esrosedotblog

All of a sudden, autumn.

Time for a jacket in the convertible. 63 F in the air and gods know what in the wind chill factor.

We have been waiting for this. And the week will not disappoint.

A turning point has been reached and it will stick with us.

We watch the weather carefully. Inside, outside, in the sun, out of the sun?

The house is open and will likely stay that way for most if not all of the day.

I know that for a lot of people this is trivial nonsense. It is just weather.

But the engagement with heat for four months is tiring and sometimes unbearable for long periods.

Whining.

Many of our Northeast friends would give their left nut, if they had one, for our weather.

I know, a sexist turn of phrase but colorful enough to make the point.

We will do our best to keep the ball rolling.

Also, to make it real, the AC vendor came yesterday to tune up the heating system for winter. We have a service contract which makes this automatic.

This morning I thought I might turn the heat on but realized I had opened all the windows and so went to shut them.

Labels: desert, weather

But no one does anything about it.

An old saying but one that has its own built in truth. The weather is the weather and that is it. Deal with it.

We moved to a climate which is pretty much unmoving.

In the summer, especially, there is nothing that changes. The days and nights are hot, hot, and hot.

So we talk about the minutiae. The sunrises. The breeze (if any) the dryness. The fact of "a dry heat". which is true but only means a comfort index drop of a few points.

This article in the NYTimes discusses the dilemma of being a weather person in this part of the country.

Well, Phoenix. Which is almost the same thing.

The Curse of a Phoenix Weatherman: Finding New Ways to Say ‘It’s Hot’

I was first interested to see that this guy reports from the end of the runway at Phoenix airport. The same thing here. The weather station is at the airport. Dual function. Makes sense.

But it also makes for a higher reading. Flat, concrete. Higher temps.

Nevertheless hot is hot and so we just go with it.

As for talking about it? Not much. When I leave my air conditioned meeting or my house and "the oven" hits me I might say something. A curse word. Or a joke of some kind to a friend. An old stale joke, not hot and happy. Just resigned. Irony plays a big role here.

But I am not complaining and neither are my friends. Unlike Florida where the heat rise is accompanied by horribly humid air, we do not have that extra burden. And in the winter? Glorious. We are in t-shirts and shorts while the rest o' yas' freeze you balls off. Well, the half of ya's that have them.

And here is another thing.

When there is weather. Rain! Frost! It is a conversational bonanza. So that is the thing. It is difference, change, the abnormal that gets us talking about the weather.

It just doesn't happen often.

Labels: desert, heat, weather

An unusual day today.

A friend was celebrating an anniversary this morning and so I went to be there for the event.

Normally I take Sunday off from everything. But there are exceptions.

Then we have some turmoil around the house because John is going off to North California (Yosemite) with our daughter Lisa. For a week.

Packing.

Marcus and I will keep bachelor hall. We plan to party a lot and stay up late.

Everything seemed a bit off kilter.

It is OK. I will have plenty of time on my hands starting tomorrow. I take him to the airport at 430 AM.

The weather remains super here. As usual. But sparkling so that the mountains are popping out at us.

There is often silica in the air which refracts some light and causes a misty look. None of that today.

We do not think about what the silica might do to our lungs.

It is OK. City living and smoking for many years have already done their work. No symptoms.

The sunsets are often dramatic. The air. The distance. Unimpeded light.

Labels: desert

We have the heat today.

Not a lot but just enough to let us know summer is on its way.

One nice thing about summer in the desert is that it builds up slowly. Winter not so much.

We will have warmer days, then warmer and then warmer still.

When the cold hits, usually later than any place else, it comes with a deep chill.

But not today.

The air got turned on at noon and the dog walk was good until the last five minutes when we would have run for the air but it was too hot so we slogged home. Us.

Labels: desert, weather

A lot of exclamation points in the blog today.

Rain! A lot of it. Pouring down very seriously. A lot of it is going off to drains but there is so much it has to have some effect on the long protracted drought.

The naysayers will moan that we need a lot more, which is true. But right now, there is enough out there to truncate the dog walk and send both of us back into the house soaked to skin.

Marcus likes it, sort of. At least he is a good soldier about it.

I am glad it is here.

This is the wettest month usually and that is a good start. Februarys are also prone to rain.

It is El Nino. A huge one. And if you do not know about it, hey, look it up.

Labels: desert, weather

Also in the skies this morning, the transition.

It has been obvious that the midpoint of summer is past. But today is the first day that we noticed it getting light later.

It happens so gradually that it is only observed in "jumps". Awareness leaps.

What has been obviously occurring is not obvious to me until it is dramatically different and then there it is!

Much of my life is like that. A late bloomer. Which is mostly a good thing.

Labels: desert, sunrise

Our neighborhood is dead.

No one is here.

Of course that is not literally true. We are here. Peggy across the way is here. The women to the east of us are still here and the neighbors after that.

I think that it is mostly inside weather even though today is a pretty nice day. People just hunkered down.

But there are many places empty. Seasonal folks, rentals that are not filled during the off season.

It is nice. I am not one who craves a bunch of people around. I prefer it.

When I see the folks I am Mister Friendly. And I mean it. But I am very happy to be by myself.

This is the story of the introvert.

We have been through this before.

I will not revive the subject except that for me it is my happiest state. A few close friends and a bunch of people over there who are "hello" friends, "how are you today" friends, but they shouldn't go on too long about the question. No long form of their current state.

Marcus is a great antidote to this talkiness. And we know the ones prone to it. He is patient but firm in his resolve to get going.

A great skill. It is one of the traits of the airedale. Tolerant of people but not needing a lot of hoo-hah.

Me either.

Labels: desert, life

The coyotes are among us.

Of course this is their domain and we are only visiting.

Every summer for lack of food and water they come down from the mountain and in from the deserts and check out what they might be missing in the people part of the place.

We have seen them a couple of times. Handsome dudes. Marcus thinks they are a dog. High interest.

There is nothing to do about it. Just be aware and keep your kitties inside or they will become lunch. They are already prey.

We walk around where they are and try not to confront directly.

This involves changing our route a little. They won't go outside the walls into the streets although they do cross into the desert plots.

And who knows what they get up to at night.

Labels: animals, desert

The city is very peaceful this weekend.

That is because they are all at The Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival in Indio.

Fortunately they are way down there and not anywhere near up here although all our hotels are filled with Coachella guests.

I don't know much about it. It is a world that passed by me. Or I passed by it. I know about or have heard of exactly two of the acts before. And only by reputation.

I am glad they are doing it. It is good for the economy. But I can't help but think that it may not be very good for the desert.

Or, what the hell. The desert is pretty barren. It isn't as though anything was disturbed for the fest to happen. Just wildlife, the ecology and the neighbors.

Curmudgeon.

The desert is still considered a dump by some.

The evidence for that is strewn along the highways and even in the fields.

It was always thus.

Of course, I am doing my part. Grassing over a part of it and using up the water we do not have. I sit on the condo board. We will be turning off the spigots soon.

But I digress.

Let's have some music and keep the hotels going. By all means.

They chose a good time incidentally. This is the prime time of the year. Temperatures and conditions. No rain. No clouds. There will be a lot of sunburns though.

They are considering going to January but I am not sure that is a good idea. It can get cold and there are the winter rains. But they won't ask me, huh?

Labels: coachella valley, desert, music, Palm Springs

Marcus and I got stalked by coyotes on our walk tonight.

I don't know about him but I didn't like it.

John came and picked us up and we got to ride home safely in the Volvo.

They have been around but now they are closer and it is still early in the season. They usually come down here from the mountain when there is scant food and water.

The City will come for them but that is not a lot of help after hours.

From now on, it will be up to civilization to the park and shopping center.

No more in the wild.

Meaning the big empty lots in our neighborhood. Hardly the wilderness.

Labels: animals, desert

Marcus and I walked in the rain this afternoon.

Pretty cool. It wasn't very heavy. Just enough to make his back wet and for me to put up my hood. Gentle rain.

Everything looks so different when it is wet. The colors which are naturally vivid get even vivid-er. I can make up a word!

He doesn't mind it and I do not either. It is a change in a sort of unending climate which mostly is either cool or hot but otherwise the same. The sun goes up north the sun comes back down.

It is still a bit warm for snow on the mountains. Maybe tonight.

I wrote about rain last week, didn't I?

Oh well. It is what is going on.

Labels: desert, weather

Sunset is dramatic and final. Dark. Bang.

Marcus and I ran into it tonight. Left at 545 and ended up coming home in the very dark just an hour later.

That means we start the 3PM walk tomorrow.

I was going to wait for daylight savings time to end this coming weekend but that will be too long.

We had a good time but the world changes at dark.

The coyotes come out. Just down the street. He never really saw them or them him as far as I could tell.

Then people start getting weird too. More panhandlers. Odd walkers.

So tomorrow, we leave in the light and come home that way. For the duration. March probably.

Labels: desert, seasons

It had to happen sooner or later.

We finally got the dread "monsoon" conditions for the weekend. A long weekend.

This is when the heat and humidity swirls the wrong way off the Gulf of Mexico and rolls into the desert delivering uncomfortable, stay inside weather. The air is thick and later there will be a lot of thunder and dry lightning.

I walked out at 4 AM and it was totally muggy. Without a cloud in the sky. Clear as a bell.

Later, this could all end in a torrent.

I know. This is just like summer back east. But we left all that behind.

I remember how boring it was to listen to John's mother Jeanne go on about the weather in Florida. And I try not to do that. But occasionally, it calls for comment.

After all, we came here for the weather as a major factor.

There was a funny article in the local paper. Palm Springs flash flood warning canceled, Araby floods. Predicting the weather here is as perilous as it was in Boston.

Labels: desert, weather

As fans of the desert, particularly Death Valley, we had wondered about this.

Death Valley Sailing Stones

These stones have trails. You can see it. But they are obviously not moving. And no one has seen them move.

Until, now, by accident, some scientists found the answer to the puzzle in a wild moment of serendipity.

You will have to read the article. Can you guess?

Nature is a mother.

Labels: desert, nature

I was no more back and a bit settled than this hit.

Blowing Dust, Strong Winds in Coachella Valley

Try the video in the article to see the force of it.

They say La Quinta but it was all through the valley. And over in an hour or two.

I have said this before. The desert is a world of extremes. It is now quiet and sunny as we await the next surprise which could be tomorrow or, perhaps, three months from now.

I had never seen quite the force of this before. Dust storms yes but total obscurity as we saw while we went out for dinner, safe inside, was new.

This is just one more reason to love the desert. One special thing about it is that these things are so easy to see. We have the mountain in the west and then the desert. Clear to a far horizon on the north and forever on the east and south.

A lot of times you can see this stuff coming.

Then it hits. Then it is gone.

Haboob!

Labels: desert, dust, weather

I realized today that I have not been posting a lot here besides films.

That is not because I have nothing to say. I am out of the habit of posting.

And it is summer. Quiet times.

I am busy.

There are the usual things. Gym at 4AM Monday through Friday. Meetings three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. One on ones with the people I sponsor in the Program.

But none of that is of note or, more likely, is anything I can really write about.

There is always the recourse to writing about not writing. And here I am.

First, summer. We are in the middle of it. But it is not all that hot this year. No, we do not go out much in the middle of the day. Do the shopping early, do any other business. Water, mess with the gardens. Then go inside.

Since we don't have a dog friend with us, there is a limitation on outside activity. This will soon change, probably when the heat is over or whenever a best friend is found for us to invite to live with us.

So a lot of stuff is on hold or in abeyance.

I do have plans to vacate to San Diego on the 17th for my annual five days on the water. I so look forward to that.

Come fall there will be visitors again and some other things. The condo board will rev up.

In the meantime, doldrums. Which is OK. I just don't want to retire in my retirement. I crave action. But I have enough right now and there is always reading to catch up with.

Of course, there is always the ultimate cool off here. Just go up the mountain and it will be in the mid 70s with 50s at night.

Not all that far as the crow flies, about two miles. But on the roads, more like near an hour to get there. Not today.

Labels: desert, summer, weather

We are having weather.

Rare indeed. It is wet. It is dark. It is not cold but it is kind of warm raw.

It is nice actually. A change. We need the rain which sounds weird when you consider we live in the desert. But, deserts need rain. True.

It has been a long drought in California and we have had the same. Palm Springs is an oasis to a great extent. Water in the ground. But we have carried it to an extreme. Way past the ability to sustain all the green stuff. Water gets pumped in.

The rain today will not do much for the water table but it is a nice superficial treatment for the lawns and plants. Cleaning off the dust at least.

It is also nice to get that dark sort of New Englandish light. At least it feels like Boston to me.

Labels: desert, weather

Before we moved to the desert, a road runner was a cartoon character with a strange beep sound. Beep Beep.

I can testify that if the bird actually beeps it does so in the privacy of its own habitat and not around people.

This morning, we were waiting for our friend Jim to arrive, out front, and we were joined by a road runner. A male. Someone had seen the hen down the street. They travel in pairs.

He was, as usual, curious as to what we were doing and did not flinch at any human thing that we were doing. Of course, we did not run at him or throw anything. We behaved ourselves.

They are a most peculiar bird and as if to live up to their name, will not fly unless and until they absolutely have to. If they can, they prefer running. They will eventually fly of course but not because they want to.

They talk. A harsh squawk. They fuss. They are very interesting. Nod and bob the head, looking us over. Almost challenging us to get closer.

He stayed there as we watched each other. Stood his ground. Eventually I think that he left when the car we were waiting for arrived. By that time we had lost interest in each other. He had other things to do and so did we.

They are not rare by any means. They are very good for their human neighbors because they eat mice and other good sized animals that we consider pests. Unfortunately, this includes lizards so if you have a road runner or two you will not have lizards.

We used to have a nice big one around our house and I remember the day I saw a road runner take off with him. I still mourn the loss.

I am not kidding. Sadness takes over. But lizards grow back and the road runner has his tastes and so be it.

Labels: birds, desert

I took more garden pictures today.

We have a whole wall of hibiscus and a fountain against the wall where the other pictures below were taken. But no blooms now. A lot of foliage and the beginning of some blossoms.

I have a cactus collection. On two tables. I can't identify any of them. But I like them a lot.

On the east side and then another sort of in the middle of the west. The west one sits over a big lantana bush which is always blooming in some part of it.

None of these want much water. I need to be careful about how I deal with this as the plant on the right, a desert rose (aha!) needs regular water and the others do not. Sorry, it is a little cut out of the picture and I don't want to go take another one. So not that sorry I guess. :>)

Then there are my succulents. A cactus is a succulent but these are succulent succulents. You can look it up. I don't understand it. I just raise them. They take more water. The thing on the left is a hanging fixture which I have never hung. You see, I am a careless gardener.

But these are the plants I most love. See the teeny flowers? The thing with succulents is that they are not showy for the most part. Small, sweet little flowers. Some exceptions. The desert rose is not blooming just now but when it does it is fucking spectacular.

That is all the flowers. There are some cactus on the other side up against the house. They are OK but not a favorite. I do not baby them. Oddly, they are doing just fine.

That's enough. I am getting bored even if you are not. It is getting to be blah blah time and that is never good for a blog. A blog not a "blahg".

What I am getting out of this is that I am not a brilliant desert gardener. I just get by.

Labels: condo, desert, garden, gardening

Speculation abounds over the Coachella Valley visit by the Obamas this weekend.

Barack Obama, Michelle Obama arrive in Palm Springs

There is no announced purpose to their stay. It appears to be totally recreational or as recreational as a President can be while he is still the most powerful person in the "free world" (as we used to say but not now as it is not PC).

It is very exciting and stirs people up a lot here.

Today there will be a lot of people talking about seeing them. Notice, a lot of desert appropriate white limos in the entourage.

I do not go out to watch. I am too cool for that.

But I do get a tingle from knowing that the plane is there. I will see it soon this morning on my way to a meeting, and of course, somewhere they are having a good time here.

It is very beautiful and with a hundred twenty golf courses he will have all the turf doffing he can get.

Labels: desert, The Obamas