1-31-2012 Thursday
Our return to the Coachella and Lake Cahuilla has been
welcomed by high winds for several days. With three storms moving in from the
Pacific Ocean, we’ve had aggravating wind with each one. Fortunately, we’ve had
some terrific days in-between!
As a pastime, we’ve prepared some scrumptious “Hello Fresh”
meals. Tonight, we made Terry’s Chicken Piccata recipe, using fresh Meyer
lemons, from VV’s tree. The Meyer lemon fruit
is rounder than a true lemon, deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe,
and has a sweeter, less acidic flavor. Nothing like fresh southern California
citrus!
Winter storms from the Pacific have brought some rain to
the Coachella Valley and a little rain brings out the green on the mountains
and desert. We’re hoping that this facilitates a nice “desert bloom” in
February. A “desert bloom” is a climatic phenomenon that occurs in the nearby
Mohave and Sonoran deserts. The phenomenon consists of the blossoming of a wide
variety of flowers during early-mid spring in years when rainfall is unusually
high. A special treat is that we’re near the intersection of the Mohave Desert and
the Colorado Desert (part of the Sonoran), each producing unique flowers and
colors, due to their elevation differences. The California Desert province is
divided into the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, a division based on climate,
elevation, and latitude. The Mojave receives less summer rainfall and endures
longer periods of freezing temperatures in the winter than the Colorado Desert
with its more southern location, lower elevation, and exposure to a summer
monsoon rainfall pattern. Precipitation also increases with elevation so that
greater plant diversity and abundance can be found in the desert mountains. In
addition to the influence of topography, variations occur north to south and
east to west across the landscape. So, we’re hoping to compare and contrast the
flowers and colors of the two deserts, when the magnificent “bloom” occurs!
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Around the Coachella Valley, we have been busy with our
annual health check-ups, work, and special events around the area. The
winter-season is passing very quickly and we have already finalized our summer
plans. For the summer-season, we’ll be at Ridgeway, a Colorado State Park,
located in the San Juan Mountains, between Montrose and Ouray. Our May through
September assignment will be revenue management in the Visitor Center and
Campground kiosk.
In the meantime, we’re planning a rambling trip over to
Colorado. We haven’t decided on the route but we are doing some research on the
various options.
One of our favorite February activities is the Empire Polo
Club. The Polo Club has beautiful, grounds, landscaping, and facilities. The
horses and riders are loads of fun to watch and the games are exciting. It’s
just a very festive occasion and lots of fun!
Another Spring
attraction is the HITS Coachella Desert Circuit at AON HITS Desert Horse Park
in Thermal, California. The circuit draws thousands of equestrians to the premier
Southern California show grounds, and is a spectacle of outstanding
hunter/jumper competition. We enjoy seeing the tremendous horses, tack, rider
attire, and of course the extensive vendor offerings. It’s like a county fair
of equestrian stuff! 