beluga

beluga

Friday, January 29, 2021

Where does the time go?

I don't know where the time goes, why does it seem to move so quickly yet so slowly.     We're still not doing much of anything but time continues to fly by.


happy hour in the lengthening shadows


he takes shade where he can find it

We've moved to Borrego Springs, a favorite spot for us all.    We've been here for two weeks already.

our side window view


 We'll be here for another week before we move on to Catalina State Park, near Tucson.   We're on a pretty golf course and we have good friends right next door!   Pam and John have joined us and Lewis is beyond happy.     

It's John!   does he see me?   Hey John, I'm over here!  John, Johnnnnn!


He's the only one to visit "inside", the rest of us (humans) limit our socializing time to when we can sit outside together or on the golf course.   We're all careful and enjoy what we have.

The weather has been up and down.   Sometimes sunny and warm, sometimes a little rain, sometimes dramatic cloud formations promising weather that they can't deliver.






We've all enjoyed time on the golf course.   It's in nice shape and not as busy as in the past.



I'm not a golfer so I spend my time in the trolley looking for birds and anything flowering on the course's edges.    I do enjoy watching them play but being in the moment in this pretty place is what I'm mostly after.

they smell so good.....


I wonder if Mom knows the twins brought a friend.....


what are  you lookin at?





We're still pretty much only eating what I produce, we but did have our first take out meal in a very long time.   Yes, it was just pizza but it felt grand!

Dave takes Calico's pizza very seriously

Oh, and the pie......We're just too close to the Julian Pie Company to not have pie while we're here.   Every day we're here.    Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie, Cherry Pie, which one is best?    We haven't decided and we're still in the discovery phase so it's pie every night.   

Strawberry/Rhubarb - last bite

We did just a bit of exploring one day.   Since it has been raining everywhere around us we wondered if Coyote Creek was running and if there were any wildflowers nearby.

neatly trimmed citrus trees

We followed DiGiorgio Road, past our rv park and the acres of citrus trees, until the pavement ended and it became sand.   Just what I like!


Not much color this year.....some Ocotillo have begun to leaf out and flower, some just flowering with no leaves whatsoever.



A few weakly flowering Chuparosa dotted the wash but that was about all we saw.   It's the journey, right?


A curious, twisted dead tree trunk caught our eye and was good for a few minutes of close inspection before we continued on.   Small pleasures.




At  third crossing we finally encountered water.   We decided not to try and cross it, however, since there had been lots of serious rain in the mountains and the ground under the water looked "iffy", too new and silty for us to chance crossing twice.    The fun was in finding it so we parked and walked up the bubbling stream awhile, seeing what we could see.

third crossing in the late afternoon sun

That just about wraps up what we've been doing since we last "talked" with you.    We have another week, however, so who knows?    Stay tuned.

Saturday, January 9, 2021

A week

It's been a week since I last wrote and we'll be here just one more week.    Next Friday we break camp and make the short drive to one of our favorite places, Borrego Springs, California.

As you probably can guess, this last week passed much the same as the others do during the pandemic.   Here are a few pictures.

he's a heavy fan user

Lewis has been giving us subtle hints that it's time to remove some of his thick, black coat.   This is sunny, warm California after all says he.....



I've been doing more cooking and baking.   I made a batch of the requested choc. chip/corn flake cookies right after New Years, and the next day we received a wonderful gift....



Our old friend, Barb S., sent a tin of her famous lemon cookies.   They are are favorites and were especially appreciated this year as we missed enjoying them at our annual 3rd of July party at the lake.  (we cancelled it because of Covid concerns).     We have a plethora of good cookies to take us through the beginning of this new year.   (sorry Judi)   Yes, most of them went into the freezer immediately in an attempt to meter them out in a more healthy way.   We'll see how that works. 


  We're trying not to perseverate on the grim newscasts, the politics, the numbers, the sadness and anger and frustration and fear.    Wednesday's visuals were riveting, however.   Riveting in a very disheartening way.   Still,  our eyes were fixed.


Today, after watching the Bill's take a narrow win over the Colts, ( a win is a win, right?) we fired up the Jeep and went out in search of Sam Cobb's date farm.   We always try to stop at this tiny, family run date farm when we're in the area.   The place is small and immaculate.   He is passionate about his dates and produces the normal varieties (Medjool, Deglet Noor, etc.) but has a few personal "babies" of his own and they are what I was on the prowl for.    Candi and Black Gold to be precise.


They were CLOSED!   The California Stay at Home Order has shut them down, at least sales at the farm itself.    I have since discovered that one can order dates on-line but talking with Sam and his wife, walking through the beautifully pruned and producing date palms is half the fun.    D amn!   Will I have enough time to receive an order from just up the road?   We'll have to see.   I'd hate to miss those wonderful dates....

On the way home we decided to go straight where the pavement ended.   It appeared that the dirt road continued along in the correct direction (paralleling Dixon Rd. and heading west, where Beluga waited for us) and it's never fun to drive the same way twice, right?    Alrighty then....

We always wonder what the folks we pass think when they see a Jeep with New York State (that always translates into New York City in everyone's minds aka city slickers) plates bumping off into their dusty desert....


The roller coaster road took us up and onto a spine overlooking some badlands and the Coachella valley in the distance.     Fun!     We got out and did a bit of exploring on foot before continuing home.  Evidently we'd discovered the unofficial "dump" for the Desert Hot Springs area.   Bedsprings, gutted couches, hot water heaters, empty 12 packs of Modela, rusted car parts, a twisted washing machine, etc..    It was a longer ride than we'd planned on, but an adventure nonetheless.    Small pleasures in the time of Covid.


We arrived home just in time for the last rays of the sun, dipping below Mt. San Jacinto and a quick happy hour.    Butter Chicken on tonight's menu!







 



Saturday, January 2, 2021

BCA in the new year

 BCA - Boring Couple Alert.....

We had a pleasant Christmas by ourselves here in Beluga.    We had a pleasant week between Christmas and New Years here in Beluga.     We're having a pleasant beginning of the new year here in Beluga.     That's it.    We've done nothing, gone nowhere, seen nothing except what is in view of site 393.     See... boring couple.   

We've visited with a few friends and family via internet, shared a sweet Christmas Eve happy hour with Jesse and Erin, cooked a few interesting meals, drank a little wine and champagne, communed with the local bird community, enjoyed lively conversations at second cup and happy hour, walked around the campground, read.   Boring Couple.

Here are a few pictures from our boring, but pleasant and safe life. 

beautiful birthday flowers from Jesse and Erin

close up of one of my favorite David Austin Juliette Roses

   



a few hours of rain brought a little rainbow and a spotted Jeep

black phoebes are frequent visitors to the hot water stream behind us


Tom the Roadrunner (Peeping Tom that is....)



Lewis is a junkyard dog at heart...no matter how many mats and rugs we offer, he choses the dirt

playtime takes on a new dimension when one can't see the ball 

poodle prolapse

hot water stream behind our site

they snooze in the sunshine

Dave waited all year for me to finally make him deviled eggs!

crockpot subs for fondue pot to hold Italian Fondue on New Years Eve'

last full moon of the year disappearing behind the mountains



Here's to a much better New Year for us all!

Stay tuned and be patient.   Perhaps we'll be able to do fabulous, interesting things in this new year!