League Tennis - 65+ Team

Here's my team...we're the 65+ group.

Don't think we look it, do you?

Our home court is the Palm Desert Resort.

 

Lots of fun with the ladies...

always have a social hour afterwards.

However, on the court...we're competitive,

but afterwards...it is party central.

 

Of the six times I've played, our opponents 5 of the 6 have been

these ladies (in blue) from Shadow Mountain.

We've beat them 4 out of the 6 times,

but they are always tough matches.

Today we won, 6-2, 2-6, tie break of 11-9...whew!

Another close one.

 

 

Hikes in February 2014

Never ending Canyon Hike

(2-05)

Out to the Mecca Hills again and the Box Canyon area with the Seniors..
a perfect combination of fun and scenic beauty.
An easy hike...about 4 miles and only 500 feet elevation gain.

 

The narrow slot canyon is like a maze....

 

....making you wonder what is still ahead.

 

Some colorful canyon walls...

 

...as we ascend to the ridge

 

...for some rewarding views.

 

Our group...up on top.

 

And, now the steep climb down...oh...it was slippery!

 

Once all were down, Allan treated us to another Robert Service poem, "Bessie's Boil."

It's becoming an expected event for the hikes now.

 

Another great hike!

 

Tahquitz Canyon Hike

(2-14)

 

Spent Valentine's Day hiking with my girls, Carolyn & Karen, and Allan, too.

A guided hike from the visitor center...only 2.5 miles.

 

Tahquitz Canyon is one of the most beautiful of the famous Indian Canyons.

Half way through...end up at the water fall...

 

...where we get to rest in the shade before heading back down.

 

What views of the Coachella Valley from here.

 

Borrego Palm Canyon Hike

(2-19)

With the Seniors again to Anza Borrego State Park for

an easy 3 miler up to the Palm Oasis.

 

 

 

That's where we're headed...the palm oasis in the background.

 

Our group...

 

 

After lunch in the park...

 

it was off to see the metal sculptures.

 

Just a mere 189 of them scattered throughout the desert.

 

Watch out, Allan...get out of those claws.

 

My favorite...the sea serpent.

 

 

Another great hike in the desert!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



February 2014...another busy month

Lots of birthdays to celebrate this month.

  Out toasting Karen & Carolyn's Birthdays (2-06)

at Mama Gina's.  They made it another year.

 

Cruised on El Paseo in the Corvette (2-07);

then took in a Free Friday concert (Motown Tribute) at Spotlight 29 Casino.

Not as much Motown as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder tributes.

 

Every Sunday in the desert, it's Polo matches at the Eldorado Polo Club...

just can't pass up those polo players on horses. 

Or maybe it is the wine flight that tempts me more.

Yep...that's it!

Then it is off to Sunday Sounds at the Palm Desert Library...

Rob Watkins, ventriloquist & magician (2-09);

 

and the Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers (2-23).

Great Cowboy music...with "Happy Trails", of course. 

 

Several hikes this month...

Never ending Canyon on 2-05;

Tahquitz Canyon on 2-14;

and Borrego Palm Canyon on 2-19

(which will be blogged separately.)

 

Then was Modernism Week in Palm Springs....

a celebration of mid-century modern architecture.

The most popular event is the Architectural double decker bus tour...

which we booked back in October (always gets sold out).

Here's Leona and me getting ready to board (2-16)

(Allan not interested, so got a girlfriend to go.)

 

Will share some of the most interesting places we saw...some unique doors at a hotel... 

 

 

...to Elvis & Priscilla's Honeymoon cottage

 

...and toured through the homes in Movie Colony.

Here's Dinah Shore's home (and was reported that Leonardo Dicaprio has purchased it.)

 

And, what a great day it was...loved it!

 

The Kaufman House (of the department store chain)...

an exquisite example of mid-century modern.

 

A Don Wexler Steel House...

7 were built on this street and are now being rehabilitated back to their original design. 

He was a leading architect in the midcentury modern movement

who was credited for pioneering the use of steel in residential design.

 

And, my favorite...the Butterfly roof...note the landscaping.

Heard that the owner was a landscape architect.

 

This started one of our busiest weeks in the desert...

everyone wonders what we find to do down here.

So here we go.

Started off on Monday (2-17) with the Riverside Country Fair and International Date Parade

held in Indio each year...we walk down to it.

 

Never pass up a parade in the desert...here we are with Carolyn

watching from our regular post...on the wall in front of Rite Aid.

 

Such interesting sites at the parade.

 

Then there was my birthday celebration on 2-18...

played League tennis in the morning (which we lost),

but came home to a great surprise...

Allan had a steak dinner waiting for me.

That's the way I like it!

Happy hour that evening at the Lavender Bistro.  Great calamari!!! 

 

Hiked on 2-19 with the Seniors to Borrego Canyon (in separate blog);

to Palm Springs that same day for dinner with neighbors at Thai Smile,

then to a concert "The Air Force Band of the Golden West" at the

Palm Springs High School Auditorium.

 

On 2-20...another evening out with neighbors to

'Motown Memories' at the La Quinta Library

featuring a panel of a select group of Motown Alumni

including Claudette Robinson, an original member of The Miracles

(and wife of Smokey Robinson),

Cornelius Grant, guitarist for the Temptations, and other Motown execs.  

Interesting stories about Berry Gordy, how they all got started, and videos of Motown Memories.  And, best of all...there was music.  Brought back lots of memories.

Dinner out to Buccatini's for pizza.

 

On 2-21, headed to Indio Performing Arts Center to see Rob Watkins' Show,

'Just Let Me Vent'.

Can't get enough of him...

he's the ventriloquist/ comedian/ magican extraordinaire.

Later that day...margaritas at the clubhouse and another Free Friday concert,

a CC & R Tribute at Spotlight 29 Casino.

 

Back to Palm Springs on 2-22 for the Black History Parade...

like I said before...we love parades.

 

Then to Melvyn's for lunch....at the beautiful Ingleside Inn, where the stars once hung out.

A grand setting....waiters all in tuxedos...

thought Frank was going to stroll in and start crooning a toon..

 

And, that about wraps it up for this month.

This is how Sooki and Allan ended their month..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAHOE FATS

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

 



Every month, he togs up in his western duds and transforms himself into the pistol-packin',

 

Shotgun totin',

 

Carbine carryin',

 

gunslinger known and feared throughout the West (Carson City Gun Range & the Palm Springs Gun Club, anyway) as Tahoe Fats; to join up with a couple of dozen or so other old, fat white guys and a few gals, too, for some Cowboy Action Shooting. 

 

In five different scenarios each month he slings hot lead at all sorts of cattle rustlers, varmits, dry-gulchers, outlaws, galoots, bandits, sidewinders, robbers, claim jumpers, horse thieves and other manner of no-goodnics armed with two six guns, a carbine and a double-barrel 12 guage coach gun. 

 

 He may even shoot the occasional buffalo, prairie chicken, duck, or ground squirrel for camp grub. (All are metal plates or clay pigeons).

In all Fats throws fifty rounds of hot lead with his pistols,

  

fifty shots with his trusty lever action carbine, (talk about your smoking gun !!!)

 

and 25 times with his shortened double barrel shotgun.

 (Rattler handles the timing duties while Fats trades his carbine for his double barrel).

 

 

Loadin' up.

 

Lettin' the culprits have both barrels of buckshot!

 

Whrol Yewon takes over the timing duties on this shotgun stage.



 

 

while being timed and his very few misses counted. 

Muleskinner is busy totalin' up the hits and misses.

 

Hoodlums must be shot in a certain order accordin' to instructions like Nevada Sweep, Double Tap, Virginia Count, Popper, Texas Star, and Lawerence Welk.

 

Sometimes there is no privacy even in the privy!!!!!!!!!

 

On this stage he had to "clean out the chicken coop"

 

by Nevada sweeping three roosters from the left, then from the right, with his six-shooters,

 

triple tapping three more roosters and a duck with his carbine,

 

then blasting the points off this Texas star with his 12 gauge. 

It actually moves once you blow a point off.

 

Two more to go.

 

Reload to blast the last one.

 

Got it!!!!

 

Every so often Fats morphs into "Tahoe Gordo", the 45 auto totin, pump action shotgun blasting Mexican peon for a "Wild Bunch" shoot, based on the movie of the same name.