Merry Christmas to All from the Desert Snowbirds

What a beautiful day we had today...not only because of the weather, but being with my two favorite Eckle boys.  They did everything that I wanted to do.  We started off with breakfast..after opening our presents.  Santa brought Allan and I "Orange Bowl" t-shirts (for those of you who don't follow college football...West Virginia is playing Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 4th.)

Richard helped me make a French Toast Casserole last night that I only had to bake this morning.  Was fabulous!  We sipped some bubbly, too

Then after reading the paper, watching another Lifetime Christmas movie, and taking a short nap...we decided it was time for our exercise...so we headed out for our 3-mile walk around the country club...wishing everyone that we saw a very "Merry Christmas."    Stopped by the club house (Richard needed some coffee)...all the golfers were dressed in red & white with Santa hats, too.   Once we were back at the house, we loaded the oven with the Christmas ham, then decided to hop on our bikes & head to the golf course to practice our putting.

And, here she is making a shot.  Allan decided we needed to play a game, so after 9-holes of putt-putt...I've decided tennis is my game. 

 Richard won!

Then it was back to the house to wait for Christmas dinner...just sat on the patio and enjoyed the warm weather...

Sooki just loves Christmas!  (As you can see.)  She kept going in and out of the house...jumping the fence and following the golfers as they passed by.  But...she always comes back.

How many of you ate Christmas dinner outside this year?  What a beautiful day it was!

Then we moved to the fire pit (as the sun was going down)...and, here's to you on Christmas Day!    Nothing like a good Pinot Noir...Santa brings good things, you know.

But most important...

Sooki wishes everyone a Happy Holiday!

Love to you all...from Janet, Allan & Richard

Richard arrives & the projects begin

Richard arrived and Allan had his "wish list" made.  While Allan played tennis this morning, this is what Richard did.

Blew all the dirt out of the water feature...getting it ready to fill up.  Can't wait!

Then they started working on another project...wasn't quite sure what this was going to be.

Now it is coming together...

Sooki was wondering what was happening on top of the roof.

I just sat, sipped some wine and enjoyed myself reading the paper.

Then it was over...Santa had come to Doolittle Drive...he waves at all of the golfers as they go by.  Richard gave him a kiss before he got off the roof.

Christmas in the Desert

On Sunday, Allan and I were invited to two open houses...one at a friend, Lucille's, with whom we play tennis.  Lots of tennis folks there... the tennis group had another party last Saturday, too...they like to party.  Sound like Tahoe, huh?   Lucille is from Canada...just retired as the Maestro of the Vancouver Youth Symphony...such an interesting gal.  She is the one who got me interested in voluntering at the tennis tournament.

Our other open house was at another friend, Penny's, that I met at the Zumba class when we first moved here 3 years ago.  She lives the next street over.  So we walked to Lucille's first then over to Penny's.   Can drink more when you walk, you know.   Met more neighbors...some who live here year 'round.  Always ask "what do they do in the summer?"  Most go to the beach on the west coast to cool off.

Been taking in Christmas concerts...went to the Indio Performing Arts Center for their "Nutcracker" Act II...was an abbreviated version of the real thing...plus had a performance of an opera in English "Amahl & the Night Visitors" (about the three wisemen).  Allan was somewhat taken by the opera, especially since we could understand what was going on.  Afterwards Allan kept singing "I can see them out the window." 

Also went to Pete Carlson's (for those who know about the best tennis and golf shop in the desert) this past Thursday.  He loves jazz and has concerts in the parking lot outside the shop once a month.  It is free to the public, plus he has refreshments and 4-6 racks of tennis and golf clothes for $5 a piece.   Can't pass that one up.  The band for the last concert was "HeatWave", the jazz band of the Boys & Girls Club of the Coachella Vally.  They were fabulous...so we went to another concert of theirs at their club on Saturday night, too.  Neither one of like jazz particularly, but we like them.

Allan is helping a neighbor fix his sprinkler leak.  He told Carl he should wait until tomorrow...Richard arrives then.

Allan has a list made up for Richard...more to come.

Painted Canyon Hike - 12-14-11

Just got back from the Painted Canyon Hike out at Mecca (the Ladder Hike, as we hikers call it.)  Went with a group from the Indio Senior Center (yes, we belong)...14 of us, 2 vans...youngest was 50, oldest 75.  And, in our van of 8 riders, 6 of us were from Indian Palms Country Club...so we've met more people in the C.C.  Was about 5 miles and a 1300 ft. elevation gain. 

Allan said it was the best hike he had ever been on...and reminded him of the old cowboy movies where you would be expecting the Indians on the ridges waiting to attack those coming through the canyons.  Beautiful scenery like we've never seen before.  So, here are some of the pictures from the hike.

Start of the canyons...was a rough dirt road getting up there...had been washed out by a big rain storm in August.

Had to do some rock scrambling to get to the start of the hike.  Allan was a little apprehensive.

Climbing up to the first slot canyon.  The ladder wasn't quite tall enough and you had to really get a solid footing to make it to the top.  I lost it, but the 50-year old scrambled up and pushed me on up.  Allan plopped up on his belly.

There should have been about 7 ladders in all going in and coming out, but some had been washed out.  We rock scrambled at one going in that was supposed to have a ladder.  Coming out 2 ladders were gone but ropes were provided.  Here is Allan coming out...rapelling down...some just scooted down on our behinds.  Definitely made for an interesting hike.  We all decided to rename the hike "the Ladder & Rope Hike."

Our Hawaii Cruise in pictures



Leaving L.A.  It was chilly!

The Lifeboat Drill...how do you put this thing on?

There were some rough seas...even in the pools on ship.

Thanksgiving Day...the turkey in veggies.

THINGS TO DO ON THE SHIP....

There was dining...our favorite time of day!

Hot tubbing

Making leis...Karen & I took a class.

And dancing, too.

Plus learning to play the ukelele...I was in the finale concert and played "Tiny Bubbles"

And then there was sleeping...

And dressing up for our first formal night...

And formal night.

And posing for portraits.

And wine tasting.

And listening to Chamber music in the Piazza.

And eating special desserts...

And more sleeping while waiting for the show to start.

And dressing up for another formal night.

And more dining...Alaskan King Crab night.  We each had 2 servings.  Maybe that is why we gained some weight.

And more dressing for dinner.

THEN THERE WAS TOURING OFF THE SHIP

Hiking to Hilo from the ship about 3 miles.

First stop Hilo...a bar to sip some Longboards.

Next stop..Kauai with Esther...lunch @ Duke's.

Need I say anything about this picture!

And Allan getting to drive his new car.  What do you think, Jim?  Looks like it belongs in Indio.

Next day...Honolulu.  Karen & I hiked to the top of the Aloha Tower... looking at our ship.

Then there was Maui...being tendered in.

And more Longboards on shore.

And toasting our last night...what a great cruise it was!

And posing with Marlo, our waiter, after dinner.

And the crowd goes wild!

ALOHA!

Kellye has arrived!

More champagne welcoming Kellye to the desert.  We picked her up today and quickly got her acclaimated to what we do here...drink Almond Champagne.  Then I schooled her in what she needed to do while she was here...all the places to see, all the places to eat, and all the places to just have fun.  She'll be a desert girl by the time we get back from the cruise.  I'm excited for her...there is going to be lots to take in while she is here.  I told Allan we're missing out on all of the holiday festivities....but Sooki is already looking forward to being with Kellye...I can just see it.

Off tomorrow for LA...board the ship around 1 p.m.  We'll be exploring for at least 2 hours finding our way around.  Anxious to meet up with Esther on Nov. 30th in Kauai...she'll be spending the day with us there.

More to come later...