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!