Very windy in DHS today

Sunny day but quite windy here at the RV Park, which is out in the flat desert, about 1/2 an hour's drive from Palm Springs. Temps down from 90 to around 70s or so.

Did some culture vulturing today in P.S., went to the Agua Caliente museum in a wee house right down in the centre of town, in the Village Green area, about the Cahuilla indians of this area. A movie showed how they survived in the harsh desert climate, and how they found food and made shelter, and got their game to eat, made pottery and baskets.

We didn't know that acorns are edible here, they have to be ground up, and the 'flour' washed repeatedly with water to take away the bitterness first. It is quite weird but their land holdings form a checquerboard pattern in this valley, so you see lovely developments, interspersed with pieces of raw empty desert land. Strange indeed, something about land being granted by the railway like that in that pattern.

The natives seem to have retained legal advice to assist them in interpreting government legislation that concerns them, since the 1950s or so. Clever of them.

Then we went into the oldest house in P.S., I think it's called the McCallum house, he was one of the earliest pioneers in this area, the climate was pretty inhospitable, and some of the first inhabitants besides the natives and the ranchers were tuberculosis patients, seeking a dry environment where it would be easier for them to breathe. The earliest settlers seem to have been ranchers, but what a way to try and eke out a living.

As ever in the desert water was a constant challenge, and one of the more successful ranchers widened an irrigation canal, and thus ensured a more consistent supply of water. The water source for here is pretty well the Colorado River, and there is a huge canal called the All American Canal, which feeds PS, the Coachella Valley and its water needs.

McCallum house is an adobe building, it has been expanded over the years, and shows in photos the history of the development of this area. There were small hotels here over the years, but it was really the film industry that found a dry and bright place to film in that got it launched, about the 1920s or so. Before that it had been mainly sparse ranching, with the constant threat of lack of water limiting growth.

After the film industry started the Coachella Valley gradually developed as a playground for film stars, and a sunny retreat for northerners seeking sunshine and desert dryness. Now it seems that water worries have been addressed, and the new concern is power needs, which are somewhat helped by the huge windfarms that have developed along the I-10 corridor.

The wind comes along 1-10 from the coast via the mountain passes, and now powers the windmills. They are getting bigger and bigger in size and number, but what better use for a very windy corridor than to "farm" the wind flows?

Today was very gusty wind, after our museum interlude we went and explored more stores downtown in Palm Springs. Di found the sunhat she had lost a couple of days ago, it was right where she had left it while helping Jen and Sue with their clothing purchases.

We had lunch at Las Casuelas, a pretty Mexican restaurant right in the heart of P.S., in an old house with lovely arches, and pretty tiles and both outdoor and indoor seating. Delicious food.

Dinner back at our trailer, and then coffee/tea at Dave and Wendy's trailer, Jen and Sue wanted to see it, and tomorrow is Wendy's birthday, so we gave her wee somethings toward that.

We did laundry here late this evening, and now it's time to fall into bed, meanwhile in the back of both our minds is the thought that we soon have to pull up stakes, and go on our northward trek toward home once more. We will likely leave here this Saturday, April 11th, though there are high gusty winds predicted for this week and weekend off and on, which is a bit of a concern for us both.

It has been such fun to have had Sue and Jen here, and show them the area, and tour them around to our favourite sites.

Tomorrow is our get together with cousin Jenn Hett and her friend for dinner at Maracas, and then we'll attend the P.S. VillageFest night market, which runs from 6 til 10 PM on the main street of P.S.