Better photos coming soon...

The day we decided to buy here I was going to buy a digital SLR camera  I poured coffee into my point and shoot and figure it's not much point buying another one of those since my iphone takes photos pretty much as good.  I'll buy one in the next few days.

Went out in the morning and took some shots...will be interesting to compare after I get my new camera.

Oh,  and there's a tangerine tree in one of the patios....remember how good they tasted.  Susan and Alan,  this was the place where you visited us.   All the Indian artifacts and decorations are gone.

Our new condo

This will give you an idea of what we've bought if you look at the ones for sale.  Ours is the last one and photos were going to be posted today but won't be now since it's sold.  It's still "active" I guess because the seller has accepted the offer verbally but is out of town and doesn't know how to do some electronic signing.

Beautiful views of the mountains everywhere and I've always wanted an adobe roof so reminds me of the south of France too!

http://www.listingpointrealty.com/realtor/tract/homes-for-sale-in-Canyon-Sands-in-Palm-Springs

Yeah!

Looks like the deal has gone through!

Cactus Garden

This is the painting I did of the cactus garden in the patio of this condo we have put an offer on. Nice to buy a place you have stayed in for 2 months! Hope we get it…very hot real estate market in PS.

Just might be the best Valentine's present ever...to each other.

Put an offer on a condo in Palm Springs today.  Actually, in Canyon Sands  and the one we first stayed in 6- 7 years ago.  Three bedrooms,  two baths,  two patios, double garage....1400 sq feet in the living space...and next door to our good friends, Erna and Marvin.
Such a new listing there are no photos.  We've pretty much decided to buy and spend Nov - April down here,  sell or rent Victoria,  and keep our Vancouver apartment.  Price:  $190,000.00 and fees and taxes all very reasonable and we know the council is totally on top of things and everything is going well...Erna and Marvin are part of that.

Yeah...a one bed/one bath  700 sq ft condo in Van on Beach Ave where we want to be is $600,000.00 plus and big extraordinary assessments all the time...no thanks.  We have a better view and more room where we are renting.

Life is interesting!

And life in the desert goes on

Roger (who is an obstetrician/gynecologist) taking a look at the buck pregnancy test...seems pretty legit. Roger and Kerry's last day in the desert today.  Roger gets home tomorrow then unpacks and packs to leave for Ethiopia for a couple of weeks where he is working on a CIDA project.   A busy life!

We all hit the thrift stores and got some good deals...don't think we'll be hitting the outlet stores after all.  The prices might be a shock after basically new pants (LL Bean,  Dockers, etc) for $4.  Kerry picked up a cool pair of yellow pants for $4 with a $69 price tag still on them.

I did get Jim into Macey's and he got a good deal on some shirts.

Wonderful game of golf yesterday and I finally got my hybrid club working for me ....yeah!  Will have to buy that DSLR camera soon as there was just a beautiful light on the mountains as we were finishing playing.

Another great day in PS

Roger and Jim went to the PS Air Museum...we had been there but Roger loved it and Jim enjoyed another visit.  Kerry and I went to El Paseo preceded by a stop at a thrift store and dollar store...both scored some cheap buys.  Then lunch at a Mexican restaurant for Kerry and I.  Lovely swim and a jambalaya dinner with wonderful chorizo from Trader Joe's and shrimp.

Kerry and I stopped off at the Saguro Hotel with all the wonderful colour (an old Holiday Inn)...actually Kerry was wearing an outfit that was very "Saguro"

Great fun to be with old friends in Palm Springs.

Great day with old friends...

Roger and Kerry invited us to champagne brunch at Melvyn's today.  They are staying at the Ingleside Inn where Melvyn's is located.   What a great old classic hotel.  They have lots of historical information in the rooms including famous people who have stayed there over the years since 1922 and what they paid for a  room.  Lots of famous folks.

We were very impressed with brunch...very old style with older waiters in white dinner jackets serving and they were very generous with the champagne.  They start you off with pastries like croissants, biscuits, muffins, and wonderful fresh fruit then you order off the menu.  Everyone was very thrilled with their entrées.   Jim had steak and prawns,  Roger had scallops,  Kerry had the chicken crepe, and I had the sole picatta...fabulous.  Then shared some tiramisu for dessert.

 Toasting being together again.

 My sole.

 Roger's scallops.

Jim's steak and prawns...steak covered by "tobacco onions"...

Then to the Palm Springs Art Museum...very interesting show and fun to see the old stuff and the Henry Moore's again.

And back to our place for drinks, snacks, and lots of chat and catching up.

 From the current exhibit...groups in Sao Paolo, Brazil using old materials to make cool things.

I always love my Henry Moore's

Art Under the Umbrellas at La Quinta

Hit a few thrift stores then lunch at Red Lobster (new since we've been here) and looked at the art at the show.  Then back to catch the last of the sun and a good swim and hot tub.  Just made a martini.  Roger and Kerry have arrived and we'll meet them for brunch at Melvyn's tomorrow.  So glad the weather was warm and sunny for their arrival....the forecast was not so good but a storm blew in yesterday and got rid of all the bad stuff!  Quite a bit of rain while we were entertaining Erna and Marvin but a good day to be inside having a good chat.

Picked up a crab today at Von's so will have that and some goodie yet to be decided from Trader Joe's.

 This little dog was enjoying the ride.

 Great day for a wedding.

 I just loved these sun umbrellas but don't think they'll fit in our luggage.

 Fish and chips at Red Lobster.  It was haddock and very much like they serve fish and chips  in England.  One big piece  with malt vinegar to boot.  Also,  excellent tartare sauce and we generally don't like tartare sauce

Great time with Erna and Marvin

We had a super lunch at our place today....we always really enjoy being with each other.  Looking forward to going to this new Italian restaurant with them Erna recommends.,,,Giuseppe's.
Looks great:
http://www.giuseppes-pizza.com/index.php/menu/house-specialties

Erna brought over these huge Meyer lemons from her tree...wow!  I think some of the trees here are perhaps these lemon trees rather than grapefruit.  They're as big as grapefruit.  Citron pressé here we come...

 Erna and Marvin

Lots of fun teasing Don

Now,  you have to put this in context.  I don't know anyone in the world (let alone us) who have more gourmet experiences than Don and Elaine.  But I knew I'd get Don with the spoonful of Trader Joe's peanut butter!  He better be nice not naughty or perhaps he won't get some jars this year....

From Elaine:

I have just read his email to you. He commented to me much earlier in the day about your blog and the tangerine tree – he was very, very envious and thought it cruel of you to tease us. I just howled when I saw your most recent Trader Joe purchases. I don’t think Don was impressed!!!! Looks as though you are having a wonderful time – I’m glad for you.

Take care.

Love,

Elaine

From Don:

Dear Janice,

You are starting to p..* me off with this f^ck*ng blog of yours. I would kill to be

able to pick tangerines fresh of the tree. Then you flaunt mango juice at me,

However, the final straw was posting a picture of a f^ck*ng big spoonful of

peanut butter. You are killing me here.

Cheers

Don

Today,  since there was some wind last night we didn't even have to pick the tangerines off the tree.  This is the windfall.

A few goodies mainly from Trader Joe's

It's such a pleasure to shop at Joe's...great stuff and cheap.

Eat your heart out, Don...yes,  it was as yummy as it looks!

Life is always interesting in the US

We were in a dollar store yesterday and saw a pregnancy test for "a dollar".  It was right by the cash register so didn't want to take a photo.  I found these others interesting.  Seems like PS and perhaps California in general is a paradise for dog owners since they are allowed on patios.  It does make sense. In France, of course,  dogs are welcome everywhere.

Dropped Jim off at the golf course today and saw this very cool caddy.

Another gorgeous day in paradise...

When Jim has finished reading the paper I'm sending him out to get some tangerines off this tree and we'll have them for breakfast.  Fellow in the pool yesterday said they were a perfect ripeness right now.

Life is good...

We had an absolutely wonderful round of golf at the resort course at Taequitz...wonderful views of the San Jacinto Mountains and lots of desert plantings....I just love it!

Then bourbon (it does get a bit cool at night), dinner,  and into our pool and hot tub...just back now.
Jim is getting the calvados.  Wonderful weather for beer during the day and scotch, bourbon, and calvados in the evening.

Having a bit of a problem with photos...my start up disk is full...Richard gave me some ideas but the calvados is waiting...

Fabulous weather...

It was 83 degrees on the golf course yesterday and we've been just loving our place this year.  Everything really suits us and we are very close to the other large pool in Canyon Sands.  We are getting the Internet connected tomorrow morning so then we'll be in contact.  Amazing how much we miss having especially since we use the ipads to connect to radio and all sorts of things.

We're very settled in and have lots of goodies from Trader Joe's and other places.  It is just so much fun to shop here especially for the booze.  Calavados at $18.95 (cheapest at home for us is $50), an Ilay whiskey for $19.95 (excellent...would be $50-60) and of course wine starting at $4...didn't pap more than $6.  So far...very good!

And my bronchitis seems to be gone....didn't cough at all last night and all day yesterday.

We had lunch at The Elephant Bar after golf yesterday...Jim had jambalya and I had calamari....Elaine...wish you were here sharing it with me!

 Taken out the front door our first morning here.

 Great to get back to our beloved Elephant Bar!

 Jambayla...loads of shrimp, chicken, chorizo...Jim was in heave.

 My calamari.

Our pool.

Palm Springs mon amour....

It was just wonderful coming into PS in the sunshine and seeing my beloved San Jacinto Mountains.  Great weather and we're all unpacked.  A new unit for us in Canyon Sands but very well furnished and outfitted.  Only downside is no wireless but we have been assured we will get something hooked up but will have to do the library or Macdonalds thing for a while.

Everything went smoothly with the flight and we dissevered that these guys with the big trolleys do a total check in service for you for $10 for the two of us.  It was worth it especially since Westjet makes you do your own baggage tags.

A bit of shopping,  home for a drink,  then to the pool...