Our first fire

We always put on our fireplace at the very first sign of the slightest chill but really couldn't do it before today...just too warm.  The best of both worlds in the desert...warm sunny days and a cosy fire at night.

A nice glow in the sky tonight.

Pasta Social at Dolly Sinatra Lodge.

Brian and Carol joined us last night and just loved it!  Well,  what's not to love....great Italian food, a super social atmosphere with everyone having a wonderful time,  and a talented entertainer all for the price of $15 a person and $10 for a bottle of Sicilian wine.

It was a full house and we had to sit in the bar which worked out well as it's quieter in there and we had a table for four so could chat more easily during dinner.  When the entertainment begins they have chairs for people who have been in the bar so you get a great view of the entertainment.

I took this photo from the parking lot...what a gorgeous evening!

The volunteers who make it all happen.

Christmas decorations up...well, why not

 My one minute Christmas tree....

My mainly dollar store village.

 Wreath by Fern.

Our stockings....

These special snowmen from Elaine.

 Our Advent calendar.  I'll have to take over Richard's job.

Letters to Santa on Linda's blog

I'm so glad I got Linda to start writing a blog.  It's the time of year now that she starts her volunteer job answering letters to Santa.  They really are quite priceless and she has a great way of sharing them now.  Take a look to get the text of this second one:
http://linfish69.blogspot.ca

In the first one the child pasted pictures from a catalogue for all the things she wants.  So far,  the total number of things asked for is 32 but Linda feels this will go up.

Bill's Pizza and Mozart

Still lots of pizza for today.  We finished The Teaching Company's course on Mozart...excellent.  The prof,  Robert Greenberg,  is really quite good and he has done a gazillion courses so next up will be his one on opera.

We've also been watching Ken Burn's Vietnam War...also excellent.  Interesting that Vietnam has become a favourite tourist place for young people particularly.  It is very beautiful and apparently the beer is cheap and good!

Sorry to miss my local Jane Austen meeting!

More French vintage posters

I'm putting these on my blog so it will be easy to print them up when we get home and have access to a colour printer.  We're going to do something with them on our walls at home and/or here.

Downtown yesterday to see the new Rowan Hotel

We thought we'd have a drink in the rooftop bar but that bar doesn't open until 5pm.  A treat for another time.  We really enjoyed the look and feel of the hotel and so glad to see downtown Palm Springs being revitalized.  Can't wait until the Marilyn statue comes back!

I loved this T-Bird...vanity licence plate "Desert Brd"

The Rowan exudes "cool".  Little bar in the lobby and the whole area is large, open, and inviting.

We used to laugh at a housecleaner we had who put books in backwards.  This seems to be a decoration statement here.  I hope they will eventually get a collection of objets d'arts for these many shelves.

In the elevators they have these murals of desert scenes.

Rooftop bar area.

Jim overlooking the rooftop bar and pool.  Guests only allowed in the pool area.

The bar in the Four Saints restaurant.

View from the full length window below.  The glass must be very special in this window as it seems there isn't glass at all.

Check in desk.

Around the side.

There is a direct elevator to the rooftop bar.

The new Starbucks.

They were doing quite a trade.

This is an art installation...a wall of cactus.

A front view of The Rowan.  There was a lot of concern about its height...only in Palm Springs!