3.26.2010

goodbye palm springs...

to catch up on our palm springs trip read here, here, here, here and here.....ready to finish it up?  By finish, I mean the Palm Springs part of the journey.  I'll have to give you a glimpse of Joshua Tree next week because it is majestic and shouldn't be skipped.  These are the bits and bobs of our trip. 

Road trip there.  Stopping along the highway for the dogs, you see old signs like this...


and you know they mean business because they do this...


I was thinking.  What will 3 locks do that 1 won't?  Really, ask yourself.  Right behind where I was standing to take that photo was this...


I know I talk about this often but how cute is this?  There, out in the harshest of conditions, without a drop of water in sight, with nothing but rocks and dry, crusty, hard soil (dirt) - there is life.  It's even getting ready to flower - all because somewhere along the way, a seed was blown, dirt covered it, and lately there has been a little rain in the desert.  What great promise is slumbering inside each of us, just waiting for the slightest nudge?  I think this little plant is beautiful.

Now, when you travel with these...


You must stop here before you even go to your hotel.  We went here several times a day.  They had lights and seemed to be open 24 hours a day.  This was good for us.  Good for dogs = good for us.


Wait!  When we first stopped there (before going to the hotel or anything), we lifted the back door of the car to let the dogs out and found we had a stowaway with us!  He must have come all the way.  Creep, creep, creepy!  Think it was a small tarantula.  Andrew Henry got him to the ground and we have no idea where he went after that.


See this mountain?  It was behind our hotel.  Know what we did?


We climbed part of it of course (dogs remember).  Here is the view of Palm Springs from part way up this mountain.  Sunrise, it was really lovely.


Saw these on the way up.  I know.  I know.  More wildflowers.  Understand please that summer is coming to the desert and everything burns up and gets ugly and I really appreciate the explosion of beauty right now.  Also, you know I love "mini" things and these count as "mini".  Adorable.


Andrew Henry and my Dad went to the Air Museum.  Cards!  Did someone says cards?


While the boys looked at airplanes, the gals went "junking".  I am always looking for more vintage jewelry for my shop.  Found a few treasures, but wore the wrong shoes.  This is high for me, I live in flats.


Saw this baby lizard (does he count as "mini"?)...


and this roadrunner - see him there behind the tree branches?  On the big rock in the middle (left) of the photo.  Best I could do people, I was in the car and they are fast little devils.  Normally, I wouldn't put a photo in here that didn't really show anything but I thought many of you might like to see a roadrunner in the wild, even if he is hiding behind a tree.  Yes?  Click on the image and it will get larger and you might see him better.  You know, if you care about roadrunners.


I was surprised by this strange (to me) flower...do you know what it is?


and the fact the mountain had snow on it - really I had no idea I would see snow in Palm Springs...


I loved this purse.  It is owned by a very nice woman from New Zealand who said she has carried it for 20 years.  Cool.  Way cool.  She opened it up and showed me the inside.  She travels light, this funky lady from New Zealand with the cool yellow purse.  I could take a lesson from her.  I don't know her name, but I liked her style.


Two more photos for you.  I liked these two palm trees.  Why did they grow like this?  How did they grow like this?  We decided they had an argument when they were very young trees and turned away from each other as best they could.  People do this.  I do this.  I don't like to have things or people in my life that don't nourish my soul.  Perhaps these trees do not nourish each others souls.  It's best to just avoid each other.


We leave Palm Springs now with these little red pouches.  I make these pouches for my Etsy shop.  I put the jewelry I sell in them for shipping.  This is my lap in the car on the way.  My Mom and I made them on the way there and the way home.  I should have brought more felt.  We cranked them out (and I sent her home with some - hey I'm no dummy).


Thanks for visiting Palm Springs with me.  I had fun and I hope you did too.  Next week we'll take a short visit to Joshua Tree.  Then back to our real life.  Which, is also an adventure of sorts - at least mine is.

11 comments:

Maria said...

Love these photos - especially the one of the Roadrunner - believe it or not! It was what we were called during my intense training to work with students with Dyslexia - for an entire year we trained like dogs ans taught at the same time - so we were expected to "hit the ground running" - hence the name. I LOVE this photo - its a sentimental thing. The photo I don't like is the GIANT tarantula! Mini you say - freakin' me out - it was in the car! Yikes! I know - what scardy, right? I can live with that.
The tress, however, I see in a completely different light. I see them as two friends that realized there was not enough room for both of them to occupy the same spot and continue to grow and flourish - so rather than separate all together, they each sacrificed some of their own space for the other - and thereby made room enough for the two of them to be together. Each accepting the other with the visible reminder of the bending they chose to do and rather being content to still be in each other lives. But, that is just me. I can understand your way too. Loved the photos from the hill - thank the pups for me for getting you to those new heights! You photos move me! I too have a love of mini things - some I love more than others :-D

Beatnheart said...

That was fun!! I have that fuzzy red flowered tree in my back garden..It is huge..it was here when we moved in so not sure of the name. I have it trained against the garden wall..Hummingbirds and bees love it. The flower looks bottlebrush-ish..I think it is from Australia..I'm off to your Etsy Shop..talk soon. cw

Henley said...

I like that picture of the locks, it's really artistic. That spider would have freaked me out! I love your shoes and that polish is oh so stylin'! I'll probably never go to Palm Springs, just not on my radar, too many other places ahead of it on my list so I'm glad you "took" us there with you. I enjoyed the week.

Sunshine said...

I have thoroughly enjoyed this part of the trip, the pics make it come alive! You tell a good story!

Anonymous said...

Where are we going next? I should bring popcorn to these shows, they are great!

Claire Kiefer said...

I am TERRIFIED by that tarantula! But I love your sandals. :)

jeanette from everton terrace said...

Thanks. I love them so much I also have them in brown!

Andrew H. said...

From a guys perspective, I should have taken some more photos from inside the air museum. It was very impressive. Everyone there was extremely helpful and had loads of information to share.

KR said...

Such an interesting contrast between the windmills and nature. Nice pics!

Anonymous said...

I just spent my whole lunchhour reading the back posts of palm springs and this one. I want to go now and read your entire blog but I have to get back to work. I'll be back.

Maria said...

Yes Ah - more photos for the men -folk in my house would have really nice :-D - they do love their airplanes!