar Now

2008-12-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

AUGUST 1, 1994 - NOVEMBER 23, 2008

Our girl will never be forgotten by anyone who met her. She had the best life of any dog, that is for certain, but she gave even more than the best to us like all dogs do.

I AM BACK HOSTING THE DOG PARK AT THE SPRINGS

2008-11-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

I love it here and I just wish that my girlfriend Cali could be here with me.

But I do have a new Shih Tzu in my life down here, meet Willie.

Nice stretch Willie, your hip flexors will thank you later!

Hey Sadie, there is a tennis ball right there for you, let Noah keep his ball!

Did I hear Noah say something about dog breath when he trotted by?

Hey, she is new isn't she, I don't remember her from last winter! Cocoa and Willie would you please check her out!

Hey, where is Cocoa? I think we have her sandwiched!

Karl, is your Mom putting me on her blog?

Let's give her a good action shot, she likes them!

I wish these two-legged's would go back to the wall and give us room, it is our park!

Well it is nearly time for those two-legged's to have their happy hour, I think that leash is coming out for me. I used to take off last year and refuse to be caught but I was afraid they would not bring me back anymore if I did it this year, so I just let them leash me up now! They still cannot believe how nice I am being this year! They are so easy to please those two!

NEW HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER

2008-11-15T07:54:00.001-08:00

We bought a new feeder at a Farmer's Market last spring in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. It has the bee guard on the feeders so hopefully we do not have a flock of bees hanging out this year and scaring the hummers away! You can see in the photo a little guy on the top of the wrought iron stand, waiting for me to get lost so he can get back to business!

Having worked our first day here yesterday in the over 90 degree weather, I was tempted to stop by for a drink there too, today we will take ice tea not just water, we need the sugar to keep up with the water and energy loss! It is very hot here right now over 90 degrees and the evenings are spectacular, about 70 degrees I would guess.

Here is a bigger shot of our spot, I will take one from the other side which will show our view, golf course and mountains! beautiful!!

ARRIVED IN BORREGO ON THE 8TH!

2008-11-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

We got away from Bakersfield by 8:30 and we knew we would be in Borrego by late afternoon, which we were. We stopped to buy a mountain bike for Larry as we had a road bike here last year and the roads are not smooth enough to ride without shocks in most places! On the way Larry pulled over and I took a photo of the old girl pulling our car. This was in the Mojave Desert.

There was a little spring of water there, so I took a shot of it and doctored it a bit on photoshop to enhance the colour that my camera did not get right! There were paw prints near this water spring and they were large so I took a shot of my size 9's and the wolf's (had to be a wolf) big foot!

I think this looks like it should be a painting! You can see a white object near the edge and it was someone's paper cup, there are many off road trails here and a lot of weekend warriors use them and unfortunately leave the garbage. I tried to walk in to get it but it was rather like quick sand as I got closer and even the paw prints did not go all the way to the edge!

We had a sand storm the next day after we got here and it was creating a wall of sand at times! So no golf until yesterday..... I golfed that is, Larry washed the RV. We set up in our permanent site late in the afternoon and I will get some shots today. Larry and I played 9 holes this morning with Lynn and Bob, also have been playing the card game Play 9 with them the two nights we have been here!

Well I am off for a swim, we are expecting a visit for lunch from a friend of Larry's from his time in Toronto, Brenda, his ex-neighbour in Toronto. She is in California holidaying and is going to drive down to see us today!

WE ARE OUT OF DODGE AND BACK ON THE ROAD!!

2008-11-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

We got away from Firebaugh at about 6:00 PM, the mechanics worked an hour OT to get us out of there as a whole weekend parked in that compound did not have any appeal! We spend yesterday trying to keep busy as there is little there and less within 30 miles but we drove to Los Banos and saw the little town and had a Starbucks to keep us awake for a drive in the evening as we wanted to get down to Bakersfield, which is where we are this morning.

I should have had my camera yesterday in Firebaugh or a video camera actually. We did the San Joaquin river walk that is in Firebaugh, rather a nice paved path for Molly's bad feet. Karl has been to many lakes that gradually get deep and he likes to go in up to his armpits to cool and then come out unlike Moll who heads in for a little swim. So Karl stepped into the water and unbeknownst to him, there was no gradual bottom to walk in, he was swimming in seconds and came out a lovely shade of green! He took off running and growling as they do after a bath! Which little did he know that was the next thing he was now getting! The Ford dealership had a very deep sink in the men's room so he got put in there and washed!

We are leaving here pretty quick after a little brekky and should be in paradise, Borrego, by late this afternoon!!

We will be in the hot tub with a Marguarita before we know it!

Oh, yeah the damage...... 3377.69 US. The motorhome has so many new parts and fixtures that we might as well spring for new decals and have it look like the near new machine it is in many ways!!

TRANNY TROUBLES UPDATE!

2008-11-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well the parts should arrive tomorrow, they might as well be body parts as they are costing an arm and a leg. We have been warned that it may be upwards of 2800 US dollars. This is a small town business and we feel comfortable that we will not be overcharged, that it will be fair. We are hopeful that the mechanic will get the old tranny up and running by day's end as Saturday and Sunday are not working days so it is crucial that he get it done tomorrow! We cannot get a rebuilt one as they found out when they called around for one as they do not rebuild trannys this old!! I think that is something like my body parts!! Anyway, we are not letting this bother us as it is warm and sunny and it is hard to not be happy in this lovely temperature.

We are locked into the dealership compound tonight with the guard dog (no one has told him his job, he is a pussycat and thrilled to spend time with us!!).

We just had a yummy salad and are enjoying one of the great wines that we bought today on our wine tasting tour, in the Malibu, that we so fortunately are towing!! We drove to a larger town, Madera (Firebaugh only has stop signs) and got groceries and stopped at a couple of wineries. And that little winery that we visited last is a real treasure. Some very nice wines. So if Firebaugh or Madera are on your travelling agendas then Mariposa Winery is a real find! We also took the dogs on a walk through the park in Madera and let Karl go in the enclosed baseball diamond to run off his pent up energy! Molly was pivoting on her hind legs as he circled her and tried to get a chase going. She does her best and in her mind she is playing hard, her eyes are like diamonds when she thinks she is after him!!

Well let's hope we are on the road tomorrow night and heading further south! Bakersfield is our plan if the tranny is finished!

WE ARE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME IN FIREBAUGH!

2008-11-06T08:03:00.001-08:00

yeah,I said Firebaugh!

We had hoped to be able to spend a few days here as there is no security on peoples wireless and I can get free internet while we are staying free too. It is a camper's dream.......................... not!

Truth, we are @#%&*+& !!! stuck!

The damn tranny quit on the I-5 and we were towed to the closest Ford repair last night. We spent 7 hours on the side of the hwy with trucks blowing us like babies in a cradle and Karl cried the whole time asking Larry to drive on!!! The first tow truck that took 2 hours to arrive could tow the Malibu but I have now idea why the heck he came all that way knowing it was a 35 foot motorhome! The next truck took longer and it was a massive diesel as one would expect. The Good Sam agents we called for our free towing called tow companys that were 2 hours away and there were ones much closer like 20 minutes away! It will cost them a bundle for the two and the first one should not be able to charge as they knew how big we were and the sent their mini truck anyway!!

We will find out in a little bit when the dealership opens just what the bad news really is!!

but hey, the sun is shining!!! and it is going to be hot and there are about 30 wineries in the area!! cup half full so to speak!!

From Washington to California, photos from the passenger seat!

2008-11-04T18:43:00.001-08:00

We left Mt. Vernon on the morning of November 1st and the rain was still holding off.

Entering Oregon and going to Junction City to have the brake system put on the car at Camping World.

The rain poured down the whole day in Junction City, but we played the game, Play 9, a golf card game in the motorhome while the car was being done and in the afternoon when the motorhome was being done we used the car to shop. Kohl's had some real bargains!!

Spent the night after the work was done in Rice Hills, Oregon at a very nice RV park we spotted off the freeway. then....

Back on the road to leave Oregon and get into California.

As we drove out of Oregon there was no snow in the pass, a sprinkling was on the highest part but none coming down and the sun was in and out until we hit California and then it stayed out and it is warm here in Red Bluff where we are spending tonight!

MT Shasta was rather spectacular!!

Now seeing some sun finally as we are in California now!

ON THE ROAD TO BORREGO!!!!

2008-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we got away early afternoon, leaving as the rain came down!

We did not go far this first day, we are in Mt. Vernon as planned, we like this RV park and we like the Margueritas that they make across the street at the Mexico Cafe! Good start to our journey back to the desert above the Mexican Badlands!

While driving through the Bellingham area, we first saw a car in the ditch off the freeway and it was facing the wrong way, the people were standing outside it and were fine. About a mile later, one more in the ditch and turned around and the people fine again. Another mile or two another in the ditch facing the wrong way, cops everywhere. We were starting to think we were in a movie or being "Punked". We barely went another mile and there was another, same thing and facing the wrong way and yet we saw another one after that. We could only conclude that because that strip of the I-5 is concrete and the rain was on an oily road that had not seen much rain, everyone was spinning out and going into the ditch! Larry said we weighed too much to do this, we brought a little more this trip!!!

Tomorrow we stay in Vancouver Washington, Larry is making a special dinner and we are cracking a bottle of Silver Oak that we bought 2 years ago in California and is rather special and delicious!

Cheers!

Got Home March 28th!

2008-04-02T17:45:00.001-07:00

We had a good and interesting drive home, loved Carmel and so did the dogs, the beach is free running for dogs and they loved it. Karl got picked up by a rogue wave and carried into shore, it was hysterical and I was about to catch it with the camera when the same wave got me!! We had drinks with a couple we met in the Cypress Inn and you can see under all the chairs everyone brings their dog!

We brought 3 US citizens with us back to Canada, seems that the ticks in Oregon wanted to dodge the draft and rode out of the US on our dogs necks!

So now that we are back, I can only say Borrego Springs is the best!!

Here is a video I found on Utube that kind of says it all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjh6gOHShZg

The Reno!

2008-03-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

It is finally done, we were in Santa Clarita for a week and pretty much locked out of the RV while the floor was replaced, but worth it as you will see in the pics! We love it, the floor, the new ultra leather headboard and valences in the bedroom and the cabinet beside the door when you enter to stash leashes, walkie talkies, sunglasses etc etc.

The RV Park was one that I would not wish to return to, best part was that there was a decent sized dog park but the rest was rustic to be kind. There was a big dog park in Castaic for small dogs so Karl got his fix daily as we rented a car for that time. Great town to live in, we really liked the area, hills, sun, nice outdoor shopping malls and good food. We met a couple there, Larry and Rose and enjoyed a barbeque at their Fleetwood RV with a large turnout of friends and family. We also drove to Lancaster to meet up with another RV couple, Carla and Virgil, whom I had met online at an RV Reno posting. So it was not so hard to put up with the reno at all.

We are now in Pismo Beach and will stay for 2 nights and then on to Carmel by the River RV park for 2 nights, slowly leaving California.

Karl is anxious to get to the beach so I will get off the PC and take him!

We left Borrego Springs on the 11th and we sure miss it !!

2008-03-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Valencia Travel Village within 6 hours of leaving BS as it is near LA and Magic Mountain, we shopped at Costco in that time too. Wednesday the floors were torn out of the RV and yesterday the sub floor was put in, so by Monday we well be out of here with new floors, Karndean wood-look rubber planks, very hardy and good for dogs! Here is the website. Highly recommended for wear and tear, this is commercial flooring and it looks pretty authentic.

http://www.karndean.com/gallery_previews.asp?main=residential&sub=living_dining%20room&type=pvc

But enough about that, here are some photos of the Palm Canyon Hike in spring bloom taken last Saturday when we were still in BS. Us gals, heretofore to be known as the Borrego Broads, Susie, Brenda, Joanie and myself did this Palm Oasis hike to see the flowers amongst all the rock and it was a gorgeous day, like all Borrego days! There are more hikes than days of the year to do in Borrego Springs and the surrounding Anza Borrego Park, this one is one of the shorter ones, about 2 hours up and down. Unless you are taking a hundred photos and then it gets a bit longer! We hiked up the alternated trail to the Palms. Even though we left at 8 in the morning it was already very warm so the Palms with the water running through them was a great respite from the sun. There was a very large number of people on that hike as the desert flowers of Borrego had been on the San Diego news and in the Wall Street Journal this week. The town was full of cars, we actually had to look before crossing the road! Hope you enjoy the photos that I have selected out of over a hundred that I took on the hike!
And this webpage tells more about this hike.

http://www.americansouthwest.net/california/anza_borrego_desert/borrego_palm_canyon.html

I will update next with finished photos of the RV and a collection of shots I took while driving out of BS next post.

Can you see Susie at the bottom of the Palms, she looks pretty tiny at their base!

There are 2 people sitting on the top rock at the base of the Palms if you can see them!

So beautiful isn't it?

We have so few days left here in Borrego Springs!

2008-03-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots from the last few days, you can see it is a good way to live through winter, we are loving it so much here!

This is the mound on DiGiorgio Road, just down from us where the hawk count takes place with volunteers every Sunday! I think they have moved on north, not one was spotted when I rode my bike past them on Sunday. On Sunday I went to check out the new flowers in Borrego with Joan and Bob, we went to the Visitor's Centre and these are pictures taken there in their very lovely desert gardens.This one was taken out in the desert near Font's point Joan and Bob checking out the flora near PeglegI took dozens that day that are beautiful, it is hard to choose which ones to put on this blog, if the download was faster I would probably put tons more!And this is what so many places are named after, the Ocotillo cactus, which there are many of. They get red flowers in the spring but so far I have not seen too much red! But I love these tall cactus! This morning at the dog park, Karl is there somewhere!

And this afternoon we went to Casa Del Zorro for lunch, Bob and Joan and Barrie and Brenda and us! It is a gorgeous resort, I could put pictures forever of the flowers and grounds, they are beautifully kept.
We sat at the outdoor fireplace waiting for our reservation, I would love to have this patio!
And the entrance was alive with geraniums and other colour!

Boy we are going to hate leaving here on Tuesday!!! Where did the winter go! We are coming back next year to be camp hosts from November to the end of April and I know we will have a great time doing that. I hope we can get some of our Canadian family and friends to come down during that time for a game of golf, good eating and just the most peaceful sunny spot on earth!

The Anza Borrego Desert is beginning to bloom!

2008-03-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

I cycled down to the end of our road, DiGiorgio Rd., to see the start of the spring bloom. There was a fair crowd down there to see and photograph the first of the colour. It is primarily a purple and white show right now but the start of yellow is there too! The prediction is that the next 2 weeks will be an unforgettable show!

Lots of people with cameras!

Up close macro shots of the white flower that I think is the primrose

And the desert dandelion

The purple sand verbena is plentiful right now.

I am going to take the Overlander trip in the next week. They take you in a big open army truck into the desert for 5 hours. Here is their website to get a look at the vehicle! My cycling shorts with the padded bum may be a good fashion choice for this ride. More photos to come!

http://www.californiaoverland.com/

Our cell phone is back working, yahoooo!

2008-02-21T07:20:00.001-08:00

Not the one that Larry took hot tubbing with him, it had been a tough phone to stop over the years but boiled for over 30 minutes was the kicker!

We have a new one thanks to Telus who went above and beyond to get a new phone to us here in California and sent it as a gift to boot, thanks Telus!
We sure love having our phone again!

Honey, I shrunk the hummingbirds!

2008-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well, the bees have discovered the nectar! I have read about this since their arrival and tried the solutions to no avail. They chase the hummingbirds away! The hummingbirds usually get here in the morning and get filled up but once the bees show up they own the feeders. One site said it was the yellow flowers on the feeder that attracts them so I painted the flowers with orangy red nail polish, they did not mind! We moved them as the article said they are stupid and will not notice a new location, they are not stupid!

There are feeders with a bee proof flower, the flower has a grate over it so that the bees cannot reach the food but the long nosed hummingbirds can. So I will get those next year!

Birding is a big thing here, there is a group counting the Swainson Hawk, that shows up here at this time of year, I usually see a flight of about 11 or so beside our RV park several times a day.

A website for birders who are fortunate enough to be here at Anza Borrego is http://www.miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Clark%20Dry%20Lake.htm

Other birds we see often are the Great Egret, hanging out on the water's edges on the golf course

And this little guy, the Canyon Wren

And this little cutie, the Verdin

Karl's Post for Terri, who is one of his admirers and special cousin Quotes from his furry lips!

2008-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

When did that dog get here, I better tell him about the dog park. I check this window every morning for the new kids, I like to think of myself as The Springs canine host!

And thank heavens there is cable here, I coulda missed the Westminster Dog Show

You gotta be kidding me, even with my ears flipped back, I could win more ribbons than these dogs!

Did ya noticed how I got a better seat, this show is gonna be 2 hours long!

My Dog Park Days

Bojo is a serious showoff, I could catch him if I really wanted to!

OK, I let Bojo catch me, I try to be a good role model for the pups here!

I think I better explain the rules of this park, no one goes home until I win!

Who has the brains in this family, everyone is standing around in 80 degree heat except yours truly!

Now this little terrier, Jack, they call him, needs some come-uppance like all terriers, he is a baby though so I will be gentle

Bite me!

Now that I have your attention!

Ya give yet, huh? do ya?

Hey look, Jack, here comes some more dogs!

Don`t ya just love camping here Jack, I do.

This Past Week... Wind Storm, Karaoke, Desert Bonfire ... just a typical week at the Springs!!

2008-02-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

We had a windstorm on Superbowl Sunday that set records down here, nothing like it in a hundred years!! Some of the power poles were cracked in half near the RV park and we all lost power and the Superbowl party had to be moved from our Activity Room to a neighbouring subdivision that had power, Merrilee and Bruce's house. I watched the storm through the windshield and it went from blowing to being a wall of sand at times.

And Larry won the football pool that day... 85.00 bucks!!!

Storm coming is the first photo and the next one is of the wall of sand:

Last night Joan and Bob hosted a desert bonfire in the Anza Borrego State Park, I smelled like smoke after but no matter, it was a beautiful spot, before it got dark all I could see was the desert and those beautiful mountains! And when it got dark the stars were like pot lights up there, amazing always here!
We met some locals there as Bob and Joan have been coming to the desert for many years and have a hiking group that they hike with here.

These next two photos are at Assagio's Italian, can you believe food like Quantro's but prices like Denny's, what a fantastic place, my fave is Chicken Assagio. Can I say it is better than Larry's Italian chicken and not get in trouble with him!! The second photo is Pete who is showing Garvie how to get a cork out of a wine bottle with a napkin!! Larry will master this for our dinner parties back home!

Oh and I just have to show two little cuties having a happy hour here with us!!

So the deal here is Dan puts on a wine and cheese for his RV guests every Thursday night and on most of these nights we have Garvie on guitar with some vocal accompaniment of ladies that can sing (what do you mean, I was not one of them!).

But this past Thursday, it was Karaoke. I missed a few shots at the beginning when the room was standing room only, I did not know the card was full but these are what I got after getting a new card!

It has been hitting about 80 these past couple of days, hotter than usual, I personally love the low 70's but of course we are not complaining!!

And....our cell phone is not working right now, Telus is sending a new one.

Larry took the cell phone into the hot tub in his pocket, so about 30 minutes of boiling water pretty much cooked it!

Some Social Outings

2008-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Back to the Krazy Coyote

This time I took lots of shots of the hotel that I so love. We were joined by a local artist, Barbara, whose paintings are in the background of the gallery shots. We went to Barbara's daughter's gallery for a little wine before dinner. Breta Matson, Barbara's daughter is an amazing artist of glass fusion. You must see her work, especially the countertops on her website. http://www.bretamatsonfusedglass.com/index.cfm?CFID=9680324&CFTOKEN=80201167

some interior shots of the KC, it is like being in the 40's and you half expect Frank Sinatra to show up!

Prime Rib or?

Before Dinner photos of Breta's Gallery in Borrego, husband Sheldon on guitar, mother Barbara with Earna Rae her sister

Larry chatting with Jerry, Earna Rae's husband

Barbara's paintings in the background of these shots.

Breta has this piece in the Palm's at Indian Head hotel (home of the Krazy Coyote). And she has a piece of her work on a Princess Cruise ship elevator door done in conjunction with a metal artist of Borrego Springs. See their work at

http://www.warmglass.com/gallery/Matson2.htm

And the entrance shot of Krazy Coyote as we walked in

The Red Ocotillo

named for the desert cactus that is red in the spring (turning red now some of them)
A great bistro style with the best breakfasts and burgers anywhere. They have a dog friendly patio that we have taken the dogs to for burgers a couple of times, shared of course!
It is an old Quonset hut and very funky, there are often rows of Harleys outside, riders love the Montezuma hill. I will get a shot of that in the daytime soon.

This day we had breaky here with Susan and Bob. You can see Larry and them on the left far side and back of the room. And here are Moshi and Kibo, brother and sister and great RVer's!

Kibo

Moshi

Pablitos, another night, Mexican Food

Larry and I had lunch there one day on the patio, it was very authentic and I will get back to take some outside daytime shots to show you on the blog later. Here are some dinner shots with our RV buddies, Joan and Bob, Bojo's Mom and Dad, Bob and Susan, Moshi and Kibo's Mom and Dad, and Barry and Brenda. The food is great and very generous there. We have another Mexican restaurant down here, Carmelita's that we have all gone to and it was also great food and drinks, and there are a couple more that we have yet to try.

You would think we would gain weight with so much of this eating and drinking but the golf, pool aerobics and cycling are keeping it off!!

We got our feeders up on the window!

2008-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

He is the first Hummer to sip the sugar at our window!! It is great to sit here and watch, you can here them arrive, their wings create such a buzz!

It is Hummingbird Central Down Here!

2008-01-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

I think this weekend we will go to the hardware store (it is a bit if a mini Walmart) and get a feeder that can attach to your window with a suction cup. And I think this would make a good painting for the art show this spring with the theme "Wings".

If you get up really early this is what you see!

2008-01-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

More beautiful than words can say!

2008-01-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Font's Point is the most amazing place, we went up there with Brenda and Barry and it was a bit overcast. Borrego is going to get some rain this week, it is tropical and the desert flowers need it to bloom! Just imagine the great photos of those flowers I hope to get next month!

We went up in Barry's pickup, Larry rode up in the back of the pickup as there is just room for 3 of us in the cab, when you see the video that I have linked and you see the ride being bumpy, times those bumps by at least 10 as it is rough and washboarded the last 4 miles. Larry would say they were 20 times more rough than in the video!
Here is the video on a website, a must watch http://www.desertusa.com/video_pages/fonts.html
and here is another one as well
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/fonts-point-in-the-anza-borrego-desert-higher-res-version/1960128657

We took up some margharitas, wine, cheese etc and the propane firepit. Suffice to say that we were the envy of the others that were up there that night viewing the sunset. There is a picture of Larry and Barry bringing up the cooler and some of the campfire.

There is a picture of the moon coming up in the East, it was actually a burning red colour but the camera would not catch that colour and I had trouble steadying it for the long exposure that night photos take.

I took a million photos but will show some of them here as uploading a million is just not possible as much as I would like to show all of them!

Comments! Did not know that some were there!

2008-01-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

We just saw that there were comments on the beginning of the blog at the first post, so I am sorry for not acknowledging them before this!! I put a comment there to all of you that left one, sorry for the delay on answering and thank you for your comments, loved them! I have set up notification so that if there are new comments I will be notified, I thought that was automatic but it needed setting up I just found out!

livin' and playin' in the desert

2008-01-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

Playing the course on our resort, a beautiful view from everywhere on the course. We are playing about every second day and loving it! We played a neighbouring course on Wednesday, the Road Runner. A little 18 hole par 3 next door that was a great short game course much like Langley Golf course at home.

This is what Larry looks like after golf!! note the dotted and spotted rump beside him on the floor!

We had dinner last night at the Crazy Coyote Bar and Grill at the Palms Hotel here. It is very art deco, built originally in 1947, burned down in 56 and rebuilt. In its heyday it was the spot that the stars flew into in their own planes to get away from crowds, one being Marilyn Monroe and also our Canadian Raymond Burr. This is how it still is in Borrego, a place to avoid traffic lights, overcrowding and fast pace. Their website has photos on it but it actually is neater in person than the photos show. I would stay there in a minute. Here is the website http://www.thepalmsatindianhead.com/

We were there with Brenda and Barry, from Victoria, and Susan and Bob from Washington state and Pete from Northern California. Great food, great presentation and very reasonably priced martinis and wine. I hope to go a few more times before leaving here.

I am going to cycle to town now as we have done our water aerobics this morning already, I hope to find a bathing suit and one store has a good selection I have noticed. Karl has a playdate at 3:30 with Bojo, his best buddy down here.

There was a wine and cheese party on Thursday night here as there is one every Thursday night, Garvie brought his guitar and there was some harmonizing going on which Larry joined in on as he has the voice in this family!

Wish you all could be here, keep it in mind as the trailers are already here to rent!

The Dog Park just built, now there is everything we could ask for here!

2008-01-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

Karl and Bojo

Just to give you an idea of the size of this play area

Bob has treats always!

The Springs at Borrego just put in this dog park, up until now we used a sand field that is out back, but this is fantastic and Karl and Bojo are great buddies. Bojo is just 6 months old and is not too rough with Karl even though he is bigger, they have a ball and go for an hour or more. There are few more pups here that Karl loves to play with, I will have to get pictures of them.

Here are some of the water aerobics people 10 minutes before class. There are about 12 people that come out. You can see Larry at the very back, baseball cap on for sunshade!

Here is the natural springs hot tub, one of 3 that are here. And there is a large hot tub as well as these 3

Here is the little propane firepit we bought here, Margarita Time after golf

Today we are cycling around the side roads, I want to get some photos of Adobe style houses with their beautiful desert landscapes. It is going to be a warm day today again, yet the motorhome stays cool with the awning out and the screen door left open all day. No one locks anything here.

Boy it is a busy life down here! I found time to take these pictures today. Sun, Sun and Sun!

2008-01-11T12:19:00.001-08:00

We have met a few people here now, Barry and Brenda from Victoria, who we have been out to dinner with and who we have had a few gatherings in the evening with other Canadians from Kelowna, Mark and Marilyn and a San Diego couple, Janice and Bill. Lots of long term people here and we love it. They have 2 fifth wheel trailers here for guest rental which are very nice.

Hole number 1 on the course, Larry and Barry play almost daily, Brenda and myself usually play nine only with them. But she and I found time to shop in Borrego, there is an outstanding boutique and we got some nice things, me I got golf wear that we do not have in Canada.

We played at another course last week with Mark and Barry. Everyone has a vehicle down here except us so we get taken around. Barry and Brenda have given us the go ahead to use their truck anytime which is so very nice of them. I will use it today to get my hair done in town, could cycle but would have helmet hair and that would not be good!

one of the farm market vendors

and a flower vendor had these gorgeous hot pink lillies!

Here is the golf clubhouse, look at those gorgeous purple cactus!

the farmer's market this morning, got the usual oranges and grapefruit to make juice, got a great juicer at the hardware for 20.00 and it makes a little pitcher in 2 minutes. Rarely we mix this with vodka, very rarely!!! not

this is the pool where we all do water Aerobics on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays, we love it. It is more strength work than aerobics, using noodles and weights, lots of fun. there is a good turnout, I will get a picture of the class next week and of the hot tubs we use in the evening
I also need to get pics of Karl at the dog park with his friends, he has many.
Today it is too hot for them to go out midday, close to 80 I think.

We love this motorhome, there are many newer very deluxe ones here some that have 3 slides and are our length or longer. but this one is great for us, it is only 350 square feet but laid out perfectly for us to stay organized. And with the sun coming in the windows there is little to complain about. We have decided to stay here until March 4th, we cancelled our Palm Springs park reservation. Everyone said it is too busy, too noisy and nothing like this place. Barry said to take his truck up and see for ourselves but we did not need to be encouraged to stay here longer, this is probably the nicest RV spot in the desert. Sacramento TV said it was the greatest secret in California and I hope no one saw that news show! We have booked for next year already!

Friday is Farmer's Market Day in Borrego Springs

2008-01-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

We got up pretty early and the sunrise was a coral flame in east. The dogs are enjoying it here, particularly Karl. He has made a few more friends and the camp hosts, Garvie and Trish, have a 4 month old Yorkie, who is just like Karl, wants to play and has no fear of a bigger dog. They have a playdate for 4:00 today, while the parents have their afternoon cocktail!

We walked into the farmer's market in town and bought a huge bag of grapefruit and ingredients for a fresh salsa. The produce selection is great there.

We started to unpack and set up, getting the bikes of the rack and all that stuff that has to be done. After we enjoyed the mineral spa with a Manhattan.

I will get photos of the mineral spas etc in the next few days, meanwhile here are some photos of the campsite we are in, one with the bikes still on the back and covered in a blue tarp, one looking down the row we are on and one from our spot out to the mountains and you can see half of our table at the bottom, they supply these tables and one of a purple cactus on the grounds.

cheers!

Montezuma is what the locals call the hill we took in!

2008-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Coming into Borrego Springs the hard way, the 17 mile downhill had Larry in the lowest gear and eyes on the road. It was a beautiful view all the way down that hill and worth it to see that view. I do not think these pictures do the view justice, cameras never capture what the eye sees!

We are in love!! This resort is more beautiful than the online pictures portray. We are surrounded by mountains that when we arrived late afternoon yesterday were a combination colour of purple and copper. The golf course with its lovely palm trees surrounds the RV sites. They are really nice and not too close to each other. This resort is spotless and gorgeous, pricey compared to many others here but worth it. There was a wine and cheese party last night, not for us arriving, just what they do here. We met many people walking our dogs and Karl fell in love with Alli, a little white cutie his size and age. Lots of dogs here. The park is not a city, there are not that many sites, which is more to my liking than the giant cities that are mostly down here.

We are walking to the town for the farmer's market this morning to get some fresh fruit. I will be snapping pics so stay tuned!

Still on the road!

2008-01-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

The dogs are bored!!! Driving is not fun for them and we do a lot but today will be the last day of driving as we arrive at our destination Borrego Springs today and stay to February 17th.

The sunset photo is arriving in Bakersfield to spend the night at River Run RV, we thought we would be on the river but it was dried up and the freeway was right beside it! A beautiful park though, all new and clean.

We left the next morning, yesterday, to drive to Hemet.

The next two photos are on the road to Hemet, out the windshield.

Below Bakersfield and before LA, the road sign said Gusty Wind Warning, no campers or trailers advised. Well Larry had a death grip on the wheel for a few hours of driving it and the wind whistled through cracks that we did not know exists or may never hear from again!! Quite amazing!

This Hemet RV park is called Golden Palms and it is huge, a city really. Lots of senior activities and I am sure loved by many, but not my cup of tea. No wilderness in sight, right in Hemet and a mall accross the street. But we wanted to try it as it looked quite different on the web. Onward to Borrego today!

Love this sun!!!!

Leaving Sacramento

2008-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

We arrived here the day before New Year's Eve and spent two nights here, we are in the old Expo grounds right in Sacramento downtown area. The sun has been shining since we got here and it is just what the doctor ordered! This spot is great for the dogs, even though the RV park itself is all pavement, it is very clean with great shower facilities if you needed them. But the really great part is the endless miles of bike trails to walk.

I took this picture of Larry walking yesterday, we saw some very interesting birds and a few hawks. There were a lot of fireworks here for new year's and lots of events for kids going on. Sacramento has always been a favorite spot for me. I would like to investigate Old Sacramento on the return trip.

So we leave today and drive to Bakersfield.

Arrived in California!

2007-12-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

We had a 3 hour wait at the border crossing on the 27th and so we did not get far, just to Mt Vernon. It was raining and not great for walking the dogs and drying them in the stairwell! But at least we are on our way.

The next day we headed out and a screw fell out of the windshield wiper of the driver side, Larry had to take one out of my windshield wiper for his so he could see. Off to Home Depot for a replacement and a bit of a delay but we got to Salem that day. Still raining!

Left Salem this morning and got a lot of driving in, made it to Redding, California.... STILL RAINING! But the mountains were not treacherous with the rain and no ice, so that is a bonus!

We leave here tomorrow for Sacramento with a stop at Camping World for a barbeque, Weber Baby Q. The rain is supposed to stop tomorrow and then as we get further south, it should be done with!

We are escaping the rain!

2007-12-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

We are leaving on December 27th for Borrego Springs RV and Golf Resort. It rains 1" annually in Borrego Springs and is cooler at night being in the Southern California desert. It is in the middle of the Anza Borrego National Park, the biggest national park in California as it turns out.

http://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/du-abpmain.html

We will take our time getting there as we have booked for January 3rd to February 17th at that site, then we move on. Follow with us if you wish and we will keep adding photos of the trip and scenery of where we are.

Cheers,

Judy, Larry, Molly and Karl