The start of a very busy month!

We joined in the "Welcome Back Chili Cook-off".  There were 12 pots of chili entered into the "cook off".  Even though I didn't get to sample them as I was one of the servers, Paul did!  He came across a variety of different chili's.  Some had carrots, some pineapple, some plain, one seemed to be sweetened with brown sugar  but the one he liked best had corn in it!  As he said to me later, "It gave it a bit of a crunch"  I didn't take first place with my chili, but I didn't take last either, so I think I did okay.

Setting up for the tasting contest

Packed in and ready for a great night.

After the tasting contest and dinner that was all the chili's and the many different dishes that people brought to share we sat back and enjoyed the live music.  The Van-Horn's sang and played music that got the place hopping.  People danced, clapped, sang along and had a great evening. Since I missed being able to line-dance while serving for the taste-testing, Paul went up and asked them to play something so I could line dance.  They did ... I did ... what a great time!

Good music and dancing!

Sharon and Ted (Storage Security)

Chaplain George Cooper and his wife 

 

Dorothy and Dick (Garden Club)

Paul pumped up the tires on our bikes with his air compressor.  He's a man with a machine and knows how to use it!  We took off for a ride with our GPS's in hand and ready to find some hidden geocaches in the area.   We weren't disappointed!  We found some very interesting and unique hides.  Being mindful that there are rattle-snakes and scorpions, Paul and I took extra care when reaching under the brush or into the piles of rocks.

A really great cammo job on this cache. Can you spot it? Answer at the bottom.

Woke up to snow up on the top portions of the mountains.  The weather has been cool, I can't really say cold as it hasn't dropped to the freezing mark and probably won't happen.  But it has been in the low 50's to high 40's at night, and by the standards here, that is pretty darn cold.

I have always loved the effect a little rainfall can have on desert plants.

Yes, that is the bloom on a cactus!

The red thorns are new growth!

If you are ever traveling in the Desert Hot Springs area, make a stop at Caliente Resort.  As you can see, we are always having a good time!

Jo

[Hidden geocache: the bottom left bolt. It's modeled from clay and contains a magnet and nanocache]

October 2011

Once again it's time for a monthly update.

October has brought a few more "snow-birds" south for the winter.  We're told that the busiest season will hit after Christmas as the holidays are winding down and so are the northern temperatures!  Things are defiantly picking up, the telephones are ringing more as we make winter reservations for the travelers, answering more and more questions for the returning residents.  Yes, it is the start of out "In-season."   The view of San Janicto Mountain is ever changing with the clouds that make it this far inland.  Sometimes it looks like they are covered in snow, which will happen in the winter, and other times the clouds appear as lava flowing down the sides.  It's a beautiful view to look at everyday as I walk to the office.


Paul is staying very busy as the Assistant Manager here at Caliente Springs Resort, in the summer he also covered Sky Valley Resort, even though with less residents during the hot summer months, it was time consuming as he learned new things and took on more projects.  He's the one who does inspections for any improvements or changes to the exterior of their homes and approves all  landscaping.  He's had the pleasure of dealing with upset people when rules and regulations have to be enforced. He approves when a place can be put up for sale and makes sure all permits are issued and kept up to date.  He is the liaison between residents and upper management.

I've taken on the job, or should I say I've been given the job of billing for both Resorts, this is over 1600 home sites.  Doing the billing includes making sure their electric is billed correctly, rent charges are correct, late notices sent out when appropriate, cable being put on a vacation rate when they leave for the summer and  putting it on the regular rate when they come back for the winter. It also includes general trouble-shooting for billing errors and questions. There is a lot of computer data when we have new people moving in or out of the Resort.  I also work at the Front Desk, taking reservations for traveling RV'ers, answering phones and dealing with all the residents for a variety of issues.


This month we enjoyed a "Manager's Day Out" that included a wonderful dinner at Red Lobster and then Go-Carting afterwards. Of course not being the fastest driver or the most aggressive, I came in last for the go-cart races. All the managers had great time getting together to share each others company without being in the "work environment." 


We still continue to make weekly visits with our friends Norb and Barbara.  Going there is such a delight as we share stories of life experiences, sing old songs and do minor fix-it projects that neither of them can do.  Their dog, Baxter enjoys the company and taking a afternoon walk through the neighborhood.   Barb had decorated for Halloween and there were many chocolate treats waiting for us when we visit.  Our visits with them always bring laughter and fill us up with feelings of "family" that we miss with being so far from our families!

The weather is slowly changing to the Fall season, bringing cooler nights where we can actually sleep with the windows open to enjoy the sometimes gusty winds that come through the valley.   We've even added a blanket to the bed and used our fireplace to ward off the morning chill for a couple of days.  We are thankful for the cooler temps as the triple digits was getting exasperating day in and day out.


As you can see our October has been a busy month but we found some time to make a drive to Laughlin, Nevada and share some much needed relaxation with my cousin Mary and her husband John.   We played the slots, tried our hand at Blackjack, ate wonderful meals, shared jokes and stories.  All in all just enjoyed their company.  We lost, won, shared our winnings and collected many hugs.  Can't wait for the next outing with them both.


I've received pictures of my grandson Gage enjoying his first celebration of Halloween.   He is growing more and more each day.  I received weekly updates and pictures so that even though I'm far away I get to share in his life.  He is crawling and starting to stand on his own and will probably be walking by the time I get to see him for Thanksgiving.  What would we grandparents do without the wonderful technology that allows us to enjoy our grandchildren at long-distance?

The excitement in me builds as I wait to spend Thanksgiving with the enjoyment of family for the  holiday.  So far our Christmas plans will bring Paul's daughter and her boyfriend for a visit.  Christmas dinner at Barbara and Norb's home in Palm Springs.




Enjoy your holiday's and thanks for stopping at our blog.


Jo


Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. -Rabindranath Tagore



  

September

September has brought us many new things to experience and we have enjoyed them while learning more about our jobs here in Desert Hot Springs.


We joined the company of some of the many annual residents for their monthly Pancake Breakfast.  These ladies sure know how to cook up a morning meal that will satisfy even the hungriest appetite.  All you can eat pancakes, sausage, orange juice, fresh fruit and great coffee!  It was nice to spend a morning among the camaraderie of the wonderful people who live here and call this home.  It was very welcoming and enjoyable.

The cooks!

Filled up on good food!

We enjoyed a Labor Day barbecue and were treated to a rare rain shower.  The surprising thing was that no one "ran for cover" when it started raining.  Yes, some had their umbrellas ready and opened them over their heads but, for the most part, they just enjoyed the rain!  As a congenial group, we all sat there enjoying our burgers and made comments on how refreshing and good the warm light shower felt.  The rain gives the desert a very unique smell.  It's an earthy smell but instead of having the smell of the rich black dirt of the mid-west it's more of a wet dusty smell that becomes potent as the ground and brush soak up what little moisture it can.  We were blessed with a spectacular double rainbow over the mountains   When it started to appear, it became the focus of everyone's attention.  How rare to have rain in the desert and even more rare being blessed with this beautiful sight that always leaves me in awe.

A beautiful sight

A few days later, we woke up to the sound of thunder.  I went outside and watched as the soft rain fell and grew heavier and heavier until it forced me back into the shelter of home.  It's funny how one can take rain for granted growing up in the mid-west, here it is a treat and something that is greatly appreciated.  Dick, one of the residents mentioned that the rain was the most he had seen at one time in years!  I continue to tease Paul that it seems where ever we settled down, we seem to bring the area unusual weather patterns.  When we lived in Florida everyone said it was very unusual to have low humidity in the summer for the two years we were there.  When we lived in South Carolina they had a snowstorm that brought enough snow to build snowmen and have children sledding with their boogie boards on the grass!   That hadn't happened for over 12 years. While staying up in the California Delta area for 6 months, we were told they had an unusually rainy and cold winter with several days of frost.  Maybe it's Nature trying to tell us something, though I'm not sure what it can be. To get away from the heat of the desert in the Summer, there's always the close-by mountains and forests. We'll be going up there more often during the Fall to do exploring and hiking. We'll also go up there in the Winter to get some real snow fun.

Our daily view on the way to work

As for our work .... we are doing well, learning all the new things it takes to help run a Park Model/RV park.  Some residents are here year round but the majority are only here during the cold brutal months of the North.  They come from all over, Oregon, Canada, Washington and I've been told as far away as Europe!  Paul is learning much more then he anticipated.   Dealing with electricity and water issues, inspecting and approving new construction, authorizing resales, ensuring properties are maintained to a satisfactory condition, and also dealing with the day to day complaints and inquiries from residents. Paul seems to be always in a constant letter-writing mode when he's not out and about at both resorts in his golf cart, or having one on one meetings with residents. He's become a  member of the emergency response team, and participates in their weekly radio checks and training.  As with any job at his level,  he also attends Manager Meetings and gives me the lowdown on all the latest plans that he can share when he gets back.

I have been doing the front desk, which entails dealing with the residents' complaints,
maintenance issues, package pick-ups, answering the never-ending ringing telephone and making reservations for the traveling rver's.  It's always a challenge but also fun learning new computer programs and a new telephone system.   Just recently I have taken on the job of updating the monthly resident billing, which in itself takes quite a bit of time, detective work when there is a billing error, learning how to navigate new computer programs and patience with myself as I want to ensure doing a better then "good" job.  It is a big responsibility and I feel honored that the Resort Management trust my skills and knowledge to get the job done.

Over the summer we have been working at both Sky Valley Resort, which is an all age
family resort that has approximately 1200 sites and Caliente Springs which is the 55 plus
resort and has approximately 600 sites.  The resorts are approximately 5 miles in distance from each other.  Come winter Paul's focus will be on the Caliente Springs and I will continue to float between the two resorts.    It is starting to get busy, with the returning snow-birds, but working again sure feels good.

View from Barbara and Norb's patio

We are trying to make plans for the holidays,  maybe spend Thanksgiving with family up in the San Francisco Bay area and Christmas here, as Paul has elderly family friends in the area, Barbara and Norb.   They live on a beautiful golf course in Palm Springs, California.  We have been trying to go to their place once a week to help them out with doing odds and ends things.  Paul has been cleaning up her computer as it hasn't been updated for some time.  Me? I try to help out with anything and everything!  Barbara is in her late 70's (never ask a woman her age *smile) and Norb is 91.   After a bad fall, Norb has limited vision and uses a wheelchair to get around.  I guess God really had a reason for us being here and knew what He was doing before we even got the job offer.

That's an update of where our lives are at the moment.


Thanks for sharing in our journey,
Jo




"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia

July and August have brought a few new adventures.
While we are not traveling at this time our life continues to be a great adventure. 

One of the many views we enjoy on a daily basis.

Paul is learning the many different aspects of being the Assistant Manager at both Sky Valley and Caliente Springs resorts. Both resorts have a total of over 1800 sites.  Over the last few weeks he has done everything from: IT/having to reset the WiFi and company-wide network systems, plumber/tracking leaks in the pipes, electrical engineer/power outages and all around "Fix-it" person. He also has to deal with neighbor/neighbor disputes, landscaping issues, new construction approvals, waste management and environmental rulings, laundry equipment failures, and even legal litigation notices from the local and state governments that affect residents, but not our sites. It's amazing how, somehow, a dead Palm tree on one property seems to migrate to be the neighbors problem, not theirs.  However, Paul still has to smooth all those things over. Even simple things, like laying a 4x6 concrete pad needs his approval. He's getting pretty good at that :) He also seems to be getting the respect of the local community and contractors that they hire.  All in all, he's doing what he does well ... keeping the peace while maintaining resort rules and regulations.  In the Fall, he'll only be responsible for Caliente Springs, that is when the other Assistant Manager comes back for the winter season.
Me? I'm learning all the aspects of Front Desk: Reservations, Sales, Mail, answering whatever questions the residents ask.  I am also in the process of learning the billing system which can be quite complex. Tracking who is here, who is leaving, who has cable who wants it put on hold and not be billed for a month or two while they are traveling.  Summer may be the "slow season",  but it has been anything but slow!  The phones are always ringing with questions from travelers and residents alike, there is always something that needs attention and also preparing for the onset of the returning snow-birds has kept us both very busy.

Some desert landscaping.

Even with our busy schedule we have still found time to enjoy the area and people here.  We play water volleyball in the evening after work and on most of our off days.  It is a great way to relax, enjoy the pool and get to know people.  Some of the comments during the games will set off a contagious laughter that brings a stop to the game while we all try to compose ourselves. (After being hit in the head with a ball, someone exclaimed "Thank God for Fixadent!")

Water Volleyball

I have had the wonderful opportunity to make a trip back up North to spend some time with my girls and visit with my grandson.  It was a delightful visit that brought the added bonus of seeing a great-niece who happen to be visiting from the Mid-West.  We did a Trolley tour of San Francisco which I found to be very good and would recommend to anyone visiting that area.  I never knew that the old Victorian houses located in San Francisco had a 25 foot limit on their width when they were being built, or that there is a old Fort located under the Golden Gate Bridge.  We enjoyed walking the Farmers Market and getting free sample of chocolate from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.  We did take a bit of time to relax and have tea and tea-cakes at a tea house.  Is was fantastic!  My visit with my grandson reminded me how fast time goes by.  He is ready to start crawling and responds to everything around him.  He enjoys going out for walks, playing on the floor with his toys and loved to be included in whatever I was doing, whether it was making dinner or folding laundry.  The best part is his smooches, when you say "I love you"  he immediately turns his head to give you a big wet kiss.  I guess it's his way of saying "I love you too!"  Time spent with my girls always creates "special memories" for me to treasure.

Love that smile!

My daughter and great-niece

My daughter and grandson.

We have had visitors big and small over that last month.  My cousin Mary and her husband John came for a visit.  We played slots at the local casinos, played in the pool, enjoyed the hot tubs and just had a fun time with them.  John is very tall, and quite heavy set ... but in a good way,  and "made-do" being in our RV, even though he had to duck his head every morning when coming out of the bedroom!  Hummingbirds continue to visit on a daily basis, well as long as the hummingbird feeder is filled.  They tend to come in the morning and evening, seems the days are too hot for them too!  We have even spotted a beautiful Hawk who hung around for a couple of hours.  He didn't seem bothered by all the comings and goings near the pool.

John in the bedroom doorway

Hawk atop the WiFi receiver

Our daily visitor

We have enjoyed exploring here, from a new Armenian church going up in Palm Desert to discovering Lake Hemet while driving around the mountains on the Palms to Pines Byway up in the mountains. 

New church, really like the design. 

A road trip while geocaching, the Highway.

Lake Hemet.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing our adventure.


Jo


"There comes a precious moment in all of our lives when we are tapped on the shoulder and offered the opportunity to do something very special that is unique to us and our abilities, what a tragedy it would be if we are not ready or willing."  — Winston S. Churchill

Many happenings and a new place to call home!

Over the last few weeks we have done some traveling: Spring Arbor, Michigan, Mesa, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada and back to our new home in Desert Hot Springs, California.

Spring Arbor, Michigan was the celebration of education.  We actually flew from San Francisco, California to be with Paul's daughter Jennifer and attend her graduation.  She graduated, with Honors, from Spring Arbor University with a BA in music. This is one very talented young woman.  Her mastery of music is incredible! The celebration included her Uncle Robert, Grandmother Barbara, boyfriend Jason and many of her friends.  We shared meals, played video games on the TV, Apples-to-Apples, went swimming and had a wonderful time.   Her future plans at this point are undetermined, but we are sure that whatever she aspires to do, she will be a success!  

Proud dad

Congratulations!

After arriving back to Bethel Island, California, we packed up the rig and headed down Highway 5 through the desert, over the hills and mountains to Desert Hot Springs where we parked our rig, set up and  plan to stay for a while.  We accepted a job at Caliente Springs Resort [http://www.calientesprings.com/]. It will be hard to leave my daughters and new grandson, but in reality I'm only a few hours away instead of being on the other side of the U.S.   More on that later...

Kevin, Elizabeth and Gage

Ajim and Coren

Mesa, Arizona: We visited with my cousin Mary and her husband John.  It was great to spend time with them.  Great home-cooked meals, sharing memories, laughter and went to Fort McDowell Casino to play one of our favorite communal slot machines “Reel Em In” or as us four call it “Here Fishy, Fishy”.  While there we even had lunch with their son Kevin and his wife Josie and congratulated them on the announcement of a new addition who should be arriving next year.  They are expecting their first child and Mary and John couldn’t be happier at the prospect of being grandparents.  This comes bittersweet for them as Kevin will be accepting a job in New Zealand.  Sometimes this world seems so small with all the mass communications and super jets able to fly anywhere in the world but when your first grandchild is being born half way across the world, it can also seem too big!  We wish Kevin and Josie all the best on this new adventure and hope that Mary and John will be able to make a visit to see them in the future.

An old picture of Mary and John taken in 2010

Las Vegas, Nevada: We drove to Vegas to meet up with our friends Terri and James after our visit in Mesa, Arizona.  It was an uneventful drive through more barren desert and shrub-filled hills.  We crossed the new bridge at Hoover Dam.  It was a different experience from what I remember in the past.  The old road took travelers directly down to the dam where there were always crowds of people sight-seeing and traffic backing up as cars would stop in the middle to snap pictures and bikers would be pulling in to parking areas to don their helmets before entering Nevada.   Things sure have changed with the new by-pass bridge.  But, since Paul had never been to Hoover Dam we decided to do a little sight-seeing.  We turned onto the road leading back down to the dam.  It was amazing how much the creation of the new bridge changed the atmosphere of Hoover Dam.  Yes there are still tourists and a few bikers, but the crowds are much thinner and the awe of driving down the original road and seeing the dam as you come out of the hills has a different feeling.  We parked the car and as Paul put it “We strolled, skipped, walked and drove” over this majestic monument.  One thing we did notice is that the water is very low.  Not sure if this is due to "global warming" or if it's a natural occurrence for this time of year. Paul had to take a picture of the men's restroom latrines.  He said he had never seen any like them in all of his travels. One more thing crossed off his “Bucket List” (the Dam, that is).  I must say this, I was in complete awe of the new bridge when seeing it from down on the dam. It is massive and since I had visited many times in the past, I just could not help repeating to Paul how amazing the new bridge looked!    

View for the top of Hoover Dam

One more thing checked off the "Bucket List"

The new bridge

Latrines

Back to Las Vegas: The last time we visited Vegas was on our trek from Colorado to California.  It was in November and the weather did not cooperate at all.  It was cold, raining and very windy, and there was no chance of walking up and down the strip to enjoy seeing the lights or any of the outside shows.  This time was completely different, the weather was warm and sunny.  We watch the “Battle of the Sirens” outside of Treasure Island, the “Volcanic Eruption” at the Mirage and enjoyed the “Dancing Fountains” at the Bellagio and rode up to the top of the “Eiffel Tower” for a skyline view of the famous Vegas Strip!  Vegas never ceases to delight the senses as the street musicians play their music, the hawkers constantly try to give you flyers advertising “girls” for your pleasure and the giant lighted billboards advertise shows and meals at the various casinos.  It was good to spend some time with friends Terri and James and catch up on where life has taken us over the last few years.  We may not have come out “Big Winners” at the casinos but our latest travels proved once more that we are rich -- loving family and friends are priceless!

Terri and James

Paul and I at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Desert Hot Springs: We have planted ourselves in this small green oasis out in this desert wasteland to take jobs.  Paul will be the Assistant Manager at Caliente Springs resort and I will do Front Office, cleaning or anything else they can find to keep me busy.  The resort, actually two resorts, Caliente Springs and Sky Valley, are owned and have been operated by the Manthei family since the 1970’s. All of the Manthei family are very involved in running the Resort from dad Tim to daughters Christy and Rachelle and son Garrett.  They also have a few cousins, Adam, Austin and Luke helping to make this oasis in the desert a warm and welcoming place to live!  They are all very outgoing, friendly and diligent at keeping the resorts running smoothly with a focus not only on the business aspects but in keeping their guests and residents happy.  We are looking forward to this new adventure and hope to contribute our past experiences to enhance both resorts.   If you are ever in the Desert Hot Springs area, don’t hesitate to stop by for a visit and enjoy the warm relaxing mineral pools and spas, exercise room, a game of billiards, ping pong, shuffle board and wildlife.

View of the nearby mountains

Billiards anyone?

A daily visitor

Peeking out behind the RV

Relaxing pool and spa

I think that's all for our latest updates.  As we continue to explore this new area I’ll be sure to post our adventures.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jo


"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
— Confucius

From Mother’s Day to Mountains

It has been an exciting month since I last wrote on our blog.

BBQ and family gatherings started the weekend before Mother’s Day.  Paul grilled burgers, brats and some chicken legs and breasts on our two grills.  Homemade potato salad, some corn on the cob and we had a feast fit for kings!  My son happened to be in the area working which was a fantastic treat for me. It’s not often that I have the opportunity to have my children gathered together as they live all over this beautiful nation. The girls drove out from the San Francisco area, and my son made the trip from where he was working in Sacramento.  Being in a campground seemed to bring back some very fond memories of old childhood camp songs.  Listening to the laughter and friendly brother/sister teasing brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face.

Playing Wii games

Mother’s Day:  We gathered together again at my youngest daughter’s house.  She had prepared a “Mother’s Day Brunch” which would have put the fanciest restaurants to shame.  Two types of quiche, stuffed pancakes, yogurt and fresh fruit parfaits and enough snacking foods to get us through the 3 hours of playing different games on her Wii!  We danced, bowled, boxed, raced and laughed so hard our sides hurt!  Who knew you could do all that in a living room filled with the people you love most! It was a great Mother’s Day for me and the first official Mother's Day celebration for my daughter with her new baby who blessed our lives in February.   

Our family's newest blessing

A wonderful day spent with my children and grandson

Caliente Springs Resort

On to the mountains. We had planned on spending our summer in the beautiful pine treed Colorado Mountains, but we received a call from Caliente Springs Resort which is located very near Palm Springs, California.  They contacted Paul regarding a long-term position.  So we were off once again to explore a new area and possibly a new job. Life changes and sometimes its best not to question why, but to go with the flow!  Caliente Springs is a 55+ resort that offers many activities for the 55+ age group.  Not only are there four natural heated (volcanic) mineral spas and  two pools filled with the same natural flowing hot mineral springs, but also golf, tennis, a fitness room, shuffleboard and many groups to fill our hours including everything from cards games to quilting.  Of course, we had to spend one evening enjoying the relaxing hot bubbly spas and a dip in the warm pool for a swim.   It was marvelous!

Caliente Springs has a sister resort, Sky Valley.  Sky Valley is an all age group, and offers much of the same resources, mineral spas, pools, tennis courts, a restaurant, and activities. In the off-season (Summer) Paul would be Assistant Manager for both resorts. In the on-season (Winter) the work toll would be so high and the resorts filled to the max with snowbirds, that Paul would just manage the Caliente Springs Resort.  I would be working in the office and doing whatever they find for me to fill my days.  

Tram cables and towers

While in the Palm Springs area, we explored some of the desert, the surrounding city of Desert Hot Springs, the mountains and of course the casinos!   We did visit a couple of the many casino’s in the area and even came home with some of their money!  Now that’s a great way to feel good about a new adventure.  We also went up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the San Jacinto State Park which took us through four temperate zones within a 6000 foot, upward, ride! They say it's like going from the Caribbean beaches to the Canadian tundra in just 10 minutes.   The State Park offers novice hiking, a one and half mile loop with incredible views of the Coachella Valley to hiking for the expert hiker, a 12 mile round trip to the top of the second highest peak in southern California.   We shouldn't have been surprised  at the amount of snow still on the mountain; there can be up to a 40 degree difference in temperature from the Valley Station which is at 2,643 feet to the Mountain Station which is at 8,516 feet. 

Paul standing near the Cable car

Cable car going up as we descended

We plan on doing a lot of hiking up there and hopefully will spot the abundant wildlife that the Ranger spoke about.  Bluebirds, Bighorn Sheep, hawks, owls and Mule deer are just a few of the many animals that roam the mountain. The city of Palm Springs offers everything we will need from the big box retail stores such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart to small specialty shops where you can find those “one of a kind” creations!  Yes, we know it will be a HOT, HOT summer.  But, can you imagine a winter day when it's 60 or 70?  

A view of the San Jacinto Mountain Range

We also had the delight of Paul meeting up with his in-laws, Norb and Barbara, who graciously invited us to their home for dinner.  Barbara is a very amazing woman as she cares for her husband who is recovering from a very bad fall. She is full of good cheer and even shared some of her life experiences and stories with us.  She and Norb have lived in the Palm Springs area for many years and are sure to be a great resource of information as we head into this new part of our lives.

  

I never realized that so much of California is mountains!  If we weren’t driving up and down, we were gazing into the near and far distance in awe at the wonders of the majestic landscape.  For several hundred miles, without even a home in sight, just an occasional farm warehouse, we drove through acres and acres of fruit trees, crops of tomatoes, corn, lemons, oranges, even pistachio and almond trees.  The amount of food grown in this region is amazing and most don’t really give it much thought.  But after this last trip, it made me more aware and appreciate all the hard work that goes on before walking into the local market/store and picking up the food needed to feed ourselves.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jo and Paul




"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity."
— Gilda Radner