vineyard January 30, 2009

When I taught school further down in the Coachella Valley, my school was surrounded by vineyards. I switched schools about 10 years ago and my new one is in a residential area. I miss the vineyards. My kids and I used to take a "field trip" out into the vineyards and observe the vines growing. We also studied the animal footprints which were left every night. They were so quiet. So, yesterday afternoon, instead of driving home on the freeway, I chose to take my old route through the vineyards. There aren't as many nowadays. Developments have encroached on the vineyards and date fields. But, this old, old vineyard was still there and the vines were quiet now, but, in the spring, new life will suddenly appear on them. I will have to update these pics in April! They were watering the vines yesterday afternoon and when I stopped to take pics, I could hear the water gurgling up through the water trough. It was eerily quiet out there, except for the banging and drizzling of the water.

Skywatch Friday January 29, 2009 desert sunrise

I saw this beautiful desert sunrise one morning on my way to work. I pulled over and took several photos of it. The colors were so brilliant I didn't want to leave, but finally, as the sun rose, they faded away. For more Skywatch Friday photos, please visit: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Watery Wednesday for January 28, 2009

I have previously stated that it is really difficult to find places that have water here in our desert, so I was very pleased last weekend to find this water puddle and a nice palm tree reflection in it!

For more Watery Wednesday photos, please visit Watery Wednesday.

Hay delivery! That's my World for Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Very often, while driving from the desert floor up to the mountains, where our horses are boarded, I encounter a hay truck. It usually is NOT an 18 wheeler hay truck, like this one, but usually a large truck or pickup full of hay. They have difficulty going up the grade from sea level to over 4,000 feet. The "highway" is actually a two-lane, VERY curvy road, with blind curves. There are only a few turnouts for them and once they stop, they lose their momentum. This hay company from Blythe delivers hay to the lady who boards our horses. So far, in the 1 1/2 years we've been there, we haven't seen a hay delivery, until last Monday, which was a holiday for me. I knew he was there because the front gate was open and hay was scattered all about! I ran and grabbed my camera and took these photos! Everyone was so busy stacking the hay, they didn't even notice me! That's my world! For more That's My World photos, please visit: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Scenic Sunday, January 25, 2009

I found this empty field yesterday while driving around before visiting my horses. While I don't normally take photos of barbed wire, it did look interesting against the freshly plowed field. I also liked the look of the fence post! For more Scenic Sunday photos, please visit: http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Modern art? January 24, 2009

These modern petroglyphs are at the entrance to the city of Palm Desert. They represent the various animals that were once in our local mountains. Bighorn sheep still roam there, but bears don't. I've never seen a deer. There ARE bobcats and mountain lions, so they MUST prey on something, but the deer must be wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out. I actually saw a bobcat in a wash, once! And, a friend's goats were attacked by a mountain lion up in the mountains several years ago. Anyway, I enjoyed seeing the modern petroglyphs, which were done by a local artist.

The bottom ones were taken just before sunrise, so that's why the others are lighter.

Skywatch Friday, January 23, 2009

Because I live in the desert southwest, we don't have a lot of cloudy days, but we DO have many clear, gorgeous, bright ones! This was sunrise last weekend. I took this photo in a desert wash just as the sun was peeking over the mountains.

For other interesting photos, please visit Skywatch Friday at: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Rain forecast January 22, 2009

Our forecast for the next week is rain, on and off. We desperately need rain here in our desert southwest. I can't wait to see the wildflowers this spring! My little California poppies, African daisies, and sunflowers are all growing out in my front yard and a scattering of rain will only help them. I took a couple of pics of the sunrise yesterday morning. Too many clouds for it to be really spectacular, but I'll check every morning now on my drive to work.

Watery Wednesday for January 21, 2009

There aren't a lot of opportunities to photograph water here in the desert, so I was surprised when I visited the Palm Desert visitor center over the three day weekend! They have a couple of beautiful fountains there. This is one of them. Look at the rocks! I got up at 5:00 a.m. to go out and shoot some photos! I LOVE early morning light. For other Watery Wednesday photos, please visit Watery Wednesday.

That's My World for Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A new president, a new age, a new morning. That's My World for Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

For more worldly photos, please visit: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Scenic Sunday January 18, 2009

Morning light at Canyon de Chelly. Canyon de Chelly is one of the most majestic and magical places in our desert southwest. For more beautiful photos, please visit Scenic Sunday at

http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

early wildflower season Mellow Yellow Jan 19, 2009

While I don't have any photos yet of the desert's early wildflowers, I did stop at the visitor's center yesterday afternoon to take some photos of some of our native trees already in bloom. In JANUARY! And, early, they are! With all the rain in November and December and the warmer days and nights we are having now, apparently wildflowers are popping up all over! I can't wait to drive up the hills this morning, on our way to visit our horses! The hills should be alive with wildflowers. The sweet acacias are blooming already and their sweet fragrance filled the parking lot. I have several at my home and I can always tell when they are blooming. Ummmmmm.....that sweet smell! I LOVE their little yellow, fragrant balls! For other Mellow Yellow posts, please visit: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

empty field and clouds January 15, 2009

Sometimes on the weekends I like to drive around. I spotted this empty field with the whispy clouds above one Sunday. For those of you knee deep in snow or water, this is a change of scenery. We are scheduled for more 70 degree days for the next week, which means no rain, which means California continues her drought. The Coachella Valley is now instituting a water conservation plan. I actually use very little water at my home because I don't use automatic sprinklers, like our neighbors. Theirs came on even during our rain last month! HELLO! Turn them OFF! I have also planted a lot of native trees and shrubs, so they don't use much water. I have palo verde trees, acacia, Texas lavendar, and Mexican bird of paradise. I also have two desert willows.

Watery Wednesday for January 14, 2009

This is the Palm Desert park on a warm, winter afternoon. I hardly ever get to the park in the afternoons, but this day I did! I went there right from school. There were lots of families there~~feeding the ducks, walking with strollers, and just out enjoying the sunshine! The ducks seemed to be enjoying the day, too. For more Watery Wednesday entries, please visit:

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Scenic Sunday for January 11, 2009

Okay. Maybe it's not so scenic. It's just an old fence post and a bunch of weeds and some clouds, but I like it! Do you?

EARTHQUAKE!~January 10, 2009

We felt a fairly strong earthquake, a 4.5, on Thursday, January 8. I could hear it coming before it actually struck. The dogs dog all excited and actually hopped off their chairs! It rattled our walls and some things did move and we are about 60 miles away from the epicenter, which was San Bernardino. Now, our valley is right along the San Andreas fault. We have been warned for years that the big one is coming. Apparently every 300 years, there is a MAJOR earthquake along the San Andreas fault and even the Indians recorded them. My school is only about 10 miles from the SA fault. Out home is only 15 miles away. Interstate 10 skirts the outer mountains and even crosses the SA fault. So, we do live in "earthquake country". Hubby did some research and read that last year there were 200 earthquakes in our region along the SA fault, while the year before, there were 100, so the earthquakes are increasing. Not a good sign.

He was fortunate to take a "Jeep Tours Expedition" trip free one time. These are trips that go out to the "hills" that go along the fault. He took these pics. You can see where the hills come right out of the ground. That's an earthquake fault. Also, here in the desert, all you have to do is look for palm trees around water, an oasis. That's another indication of an earthquake fault. The Indio Hills have both. Here are some pics that he took that day. See the layers that are at an angle to the sand? THAT's where the fault lies.

Look! January 9, 2009

When my daughter and I went in for our haircuts last weekend, she told me, "The salon is across the street from Look!" Huh? What's Look? When we were done with the salon, we wandered across the street to check it out. What a cute place! We didn't have time to stop and eat there, but I'd like to go back sometime. Isn't it pretty? That's my daughter taking her own photo of it! While it was misty and cloudy Sunday, I bet it would be delightful in the spring, on a warm day! Sometime we'll have to try it.

Desert bighorn sheep Jan 6, 2009

We used to see the wild bighorn sheep fairly often at a vet's office in Rancho Mirage. They used to come down from the hills and nibble on the grass there, but since the city fenced off that area, we don't see them anymore. We were able to drive right by them! I've heard that they have been seen at The Lodge in Rancho Mirage, nibbling on the hibiscus! So, recently a reader of our local paper, The Desert Sun, submitted a photo of a herd of bighorn sheep at PGA West in La Quinta. This isn't my photo and I apologize to whoever took it, but I just had to show everyone! When they can't find food in the hills, they will sometimes come down into "civilized" areas to graze and nibble on the flowers! Aren't they beautiful? Hubby, who is always my "navigator" while I'm driving on the way to and from the horses, has seen wild ones a couple of times on our way down the hill, but I haven't. I'm too busy driving!

Scenic Sunday January 4, 2009

Yesterday was one of those days when the clouds just spilled over the mountains! This is looking toward the San Jacinto range, above the Indian Canyons. Aren't the clouds pretty? It was a cold wind that was blowing yesterday and I had to put 3 layers of sweaters on to feed the horses! Brrrrrrrr!!!!! By afternoon, those clouds had spilled over to Palm Springs and everyone had bundled up!

Skywatch Friday for January 2, 2009

We have started the new year with beautiful, clear, bright skies! I took this photo on January 1, 2009 on my way up to the horses. I liked the look of the bare trees against the blue sky! SKYWATCH FRIDAY 01/02/09 For more sky photos, please visit: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year January 1, 2009

Happy New Year! A new dawn and a new year! Have a safe and happy 2009.