Finally, The Elephant Bar!

I can't quite believe we have been here almost 7 weeks and haven't been to The Elephant Bar…one of our favourite places.  Just goes to show how busy with decorating etc. we've been.

Never disappoints!

 Sam Adams seasonal beer to start.

 The decor is always a pleasure to look at.

 Beginning with baked French Onlon Soup…yum!

 My wonderful calamari….Elaine,  I hope we can share one of these in the New Year.

Jim with his jambalaya.

Had to begin with old favourites….next time something new.

 Erna made me this great Christmas wreath…sunlight too bright in the back to really see it.

Went to the Palm Desert Library Book Nook…seems romance is very cheap this weekend.

I had to laugh at these covers…guess the content is pretty much the same as well.

Coachella Valley Watercolor Society

Susan and I joined Dee for the CVWS meeting last night which was a potluck (great food!) and a showing of slides of paintings from the Watercolor West show.  Some really amazing paintings.
http://www.watercolorwest.org/exhibitions/45th/WINNERS_45th/index.html

Also some teachers presented and talked about the work of their students.  The Society had donated art supplies for these groups.  Pretty impressive work from kids who were in primary and middle school.

A very friendly group and I look forward to attending their meetings.

Morning laugh

John sent me this today:

Carol and I checking out the local swimming situation. Not good. Maybe in a few days.

And an email from Kerry saying it was -32 C in Edmonton.  

Coldest day in the desert today…."Mostly sunny and cool…56 F"….then it warms up.  We''ve still been swimming every day.

Latest citrus harvest….looks good enough to paint!

Tangelos from our tree,  grapefruit and lemons from nearby trees in Canyon Sands.

Worth going to Copenhagen just to see this building…love it!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I brought down a few things….some tree decorations,  our stockings and the advent calendar (Richard, it's waiting for your special attention!)

The King's Highway Restaurant at the Ace Hotel

We had lunch with Tom and Claire here today…very funky place…a real old diner and the Ace Hotel is very cool.  Always fun to see them and they loved our place!

 Jim,  Tom, and Claire doing the serious work of ordering food.

 Unfortunately out of order but cool all the same.

Bar looks like it would be a fun place to have a drink.

Cool car, eh?  Erna got a new Volkwagon Eos convertible so is selling her 2000 Volvo C70.  Great condition and we will probably buy it.  It will be nice to have a convertible down here and great to not have to drive down.

Lobster from Jensen's for dinner tonight…a picture is worth a thousand words.

A chilly 60 F today

We were even basking in the sun after our swim and hot tub (albeit with our terry robes on…) then played golf today.  First time for me and I did quite well.   We had lunch before and sat out in the sun but at the end of the game it was 55 F and pretty cool.  Now warming up with a fire and brandy.  Took these pics while we were playing.

 Jim going for a birdie but made a par.

Some cool mid Century modern houses around the golf course.

Love the Santa hats on the cactus

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." (From Long Walk to Freedom, 1995)

I usually don't read biographies or autobiographies and felt somewhat disheartened when my blookclub chose this very long book,  "Long Walk to Freedom" but it was one of the most amazing books I've ever read.  An amazing man.  Rest in peace.

Snow in Victoria

Snowing in Victoria according to Susan.  34 F.  Vancouver is even colder at 32 F but no snow at least for now or predicted.

Webcam from Vancouver looking over English Bay.

http://www.katkam.ca

Unseasonably cool here at 58 F today but lovely and sunny.  We'll head out to the pool and hot tub soon.

A few changes to my first two paintings

I made the rainbow a little more like a rainbow rather than a sail on a boat and made the blue on the pointu with Carqueiranne a lighter blue so it shows up more…after all,  Carqueiranne is very important to us so like seeing that.

Hit some golf balls today.  Now that our housework is pretty much done and Jim's infection from the bee sting is much  better we hope to get playing some golf.  Dick's golf bag was located in Vancouver so they should be able to join us.  They have a very well stocked condo here…bikes (they went on a bike ride today) and 6 tennis racquets and balls.

Dick and Susan arrive (sans golfclubs, tennis racquet, unfortunately…)

Dick and Susan came for dinner last night and we had lots of laughs…great to see them.   They have rented a place in Canyon Sands for five weeks.  Westjet lost Dick's golf bag which also had some of Susan's clubs…what a drag…hope it turns up soon.

On Susan's blog she mentioned doing a cactus drawing every day she's here.  I will be snagging one of these for my Palm Springs collage painting!  Susan,  I have another challenge for you….how about doing a weekly drawing of these wonderful mountains?  They have eluded me but perhaps I can learn something from what you do.

I'm anticipating a trip to Palm Springs here.  This drawing in my journal was done with new Gelatos (thanks Dianne!) and watercolour pencils to add the details.  It was inspired by my friend Mimi who suggested I might do 29 cactus drawings while I'm away.  Sort of like 29 Faces, only a different subject.  What a great idea - I am so excited I couldn't wait to get started!

My first paintings in our new home...

My new "Les Pointus"

My rainbow and "pot of gold "(Christmas baubles from the dollar store)

They all look great together…I think!

I found this print in a thrift store for $7.  I quite liked it and also the frame and matting are excellent so could put my own painting in it but I have become rather attached to it.  It's by someone called Lucia Deleiris and it's of the Saint Michael's Waterfront.  I didn't know where that was and when I looked it up I saw it was in Maryland…about 50 miles from where our neighbours live!

Mondrian cushion arrived today!

Like Christmas today…cushion arrived and also the books I ordered…one on Mondrian and two on Matisse…one's cover is our print.   Working on my "Pointus" which should soon be ready  and my over the fireplace painting/cutout idea which might work and might not….we'll soon see.

Enjoying a lovely fire tonight.

Downtown Palm Springs today for lunch

Wandering around downtown today and went for lunch at Alicante and had quite a nice paella….best part was "bottomless champagne" for $3.95.  Quite a nice one too…Whycliff…would serve that to anyone.  Came across a pair of socks that matched my Mondrian table so had to buy them….

 The "Bacon Bloody Mary" sounds good.

 Paella.

Today's bounty of lemons,  oranges,  grapefruit.

  Richard,  you can't be the only one having cool socks!

A new kind of Advent Calendar

Linda posted this on Facebook.  Richard always loved his advent calendar…I think he would really love this one these days!