Snow on our mountains

We had a one-day break between our recent storms on Tuesday and, grabbing my camera, off I went to work. But, I had to stop and take these photos of the snow on our local mountains. That's Mt. San Jacinto rising above Palm Springs, CA. I took these photos in Palm Desert, right before I got on Interstate 10, which takes me to my school. It has rained since then and the forecast is for snow down to 4,000 feet, which means my horses will be in snow. This is at about 5,000 feet. Our skies should clear out by Saturday. With three storms all in a row, we have now had our yearly rainfall total!

Wagon~That's My World 011910

I LOVE this old wagon, which quietly sits at the entrance to the ranch where I board my horses. I love it in winter, I love it in fall, spring, and summer. I like to document the trees behind it each season, too. They are sycamore and maple and I enjoy watching them change with the seasons. They actually have seasons up in our local mountains. It's harder to see seasons in the desert. Yes, we have seasons, but mainly winter and summer. Fall and spring come and go so quickly we hardly notice them, except when there are desert wildflowers. I'm hoping that with this week's rains, we will have a bounty of wildflowers this spring! That's My World for Tuesday, January 19, 2010.

Mountain Lion~That's My World 011910

Hubby and I drove up over a very poorly maintained dirt road on Saturday to take a peek at an 18-acre ranch for sale. It is only 10 minutes away from where I currently board our horses. We're just in the "looking" stage as we haven't even put our own home on the market, and frankly, don't even know if we want to at this point in time. But, we LOVE to look! So, up and over the dirt road we went. It's a good thing I have new tires (a $750 bill last May). (And, why do tires only last a year???) As we came down the road (...trail...), we spied another valley. This is at the western edge of the Anza-Borrego state park, California's largest state park. There were a couple of horse ranches there and a neighbor stopped us to see what we were doing and explain that one of them was a polo pony breeding farm. I have mixed feelings about that, since I have two rescued thoroughbreds myself. If I were this guy's neighbor, I'd probably take in his culled horses, but that's another story. On this day, we stopped to admire the beauty of the valley and the ranch for sale, which included TWO houses and a barn converted into more living quarters. Hmmm...just how many people WERE living on that ranch? But, once again, I digress. Hubby and I followed the nice neighbor up the road, further, to her place, and from nearby, we could see the entire ranch below us. We got out, hiked up through some rocks and bushes and cacti, and looked down on the ranch. VERY IMPRESSIVE! Although, it seems to be located in a flood plain, we couldn't observe any water damage to the ranch or buildings. Behind it are cottonwoods, which do indicate water. Almost all of the 18 acres are usable, except on the east side, which was composed of rocks. NICE, NICE pasture for horses! Unfortunately, the buildings have seen better days and the main ranch house is nearly uninhabitable and its roof is in terrible shape! While we were walking on top of the hill behind it, hubby grabbed my arm and pointed down. MOUNTAIN LION TRACKS! ACK! It must have been a young one as they weren't full size. There were also coyote tracks and we were on the lookout for snakes. I picked up some beautiful rocks laced with mica and rose quartz to share with my third graders. Here are some pics of the ranch and the nearby hills. That's My World (I wish...) for January 19, 2010. Our kids bluntly told us, "You two are TOO OLD to be taking care of an 18 acre ranch by yourselves! Are you NUTS?"

Big Morongo Preserve~Scenic Sunday 011710

Last winter, hubby and I visited the Big Morongo Preserve, which is only about an hour from our home in Palm Desert, CA. I used to have the rangers come down to my third grade class and do a presentation for my students, but we aren't allowed to do that kind of thing anymore because of low test scores. So, the students miss out on a morning full of all kinds of interesting facts about desert plants and animals, and instead have to concentrate on test practice, but that's another story. On this day, hubby and I stayed on the boardwalk and took our time and tried to observe as much as we could. I knew those boards were there for a reason (see photo), and yes, we stayed on them! The Big Morongo Preserve has a large variety of plants and trees, from palm trees to pines and lots of sycamores and cottonwoods! Deserts aren't always dry and lifeless and this area is an example that shows a variety of plants and animals that can live in the desert. It backs up to Joshua Tree National Park, if you are looking for it on a map. Scenic Sunday for January 17, 2010.

The Coming Storm~SkyWatch Friday 011510

A storm moved into our desert this week, but by the same afternoon, it had blown away. However, it provided us with a peek of a beautiful rainbow at one point, and even a double rainbow. I was driving to school and I had already stopped to take several photos, but I couldn't resist taking these as well..."the coming storm"...SkyWatch Friday for January 15, 2010.

Blue stone walkway~This Way Thursday for 011410

Last Sunday I stopped by the Palm Desert Visitor Center to explore the plants in the early morning light and I was surprised to find this blue stone walkway. Isn't it pretty in the morning light? Ahhhh....I'll have 3 mornings this weekend to get out and explore the desert! (I have a 3 day weekend this weekend.) This Way Thursday for January 14, 2010.

"Z" is for...ABC Wednesday 011310

zoo. We have a zoological garden/preserve right here in Palm Desert, California, the Living Desert Reserve. We joined the LDR in 1975, before our daughter was born and have been members there ever since. We have watched it grow and evolve into a wonderful place to spend a winter day or spring morning! Both hubby and I enjoy wandering its grounds with our cameras in hand. Here are a few of the photos we've taken over the years...ABC Wednesday for January 13, 2010.