Drought to Deluge: California Living 2023

Weather Whiplash

After an incredible 2022 when life in Southern California returned to a 'new normal', we looked forward to another banner year in 2023. Our return to Palm Desert was delayed until early February because we rang in the New Year with our first grandchild. This little munchkin kept us occupied for the entire month of January and it was tough leaving him on the 'other coast'.

Is it obvious that we can't wait to bring him hiking? You are never too young for a good pair of hiking boots.

February

By early February we were back in California and ready to spend time with friends and experience desert living once again.

The day after arriving, we led our first winter hike for Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends). The 3.5-mile trail to Hidden Palms Oasis has become our annual winter season ‘kick off' hike.

By the time we arrived, people were already talking about the cold and wet weather. Despite Google search results indicating that the climate in Palm Springs in February is typically dry with minimal rainfall, our experience was quite the opposite. A large number of winter storms had battered the coast unleashing torrential rains some of which reached the desert floor. On a brighter side, maybe the increased precipitation would result in a magnificent wildflower season but were we entering a period of drought to deluge.

Our February hikes with Friends were a combination of 'something old' and 'something new'. To explore the 'something old', we tackled the 5.5-mile Indio Badlands trail. This unique twisted and tortured terrain was shaped by fault movements and flash floods over thousands of years.

Our ‘something new’ hike was the 4.0-mile Oswit Canyon hike that we had only recently discovered.

The hike was enjoyable, with brief sections of Class 2 scrambling leading to a waterfall at the trail's end. Visit the Oswit Canyon hike blog for great photos and details on the community's efforts to prevent the canyon from being converted into a residential area with 100+ homes.

Despite having a few days of rain at the beginning of the month, things ramped up when a major storm packing heavy rainfall, high winds, and low temperatures walloped the coast. In Palm Desert conditions were relatively mild but we still experienced unpleasant rainy and windy conditions.

In LA County a blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service.

Snow totals in the mountains of LA and Ventura Counties were off the chart.

After four days of heavy precipitation, the clouds cleared to reveal these stunning vistas. Although it’s not uncommon for the San Jacinto Mountains to be snow-covered, it was the amount of snow and the accumulation at lower elevations that made this such an unusual weather event. It was obvious this was not going to a typical winter in Southern California.

Since the extended forecast called for continued rain and cold temperatures, we advised friends and family to postpone their CA travel plans until late March or early April when the weather might improve.

During a break in the storms, we managed to go on a hike to Skeleton Canyon in the Mecca Hills. Even if you're not particularly interested in geology, exploring the San Andreas Fault network in Mecca is a truly amazing experience. Be sure to visit the Skeleton Canyon hike blog for wonderful photos and detailed information on the hike.

March House Hunting

Even with the unpredictable weather, some things stayed the same, like Dave's regular runs every other day. Following one of these runs in February, he suggested checking out some new home construction sites he had seen on his run. Even though we weren't in the market for a new house, he thought touring the homes would be a fun activity for a rainy day. I should have anticipated what was coming!

Fast forward to March 11th, our condo was up for sale and we were already actively searching for a new home.

We bought our current condominium in Park Palms, which is situated in a small 100-home community, in the spring of 2018.

Aside from notable interior improvements, the beautifully landscape back patio and the small stream flowing behind our home were the deciding factors in April 2018 (our orange recliners can be seen in the photo below). Even though we initially wanted mountain views, we were willing to lose the views for all the other benefits this condo offered.

We added an orange accent wall to really emphasized the midcentury design.

In the desert, it's all about outdoor living and the back patio was perfect for eating meals outside and entertaining. The fact we had a Meyer lemon tree right off the patio and a pink grapefruit tree across the stream was an added bonus.

However, with the clock ticking on potentially large HOA infrastructure projects that homeowners were hesitant to fund, we felt now was the time to consider a move. We'd miss Park Palms but not enough to make us stay put. The 5-year itch had set in and there was no looking back.

We initially focused our search on 'Verve at University Park' since it was the community that first caught Dave’s attention. One particular house met our requirements in terms of size, price, closing time, and mountain view’s. However, there were several drawbacks with this property. We would be required to landscape and maintain a large side yard and incur additional costs for installing a patio post-closing. In addition, the University Park is located in a windy area of Palm Desert as well as being close to the highway and train tracks. All things considered, it would be an expensive upgrade with too many negative points. Despite its appeal, we never made an offer.

Our next visit was to 'Villa Portofino' in Palm Desert. This community met nearly all the criteria on our list: appropriate square footage, small neighborhood setting, meticulously kept grounds, close to shopping areas, mountain vistas, and a stunning clubhouse, pool, and other facilities. Despite the big price tag ($$$$) we made an offer on March 8th .

However, a few days later, we felt we had rushed into the decision and hadn’t sufficiently checked out other developments, so we withdrew the offer.

Our third stop was 'Dolce at Palm Desert'. Unfortunately, we encountered the same issues here as at Verve . In addition, the pool was unheated and would most likely remain unheated in the future. Despite an attractive price, the drawbacks far out weighted the benefits so we ruled out Dolce.

Next up was University Park at Palm Desert. There were many factors working against this development, but we needed to at least tour the site before ruling it out. It was a short visit. We weren't impressed with the location or home design so we quickly decided to move on.

After the last two busts, we were optimistic about our tour of 'Del Webb at Ranch Mirage'. There were several properties here that met our criteria. We were surprised by the reasonable prices which also included various upgrades. The community's grounds, facilities, and amenities were top notch. Since it was potentially too good an opportunity to pass up, we made an offer on a house to secure it and give us more time to think though our decision. Ultimately, we both agreed it was not the right fit and withdrew the offer. The main drawbacks at Del Webb were its location in the 'wind tunnel' and the high urban density with row after row of houses on every street.

Finally, on the recommendation of our real estate agent we toured 'Trilogy at the Polo Club' in Indio. It was the definition of high-end living with outstanding grounds, excellent facilities and amenities, mountain views and and remarkable pricing that included fantastic upgrades.

The only drawback with Trilogy was its proximity to the Empire Polo Club which is home to concerts and weekend music festivals including the Coachella Music Festival and Stage Coach. We initially thought we could deal with 3 weekends of music and noise each year.

But Dave began researching the impact the concerts have on nearby communities. He discovered the City of Indio had recently amended the site license to permit up to 5 weekend music festivals annually as well as nightly concerts. If the real estate principle that it’s all about location, location, location was accurate then this was not the place for us.

After weighing our option to either stay put in Park Palms or buy new, Dave revisited the Villa Portofino Sales Office to check if the unit we had made the initial offer on was still available. Luckily, due to a slowdown in sales caused by rising mortgage interest rate, the property was still available. On March 31st, we signed the Purchase & Sale and never regretted the decision. It was the right decision all along and the ideal home for us.

March Activities Not Involving the New House

Throughout March the weather pattern persisted, bringing rain to the valley and snow to the mountains. The views became more impressive with each passing storm. Over the course of 5 years, we had never seen snow accumulation like this.

Here is a uncommon photo of my remarkable friend and partner-in-crime, Susan (left) who co-led a Friends hike with me at Mission Creek Preserve. This photo is unusual because during most of our outings, Susan has her head buried in a plant. I love that our hikes together are full of discussions on botany, history and geology. She is a life-long learner and challenges me to include new data and theories in the conversations we with people on our hikes. Susan has also been a great influence, prompting me to organize outings for individuals with mobility issues. I’m sure there will be more joint hikes on the 2024 calendar!

Speaking of good friends, Charlotte and Lyn from Park Palms bought gifts for our grandson. We shipped them home so he could enjoy all the stuff right away. These are two of the people we will miss the most when we move to our new home.

March also meant it was time to tend bar at the Annual Wildflower festival that Friends of the Desert Mountains holds in the Palm Desert Civic Park.

The Wildflower Festival is one of the organizations major fund raising event. Unlike last year, the weather was perfect and the event went off without a hitch.

In mid-March Chris came for a 5-day visit and fortunately the weather held out for most of his trip. As it turned out, Chris was the only person brave enough to visit Southern California this winter. One afternoon, we took a trip to Palm Springs and strolled through the self-guided celebrity house tour. We spotted three classic houses on our walk. The Kaufmann House, completed in 1949, is considered by most architects one the most important buildings of the 20th century in the United States.

One of the more accessible houses was the property where Elvis and Priscilla Presley lived during their first year of marriage from 1966 to 1967. Its situated on an ungated cul-de-sac, but you need to make a reservation to explore the interior or stroll around the grounds.

Lastly, it's been reported that Marilyn Monroe lived in this house on 1326 N. Rose Avenue. With the pink mailbox, the current owner isn't discouraging speculation about the former resident.

Speaking of Marilyn Monroe, 'Forever Marilyn' in downtown Palm Springs is the super-sized 26-foot-tall sculpture that captures Marilyn in the iconic billowing white dress from the movie 'The Seven Year Itch', where she stands over a subway grate. Originally exhibited in Palm Springs from 2012-2015, the statue has now returned to Palm Springs after touring other locations for the past 6 years. Hopefully Marilyn will remain here for many years to come.

During Chris’ visit we also planned hikes in Oswit and Skeleton Canyons. Chris has visited a number of times so it's challenging to find new areas to explore. However, we believed these two hikes would be perfect.

Oswit Canyon

This is a moderately tough 4-mile hike in Palm Springs with a surprise waterfall at the end.

Skeleton Canyon

Located in the Mecca Wilderness, Skeleton Canyon is a great 4.8-mile hike that packs a lot into a short distance. This was another new hike we had discovered this year. Even though Skeleton Canyon is not on AllTrails, it's a straightforward hike that is easily navigated without GPS assistance.

After walking through Skelton Canyon, we explored a side slot canyon. It was a fantastic hike and perfect ending for Chris' visit to Palm Desert.

Since Chris was flying out of LAX, we decided to spend the night at the hotel where Kathy works at in LA. The next day we visited the Getty Center with her. Rain didn't dampen the experience. While I could write an entire blog about the museum, I'd rather direct you to the museum's website: The Getty Center.

We had a few hours before we needed to drop Chis off at the airport so we drove to Venice Beach for lunch.

Fortunately, Chris got out of LAX right before the next atmospheric river hit the coast.

For those people unfamiliar with this meteorological term, simply put atmospheric rivers are the Earth's largest river but they are located in the atmosphere. They are ribbons of moisture transported by strong winds in the lower atmosphere. On average, an atmospheric river is 1200 miles long, 300 miles wide and 2 miles deep. A single atmospheric river can transport and release about 7.5 to 15 times the volume of water that flows from the mouth of the Mississippi River. The blue ribbon in the photo below was the latest river to impact Southern California.

The storm brought significant snowfall to many parts of California with several locations in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range reporting snowfall totals exceeding 10 feet.

Locally, More than 2 feet on snow fell on the San Jacinto Mountains bringing the total winter snowfall to almost 120 inches. It’s most likely the most snow recorded in the high country this century. These were our views on the morning of March 23rd as drove to the Vargas Palms trailhead situated outside of Palm Springs on the western edge of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

On the 24th, we were suppose to lead a hike to Vargas Palms for Friends and wanted to check out trail conditions the day before the hike. We didn't get far from the main road before we ran into this a surprise Snow Creek Rd closure.

Although Palm Springs had received less than 1/2 inch of rain, the San Bernardino Mountains which drain into the Palm Springs washes received over 6 inches. Runoff from the mountains hit the desert floor inundating local roads and leaving behind a thick layer of mud on the only road leading to the trailhead. After a quick call to the Friends office, the hike was officially cancelled.

However since we had already driven out, we decided to try and hike around the storm damage.

The San Gorgonio Creek usually meanders through this wash but regardless of the direction we approached the creek, the water was 3-4 inches deep and spanned over 100 feet.

If we had anticipate these conditions we would have brought towels, taken off our boots, and waded across. However, without towels, crossing was not an option.

We were disappointed, but we know we’d be back.

Five days later, we returned and successfully completed the Vargas Palms hike. Water crossing were a lot easier after flows had subsided.

Walking through a field of desert dandelions.

Rock scrambling on the way to Vargas Palms. Visit the Vargas Palms blog for additional photos and information on this new Palm Springs hike.

During March and April we spent a considerable amount of time furniture shopping for the new house. Even though we weren't selling our current home as fully furnished, we offered potential buyers the opportunity to purchase most of the furniture. Many buyers prefer a turnkey purchase and we were willing to go the extra mile to complete a sale. Since most stores were quoting a 45-90 day delivery we needed to purchase furniture before we heading back to NH or we'd end up sitting on cushions and sleeping on the floor. Our go-to stores were:

On a gamble we bought a leather love seat, chair, and ottoman from The Estate Sale Co. in Palm Springs. Even tough we didn't know if it would fit in the 'media room'; it was too good a deal to pass up. Since we were staging our house to sell, we had to temporarily store these pieces in our garage.

April

Someone had stripped bare most of the citrus trees in Park Palms so the fresh-picked morning grapefruits were few and far between during our last winter here.

We bought even more furniture this month. These dining room chairs caught Dave's eye at the monthly Vintage Market in Palm Springs. Their style and color perfectly complimented our mid century design plans. After a little haggling on the price, they were ours.

A reminder that in just a little over a month we’d be back spending time with this guy! I think he misses us.

The builder was making good progress on the house.

We were getting anxious with the lack of buyer interest in our existing home. We were worried the the new house would be ready to close before the Park Palms condo was sold.

Despite the anxiety, we were looking forward to enjoying this pool area next winter.

mountains views from Villa Portofino

One warm evening, we walked to the Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert. This 450-acre property is one of the the largest resort in the Coachella Valley. It is home to these famous pink flamingos, along with five outdoor pools, two championship golf courses, a tennis complex and a manmade lake.

Because of the cold, wet weather, we didn't visit Joshua Tree National Park until Day 63 of our winter stay. However, the 9+ mile out and back hike on the Boy Scout Trail served as a reminder of the national park incredible beauty. Make sure to visit the Boy Scout Trail hiking blog for great photos and more detailed information.

After 4 winters in Palm Desert, we finally visited the Palm Springs Art Museum.

The ‘80 Great Rhombicosidodecahedron’ by Anthony James is positioned at the entrance to the museum. It's constructed of stainless steel, specialized glass, mirrors, and LEDs

The view looking inside the rhombicosidodecahedron is intense. It's created by mirrors reflecting back on each other.

Other interesting pieces included the following:

There were also several art installations outside the museum including this 1968 Chevy Malibu positioned over a reflecting pond.

This winter I read about the Rainbow Rock hike that begins in Whitewater Preserve and decided we should give it a try.

With the historic amount of precipitation that had fallen in the San Bernardino Mts, we anticipated the Whitewater River might be flowing quickly and at high levels

but we weren’t expecting these conditions. Even this video doesn't adequately capture the situation.

Knowing we’d need to make multiple crossing, we searched for an ‘easy’ starting point. We took our time crossing to avoid slipping on the rocks and falling into the COLD water.

As we sat down on the river bank preparing for our second crossing, a rock the size of a small cooler slide down and rolled on top of Dave hand. I was certain that his hand was fractured, but luckily, he only ended up with a bad bruise on his middle finger. It took several months for the blood blister to heal and for the nail to fall off. Despite the injury, we continued along until we realized the crossings would become more challenging as the river narrowed. It was time to abandon this hike. This was our second failed hike of the winter but at least it provided a good storyline.

Another 2023 theme that we considered was “Year of the Rattlesnake”. Despite hiking 5 years in this desert, we had never come face to face with a rattlesnake until this year. My first experience was during a Friends hike when we came across this Sidewinder rattlesnake on the trail. Rattlesnakes are sensitive to ambient temperature and adjust their behavior accordingly so on a cool morning it was conserving its energy and did not move or rattle as we passed by. Most of the hikers walked by the snake without even noticing it. Although venomous, Sidewinder rattlesnakes present little threat to humans, except for young children. The toxin can be lethal for animals weighing less than 30 pounds; however, in a larger animal or grown human, a bite typically results in transient pain, swelling, and general symptoms of illness.

My second encounter occurred when I was leading a Friends hike on the Horse Thief Creek trail in the Santa Rosa Wilderness. As we approached a rocky section, I heard the distinct sound of a rattle. Lying about 10 feet away was an agitated Red Diamond rattlesnake. The snake was in a defensive posture, rattling, slightly coiled with its head flattened and raised. Despite common misconceptions, rattlesnakes are not typically aggressive and will usually retreat to avoid humans – striking only when they are provoked or threatened. But make no mistake, this rusty red-colored rattlesnake possesses a formidable venom that is harmful to its prey and humans alike. WARNING: A startled rattlesnake may NOT rattle before striking. They also may not deliver an venomous bite. A 'dry bite' may be used as a warning because producing and using venom is energetically costly for the snake. Nevertheless, all rattlesnake bites should be treated as a venomous bite and immediate medical attention sought.

Once we heard the rattle, my training kicked in. We immediately stopped, then slowly took a few steps back to ensure we were out of striking distance. Since we were more than 10 ft away, most people felt comfortable taking a photo to document their encounter. However, even after the snake slithered away, the group was anxious so I decided to cut the hike short and return to the trailhead.

During Dave and my hike on Borrego Palm Canyon trail in Anza Borrego State Park the 3rd and final encounter took place. We were scrambling over rocks surrounded by tall grass. Dave stepped down from a rock and heard a faint rattle sound as his foot landed. He calmed turned to me and asked, ‘Is that what I think it is?’. Since we couldn’t tell which direction the sound came from, our safest course of action was to slowly step back onto the rock and avoid further provoking the snake. What surprised me most about the incident was how calmly Dave responded. Needless to say, from this point on we steered clear of overgrown areas as much as possible. The photo on the left shows the extent of bushwhacking while on the right is the precise spot where we heard the rattle when Dave stepped off the rock.

Every Wednesday, Dave volunteers as an English speaker for an organization that helps Ukrainians improve their conversational English skills. This volunteer time gives me the opportunity to explore new areas. One morning I decide to climb Asbestos Mountain, a 5,265 foot peak in the Santa Rosa mountains named for the large asbestos deposits in the area. The climb involved an elevation gain of 1,160 feet and some moderate Class 2 rock scrambling, making it an enjoyable afternoon adventure.

A mid April check on the new house showed things were progressing but unfortunately there were still no interested buyers for our condo.

We hadn't hiked in Anza Borrego in several years and we were overdue for one. We decided to hike a challenging 7-mile hike up Indian Head Mountain via Borrego Palm Canyon. The hike involved navigating through brush, cacti, and boulders with no maintained trail past the palm oasis. After 1.5 miles we reached the Borrego Palm Canyon Grove which despite a recent wildfire appeared in good health.

To reach Indian Head Mountain we needed to bushwhack and boulder hop for 2+miles.

After hiking over a mile past the grove we deciding to call it a day. The condition were getting more extreme than we had anticipated. We felt better about our decision when two younger hikers who had passed us earlier in the morning informed us said they had also turned back with less than 0.5 miles remaining in the climb due to difficult conditions. Another incomplete hike this winter, but we were enjoying these challenges.

In late April we met with the Andrew Laurence design team to review interior design options for the new house. Somehow Dave had finagled an $8000 credit from the builder which gave us additional funds to invest in upgraded flooring, shower tiles, counter tops, and faucets. A large potion of the credit went toward replacing carpet with tile in all of the living areas except the 2 bedrooms.

We finally got the official 'SOLD' sign in the front yard.

We squeezed in one last hike in April. Susan recommended we hike Tahquitz Canyon because of the historically high water levels in the creek and waterfall. Here area few teaser photos from the hike. Just like the rest of the hikes featured in the yearly blog, you can find complete information about this hike in its dedicated blog post.

Encilia bushes were in full bloom.

This water crossing was a sign of things to come.

The Tahquitz Creek waterfall.

May

Of the five days left in California, we lost a full day due to a wind storm. If you're curious about what it looks like during a wind storm, this was our view facing the 10,000 ft+ San Jacinto Mountains.

While Dave was volunteering at the Palm Desert Library one evening, I drive out to Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea for one last day of exploring this amazing location.

The story of Bombay beach is one of survival against all odds. Follow this link to read the full story of this town that continues to survive: Exploring Bombay Beach: The Almost Ghost Town by the Salton Sea.

For our last hike of the season we drove out to the Orocopia Mountain Wilderness to explore the Red Canyon trail. Located east of the Mecca Hills, this area is one of open desert valleys, ridges, and dramatically colored and eroded canyons. To access the trail, we drove a significant distance on a dirt road off the I10. I dropped a pin on my map app just to ensure we'd be able find our way back to the car.

This wilderness area is included in the borders of the recently proposed Chuckwalla National Monument. Despite the menacing clouds, no rain fell during the hike. We definitely need to find a way to further explore this area.

The winter of 2023 was a year of change. The shifting weather patterns transformed one of the hottest and driest desert in North America into a wet and cold playground. Our snow-topped mountain views were extraordinary but residents of the California mountain communities found themselves stranded with emergency crews needed to deliver essential supplies. Updated data for the chart below revealed snowfall totals exceeded 715 inches.

We also had a pending change of address.

We made sure to enjoy our last days at the Park Palms’ pool,

having mojitos with fresh grown mint on the back patio,

and enjoying breakfast in the same way we had for hundreds of mornings during the past 5 years.

When we left on May 6th, the house remained unsold leaving us uncertain about its sale before the closing of the new house. If it remained unsold, we'd need to consider renting it out for the fall and winter, with the intention of putting it back on the market in March 2024. Finger crossed that we'd find a buyer soon.

It was crazy how fast the past 92 days had flown by before it was time to return to NH.

UPDATE #1: We accepted an offer on the Park Palms condo and a 'Purchase & Sale Agreement' was signed on June 16th with a closing scheduled for July 20th.

UPDATE #2: Closing on the new home was scheduled for July 28th. We were fortunate the new owners allowed us to stay in the Park Palms condo until August 1st so we could move directly into our new house.

July

Time to say good bye again to this munchkin. It would be a short 22 day trip with just the right amount of time to move, get furniture and appliances delivered, and set up the house as much as possible.

Nothing like landing in Palm Springs Airport on a hot July afternoon.

We spent the next week packing most of our belongings into small lightweight boxes that could be easily transported in the Subaru.

It didn't take long before the house was looking empty

On July 26th, we had our final walk-through for the new house. We came prepared with a comprehensive checklist but we found only a handful of minor issues that needed to be resolved before the closing.

On Friday July 28th, we closed on the house and Kalah handed us the keys.

Happy home owners but now came the job of moving in this summer heat.

Since the house was only 1.6 miles away, we loaded up the Subaru more than 20 times over the next 4 days. Boxes were labeled with the contents of the room and then stacked in designated areas in the dining area. Everything went smoothly for the first few days.

We had magnificent sunset on our first night as new home owners.

On July 31st, we rented a moving van for the large items including indoor and outdoor furniture that was not included in the sale. When we woke up that morning, to this heavy cloud cover. It didn’t take long to realize that we had slept through a haboob the previous night. What is a haboob? Haboobs are dust storms caused by powerful winds moving downward and outward from a thunderstorm. As these high-speed winds reach the ground and disperse in all directions, they pick up sand particles that can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

Just how ow dusty was it in the Coachella Valley? Here is a view from our back door. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported an Air Quality Index of 681. Levels exceeding 300 are considered hazardous prompting health warnings advising people to stay indoor and reduce physical activity. This was not the type of day to be moving but we had no choice; we needed to vacate the condo by day's end.

We only had a few van loads to move and it went smoothly. This is the final photo of us as homeowners in the Park Palms community. We were feeling sweaty and tired after a hectic four days.

On the last moving day, we lost the battle and our organized box storage system went to hell. However, the bigger problem was that Lowe's failed to deliver our appliances resulting in us having to discard all the food from our previous refrigerator.

A few days later, appliances and new furniture were delivered and the process of organizing the house began.

Our Park Palms realtor surprised us with a gift - two tickets to the 'Tears for Fears' concert in a private box at the Acrisure Arena. This 11,000 seat arena opened in 2022 and its proximity to LA results in a significant number of shows throughout the year but the main attraction is the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the minor league hockey team of the Seattle Kraken.

During our shorts stay, we were fortunate that we could attend Ada's 80th birthday party. Ada is the individual who introduced us to the Friends of the Desert Mountains and persuaded me to lead weekly guided hikes. She is truly remarkable and a wonderful friend.

Our last night in California we ate dinner at the Clubhouse bistro. Dave has a new rule, ‘no cooking the night before we leave.’

Although most of our time was spent on house-related activities, we found time to escape to the pool in the evenings when it was cooler. The mountains views from the pool area were outstanding.

We were really looking forward to a more relaxing fall trip in October.

August

On August 17th we began watching hurricane Hillary as it barreled up the Pacific Coast of Mexico. This storm prompted the state to issue the first-ever tropical storm watch and warning for Southern California. To make matters worse, the Weather Channel forecasted that the hurricane would make pass directly over Palm Desert.

Luckily, when Hillary reached coastal Southern California and the desert interior on August 20th, it had weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm. The intense rains and winds began on Sunday midday and persisted all night. We nervously stayed at home, monitoring the storm’s progress.

During the storm, Palm Desert received more than 3.8 inches of rain, which is almost half of the city's annual rainfall. Fortunately, we only experienced minor erosion around the house. Although unusual, Hilary was not an unprecedented storm. Previously, two very large tropical storms made landfall in Southern California—one in 1858 in San Diego and another in 1939 near Long Beach. It was just another example of the crazy weather events we experienced in 2023.

October

On October 15th we returned to California for another 34 days. Things got off to a rough start with a dead car battery. Unfortunately, Dave had to bike to Albertsons a mile away to buy food for breakfast.

Mornings in the desert are the best.

Among the items we moved in August was a large 2-year old beavertail cactus and cuttings from a firestick succulent that had been given to us years ago by Charlotte. I'm sure the new owners didn't notice the cuts. Our new neighbor, Otis, offered to water the plants over the summer. Both plants were looking great and had survived the summer temperatures. The only question is whether the firestick will receive sufficient sunlight in its new spot.

We had accomplished so much in August that there were only a few items on the fall punch list.

Warm days and cool nights make fall one of our favorite times to be in the desert. We jumped right into the hiking groove by exploring Lost Horse Mine Trail in Joshua Tree National Park. Although there were around 300 mines developed in what is now the national park, most of them were busts. One exception was the Lost Horse Mine which between 1894 and 1931, produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold and 16,000 ounces of silver (equivalent to approximately $5 million today). This 7.7 mile loop trail follows a road developed by the Ryan family who mined here in 1895.

Even without clouds, fall sunsets are the best.

We started preparing for a special visitor next month.

The Halloween celebration in Palm Springs' Arenas District has it all: live music, a costume contest and drinks. We had our costumes and were ready to enjoy the night.

Our costumes were good but not as good as this guy's costume!

Of course there was a group with Barbie and Ken costumes.

After the costume contest and music, we went to Hunters Nightclub.

November

The Palm Springs Annual PRIDE Celebration began the first weekend of November. The first event for us was the PRIDE 5K Walk & Run.

A sweaty post race photo.

After showering up, we returned to Palm Springs in the afternoon and walked around the street fair.

What would PRIDE be without a celebratory mojito.

During the fall, we explored two new hikes for Friends’ winter program. Eagle Canyon in Palm Springs is a short 3+ mile hike leading to a small palm oasis. After hiking the trail multiple times, Dave and I agreed that it should be included in the winter itinerary.

We also explored some abandoned gold mines in the higher elevations of the San Jacinto Mountains. Due to the lack of signage in the area, Ada guided me there one November morning. It's impressive that she managed to complete the 6-mile hike solely from memory. I retraced the trail two days later with Dave got lost for a brief time, but we eventually located the mines. I'm going to need more practice before I lead a group out here in 2024.

Chris, Meg, Brad, and our grandson came to visit on November 8th. Meg and Brad were going to a wedding in Palm Springs, so they decided to extend their trip into a 6-day vacation. With a 10-month-old baby, traveling was a bit more challenging, but they all survived his first flight.

Papa, Grampy and Chris made sure there were plenty of new books to read.

We also bought him some toys including a learner walking activity center which was a big hit. Our bedroom turned into his toy room.

Just like Papa, breakfast is his favorite meal.

This photo says it all. He has Chris wrapped around his little finger.

Having 4 guests and 2 bedrooms meant Chris was relegated to sleeping on an air mattress in the media room. No one seemed to mind.

The pool area at our clubhouse provided the perfect back drop for a XMAS card photo.

While the four of us were walking around the Marriott Resort, Meg and Brad were enjoying drinks at Frank Sinatra’s house.

I love taking photos of these two and capturing the animated exchanges between them. Whether it's reading a book, watching Miss Rachael videos, or convincing him to eat, watching them together warms my heart.

He loved floating around the pool in the 80+ degrees temperature water.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Shortly after everyone departed, Dave and I closed up the house and headed back to New Hampshire. It was a fantastic way to wrap up our 149-day stay in California this year.