Palm Springs 2021

typical dog park fracas Tahquitz 1 Tahquitz 2 Tahquitz 3     Drove D to the DP in the van. Later S and I did the Tahquitz Canyon loop trail. Its weird how quickly you can go from the city to the wilderness here. Denny and Monique from 45 years ago in Vancouver (south Surrey) came for lunch of tamales and CBD soda by the pool. They want to move to Portugal after Denny stops cooking for the founder of Waste Management. M and I did a bike tour of the old section of town up against the mountain which included a big truck with a 1931 four storey aluminum house that is to be put back together and exhibited one of these days.

  no lunch pics so here's D at K and G's in SB Really the only thing we did today was go to F and R's triple wide rental and have a nice lunch of quiche.

  K prepares table for stupendous salmon and/or chicken dinner       Left the paradisal Chiquita Street home of K and G reluctantly.  Soft scrambled eggs with asparagus and olives and a side of bacon. Easy walk from below El Encanto to Franceschi Park.  D and Molly accompanied. Blasted out in the Honda subsisting only on dry fritos all the way to PS. An hour to unload and rest a bit before heading to America's Tire to get new boots mounted on the front of the van. Smooth, no pull right or left; joy on Dinah Shore Drive. Grilled ribeye and new york steaks with sweet and russet potatoes and really small ice cream sandwiches - super good. Visited with M by the hot tub. Tomorrow F and R's triple wide for lunch.

After chewing through leash, D works next table at Roly's  crime scene       Well, there was 3 kinds of nut butter and toast for breakfast which is normal. Stalled until the tide went out and we went off to Jamala, a beach to the north almost to Vandenberg Air Force Base. There was a little store that offered hamburgers and we had them on a table by the ocean. Walked the beach. Circled home through the Santa Ynez Valley, the Melville Winery in there, over San Marcos Pass and Richard came over for gin and tonic so we caught up a bit and he was off. The day wound down then.

       Walked down to Milpas for baked goods. Parma Park with dogs. Falconers here and there must leash dogs. Far westward aspect, hard climb out after finding water in a water trough and fountain down slope.  Buffet luncheon at home. Bike to harbor before lunch. Young friends and their kids visit, dog anxious. S makes tasty chicken dish. We have cookies.

S, K and Molly on Butterfly Beach, Santa Barbara the swooping freeway is lost in the background and there must be more to Calabasas than this but its all I've got       Aztec rent a car sent a taciturn little old man in a low slung Honda sedan to get me to go sign up for the car but he parked around the corner from where he was supposed to be and I had to go back for a mask but overall it was a low key deal. He also thought we lived at the Hermosa Hideaway complex instead of the Casa Verde complex - just silly. The drive on the swooping freeways through the great channel between Los Angeles and Palm Springs was at times inspiring. Stopped for a tall mocha caramel something and a walk up a random oak park hill in Calabasas. K and G got us a beer and then we walked the beach below the Coral Casino near the Beany Baby mansion. Duster Buster loved that. And then there was dinner - the best salmon, small colorful roasted peppers, roasted potatoes, persian cucumber salad, and c...

social distancing at alignment shop some idea of the pleasant surroundings at Alignment Man's      Alignment Man, Frank Pitigliano, dialed the toe in, it was out, so front wheels were turned away from each other. Front tires were wrecked and neither Costco nor America's Tire had that size in stock, so S had me call Frank back to see if he thought it was safe to drive van to coast and back; he didn't, so we rented a car for a week for the trip and until the new tires are shipped from Colorado. Spent a lot of time in Cathedral City on Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Dinah Shore Drives. S made a nice casserole for M, me and herself for dinner. M spent the day with his sister in a park in Redlands. Dusty didn't get much action except for the usual 8 to 9 am at the DP; tomorrow he can enjoy the 4 hour drive to Santa Barbara in the rental. I remember the Dinah Shore show and something very catchy about seeing the USA in your Chevrolet/ America is asking you to call...🎶

  Our table at the Coyote (other people there - internet pic)      I drove D to the DP after a breakfast of soft scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Saw M swimming laps and later with an unknown friend out for a walk up by the city maintenance yard. Walked to the main drag, Palm Canyon Drive, with S and D to view the retail. Mostly had lunch at the Blue Coyote - mole enchiladas and chili rellenos - good spot and food. 20/30 blocks, so nap. First swim in pool which is 81º - chilly, so hot tub. Spoke with Liz and Bunny the latter hidden under the lounge because no dogs around pool. Liz would do anything for that little poodle. Bright orange hair from San Francisco (Liz). D has a li cold. K says no pool in the city should be below 85º, thinks we live in slum.

Date farm owned by a Black couple from Fresno by the lunch spot       Waiting for Mike to whip up some leftover curry chicken since our take-out plan from Loco Charlie's fell through due to Loco being closed. Spent much of the day at Sam Cobb's date farm doing a date sampling and a walk in the old grove. Moved on the the Cochella Valley Nature Preserve which is quite something of a watery oasis of water, palms and reeds, a result of cracks in the earth filling up with water from a subterranean aquifer - no dogs. We had a picnic with F and R amongst the giant palms. Off to Costco for various things for various people but no diesel. Guy and girlfriend in hot mustang slowed beside us to take photo of D hanging out the window. Wind blowing dust for miles around.

the territory of the east cove trail I and the dog in desert palisades a day or two back       Did something south of here near La Quinta called East Cove trail. Multi-use - water tanks the size of the Pentagon, target practice on bottles and cans, the usual rocks. No dog sign after a while. The real event of the day was a 2:30 meeting at K and S's house with their aussie pup Cappy. Big event of that event when Dusty ran full speed into the sliding glass door which so traumatized him he peed all over, shook and won't move. Carried him out thinking maybe concussion but he seemed to fully recuperate over the next 24 hours. K and S have house on Whidbey and K made good margaritas but the chips and avocado dip was super-good.

spending a lot of time under Norby's hat in this desert      Up at 5 to ease into 7 am appointment at Mercedes dealership for alignment. Representative Jeff looked over the outside of the van as though it had a disease which it did; it pulled to the right. Service manager and I went for a drive. He confirmed pull. Jeff handed me a hand written card for Alignment Man and an address. I sought Alignment Man. Appointment with him set for Monday. Returned to condo to face vibrant fitness. That over, went to dog park to connect with dog and S, entered 99¢ store, napped. 11 am.      Returned to Desert Pallisades for walk as sun dropped west of the mountains. Went to Roly's for shishito peppers, pot stickers, mule, rita. We sat outside on roof looking down at pool leased from Twist Hotel by Roly. Dog welcome. Fun but chilly. Hot tub back at Casa Verde - supergood as Mr. Vibrant Fitness would say.

  not lethargic, suspended Dog lethargic. Did some networking, got some inside vet information, got into a triage process with standby from VCA, a vet here. No feedback from them. Dog seems better. Guy over the fence from the pool told me we should of waited for 3 days or something I couldn't hear him right then because of the lawn maintenance noise but we had a rather in-depth shouted conversation on a number of topics while D himself watched. Good bike with M with stop at unknown country club on bike path for Snickers which we split. S said dog had recovered and had video of same chasing a radio controlled model car in a parking lot reaching speeds of 20 mph S said. Ramona called with slow bathtub drain in Columbia City; we worked it out pretty much.

      S walked to the dog park - with the dog. I picked them up  and then bravely faced the zoom vibrant fitness now with my dumbells. That done we caravanned across town to Chino Cone and walked between boulders up the alluvial fan toward the Indian Gate and the tramway up San Jacinto passing into an area of bazillion dollar lots but only 4 bazillion dollar modernist minimalist homes with a roadway straight out of the Wizard of Oz. It turned out to be apparently a dog friendly trail which we did not really know so did not take the poor little thing. Thus I went home and returned with the animal and we had a swell walk with some rock foot work that I think we both did pretty good with all things considered. There was a stiff breeze. Talked to Kim and Greg. Looks like we will go there on Tuesday with stop or stops in Ojai to touch in with Sheila and Skip.

The Palm Springs Dog Park       Met J at the DP. Spent an hour sitting watching the seeming chaos. Back and out with S and M on cycles for the home tour and a visit to the main drag, Palm Canyon Dr., to get a robe for S from the thrift store, Angel View, where S found a robe but no one to pay for it to, so she left without paying and came back later to do so after the fancy pot shop visit where I got some gummies. Later S and I had lunch at Tac/Quila where dogs were allowed. May try the Asian Fusion place recommended by J although on his last visit he walked into a plexiglass partition and was knocked to the ground and presented a black eye this morning at the DP. His lab doodle is a sweet thing named Sophia from his cruise down the Danube about the same time I was sweating my way along the dyke of the same mighty river on bike. Sunny skies coming, no more clouds working toward the low 80's.  Hot tub.

  Butler-Abrams walk and flood control      Internet gone this morning as we arise. Of course the dog park. Mike walked half way and I rode the bike so I could return and get the van and pick up S and D. Internet came up as I was calling Apple to fuss. Fixed the sliding door that wouldn't lock. Soon off to ride with M and a guy named John. Cool still.      Rode with M and J for an hour and a half. Scored some windfall citrus and made a date with J for the dog park in the am. He has a lab doodle pup one of many in the world these days as with the miniature Aussies. S recovered and I met Frank and Ric coming up the sidewalk to M's; F under the weather from the second vaccine shot. S and D and I went southeast to Rancho Mirage again for to walk the Butler-Abrams trail between a subdivision and a huge flood control channel. Later to Von's for something from the deli there (pork buns, capellini salad with arugula and tomatoes. Hot tub.

Dog Park Rancho Mirage - a gated community      All plans to meet Frank at the date grove were cancelled because someone let the vaccine defrost which was why F was going near the date grove and the wind had come up anyway. So the dog park then costco for a new pillow and another dog park since we were already in Rancho Mirage and their dog park was very highly rated and nearby. Three way conversation there - a latino actor, a couple selling their house as we sat and us. The house selling couple's two dogs in no way were interested in being at the dog park. And then the true event of the day, the wind, began to blow. It blew hard and is still blowing pretty good now at 9 pm. Met a woman from north Lake Tahoe and a guy who was supposed to be training 20 year old Saudi guys to fix F-15 fighter jets but litigation and covid had but a halt to that, in the hot tub as Mike swam his second set of laps in the pool before we met for dinner at his place because his unit faced away ...

Don't have much in the way of appropriate photos for today, but how about those cute little regimented cacti?      Honestly, I can't and when I asked S if she could she said she was drawing a blank as to what happened yesterday. We could leave it there but then I remembered walking the pup about 3pm up Hermosa to Tamarisk and over to Ruth Hardy Park. Leaned up against a sycamore with Norby's fedora on while the dog stretched out and watched the world go by and a gentleman and dog passing by said we looked like a painting so that was nice but mostly I watched a tall nerdy guy carrying an electric unicycle trying to get his apparently new drone to move. It never did but he looked cool riding off in the distance on the curvy sidewalk. Another electric unicyclist came by but he was  all in black and  super composed. There must also have been a dog park and a hot bubbling pool but it's pretty vague.

The Pool at Casa Verde In house.   The dreaded return to zoom vibrant fitness at 10 am. Not too tough as it turned out. Bike with Mike immediately following into the heart of mid-century modern and a pass by of mike’s uncle and grandmother’s houses from the fifties, also the Sabatini home. S back to dog park on foot out uber back because she felt D was overheating. More schlepping and groceries from Ralph’s. 81º all afternoon. S swam in the am and hot tubbed twice for her back. Tomorrow will be cooler. Must try to acclimate. Went to back to Ralph's?

varmint and biped at Red Rock Jaw Bone area       Quite a bit of toing and froing looking for S’s keys, dieseling, getting a subway for lunch upon our return from a foray north on 14 to Jaw Bone Canyon and Red Rock Canyon where we hiked to the box of the box canyon trail called Haggen’s. South back thru Mojave ultimately to I-10 and into Palm Springs and the condominium; nice place facing north with two outdoor spaces and the comforts of home after we slepped some essentials from van to   condo (second floor).   Mike stepped over for an introductory chat and later I made a very good salad and a decent omelette. The dog park was an experience beyond any we had had so far what with the big aggressive dog beating up on poor Dusty to the point S and I stepped in and S whacked the dog and the young woman owner expressed her feeling that one never hits a dog which dog continued to bother others one of whom told said girl not to bring her dog back to the park and ultim...

more SRBA,BLM as above Davis      Best Western University Lodge in downtown Davis, CA is us. Apparently we will decamp room 248 for the dog park, Toad Hollow, and breakfast in the van hopefully with the tri-tip and brisket remains of the Black Bear Diner takeout of the previous evening. Dusty extremely clean and feeling better after a good night’s rest on the floor in the open closet. Toad Hollow decent but not much action save for a kindly Doberman who left too soon. Big mistake or non-repeatable choice at least was taking the 99 freeway to Bakersfield. Once for the heavy industrial ag and other morlochian activities but not again. East from Bakersfield to Mojave with the intent of staying in a BLM site called Jaw Bone Canyon but the wind came up and S decided we’d best get a room. The Motel 6 in Mojave was having a meltdown so we headed on over to the Best Western Desert Winds which was totally put together and nice. Dusty found the closet again and crashed. Still enjoy...

Sacramento River Bend Area | Bureau of Land Management S in Sacramento - SRBA, BLM small trailer in background with 9 dogs in there - SRBA, BLM old fellow leaning with dog SRBA, BLM      After breakfast we tried to bike the Massacre Flat, but trail initially a bit unsuitable. Stashed the bikes. Went overland toward the Sacramento. Soon found it and S. took the dip as did the dog which helped with the cow shit. Returned on the river edge track and now have to go back for the bikes. Slight overcast. At one we decided to go to Davis and get a room. Nice spot on B street with a Black Bear Diner (that I remembered not unfondly from a long ago visit in another place or state) right across the street. After a significant amount of trouble we got take out and it was just fine. The dog is deemed to be under the weather and we stopped north of Winters to get him some fresh gear. He also got a bath in the tub after me with which he seemed okay. I want to note that the water was stil...

Dog in Dog Park Roseburg. Lucas - owner said he is the most difficult animal he has ever had.       commercial photo of Sacramento River Bend Recreation Area in a warmer season      Found Roseburg dog park after some difficulty. Large blood hound and his owners of a certain age was on offer. Good to check in with some locals. I asked about a breakfast place and they recommended Dennys. We went there and it was really good I thought. The sun came out in Ashland at 34 degrees at noon. At the   Siskiyou summit   15 minutes later it was 48.   Down into the Central Valley and 70 degrees. Landed in a great recreation area reminiscent of the Serengeti   southeast of Redding. We further landed in a subunit called Perry Riffle on the Sacramento. We walked down to the river and Dusty loved it big time. Very nice, extra credit for S. on top of the dog park idea. There is a couple in a small trailer next door to us with 7 puppies and their dog paren...

  In van heading to Palm Springs   To star store for bread Back home for good knife Rain until 100 miles north of Roseburg S has app for dog parks First dog park rated 3.5 stars located near Longview. Two young guys and their dog Radar from the Mash character. Very good session for all concerned Returned to the van for   some leftover from Laurie’s birthday lasagna   Next dog park in Coburg. Rated 4.5 stars. Dogs everywhere. Another good session for all. Dog parks are the way to go for a different car tour taking the place of bars, rest stops, malls, churches. Mud and strange dog sociology sometimes. In Roseburg by 6:30. Checked into super-spartan Motel 6: no free breakfast, no hot water, no carpet. Went to dive bar thinking it was just a wannabe dive bar or a yuppie dive bar but passing by outside it looked   a very robust dive bar indeed, an unlikely spot for our evening drink.   Next up was a MacMenimuns in a old train station in which we had the La Palo...