House concert at Annie's house tonight

OMG, we attended a pot luck and house concert at Annie's house, my flute teacher. She lives in Palm Desert. It was just incredible, I took Lary and the guest of honour was Mark Holland, perhaps one of the best Native American flute players in the U.S.

We had pot luck dinner outside first of all, it was magic, and then Mark did a whole set of his songs, his playing is just phenomenal. We all paid a small admission fee, well worth it.

Mark seems to feel that the Native American Flutes can be combined with endless other musical instruments, which is very interesting, as many other people emphasize how individual it is, and how it normally is played alone, or with a backup instrumental from an IPod or something like that. Mark's music was the most wonderful I have ever heard for a N.A. flute, and very tuneful. He seemed to use all kinds of embellishments, mostly with his style of blowing.

Mark's wife Tina was with him, and she sold his CDs and a book of flute music at the break, then we each got a chance or two to jam with him, we led and he backed us up, in fact he really embellished our work, and made us sound far more wonderful than what we really are.
We finished off with a big hug from him, how great is that?

And yes, I bought 4 of his CDs. His group is called Autumn's Child, and 3 CDs are by them, classically trained musicians I believe. And the last CD I bought is by him is called Wind and Fire, the NA flutes of Mark together with N.Scott Robinson an interesting world type percussionist. Can't wait to listen to them all.

Sadly on the way home we passed the scene of a recent fatal traffic accident, a pedestrian killed by a truck. Creepy, it seemed as if it had just happened.

Also to watch the Opening of the Winter Olympics, and hear the sad news that a Georgian luge athlete had been killed after he lost control of his luge on a practice run that morning.

An afternoon at Motor Vehicles in Palm Springs

Well yesterday we took the registration of our new park model over to Motor Vehicles in Palm Springs, you get in a big long lineup, a person looks at what you have to get done, and gives you a number. Then you take a chair (at least) and start waiting for your number to be called.

For us it was about 2 hours, but we got it transferred over into our names, and paid for it, so now the certificate will arrive in Canada, with the park model in our names.

We put our address down here, but our mailing address in Canada, also.

Then in May it is due to have its license renewed, oddly it has a license plate, and we buy the decal for it every year, and stick the decal on. The plate is just inside the park model, not on the outside.

Sure is different from what we are used to, but that's how they do it down here.

We plan to buy a bigger bed as it only has a double at the moment. Other than that it is furnished, with a ton of built in cupboards, so we can just move right in. It should be very nice for us not to have to pull the trailer back and forth each season. We are looking forward to that.

But for the rest of this season we will mostly be in the trailer, or off on our trip to Costa Rica in March.

Heard from the Nelson friends that they will be here just before C.R., and will come on the trip, and then spend a couple more weeks here in the park, in one of the rental park model trailers here.

And my sisters are coming down for a couple of weeks, one alone in our trailer while we go to C.R., and the second in a rental trailer here in our park, so we can visit and do some things together.

Should be fun and I am really looking forward to that. Lary is coming to that, too.

That's it for today's news. There is a pot luck dinner at the Coachella Valley Flute Circle on Friday night, and a big name flute player will perform for us, how exciting to be so close to him when he is playing. He is the main performer at one of the huge flute festivals later this spring or fall.

Monday fluting at Eisenhower Medical Center

I went over and attended the flute class at the hospital today. It was wonderful as always. Tons of new ideas, some new flutes, and some more wonderful inspiration from Annie.

Lary had his blood checked also at Eisenhower, they have given him a standing order card, and it's kind of fuss free, and they will send the results to his doctor in Nanaimo, and send Lary a letter with the results, too.

After that we sought out a Greek restaurant down here, just a wee hole in the wall, and ate yummy food.

There is a Greek festival here this weekend, both Sat and Sun, at a Greek Orthodox church, so we will be sure and attend that.

Our flute circle that meets monthly on Friday nights at Annie's will have a talented flute player as guest, so we are all welcome to that, and a potluck dinner and jam after the guest plays 2 sets.
Should be very inspirational.

She made a point of saying that Lary is more than welcome. And during Friday afternoon there is a Canadian Snowbird Association meeting at a local casino that we will attend, they are an active lobby group down here.

This coming Monday is Presidents Day so we won't have flute class, but on Feb 22nd another super interesting man called Nash will be at Eisenhower in our class, for a couple of hours, he makes all types of flutes, and is such a wonderful man from Mexico. I am flying with interest and enthusiasm.

Lazy Sunday at Catalina Spa & RV Resort

Didn't do that much today, read the paper, then Lary went off to watch the Super Bowl game down at the lower clubhouse, and Di went up to the Ice Cream Social, then stayed for the music jam.

After that Di ate a hamburger with 2 couples from Canada, they both play accordians in the jam session. One couple is from Vancouver I believe, and they have a place here in Mission Hills, the other couple is here in the park, and they are Slovakian I believe. Very nice couples.

After that I went down and joined Lary in the lower clubhouse to watch the finish of the Super bowl, New Orleans won by a landslide, and we went up to the upper clubhouse and watched a movie called Carolina Moon, based on a scary novel by Nora Roberts. It was scary but good.

Had a short walk and then came home to the trailer.

The new (old) park model wasn't re roofed this weekend, though the contractors did deliver a lot of the materials, and they say they may do it in the late afternoons this week.

Here's hoping!!!

Rainy Saturday down here in Desert Hot Springs

Well we got up and had breakfast at the clubhouse, their craft sale was held indoors due to the rain.

Rainy day today, with very low clouds, and pretty heavy rains, though not the buckets that we had earlier this year. There are about 5 major highway intersections that will be involved in major changes this year, perhaps 2 years of work on all of them, widening them to try and get rid of traffic constrictions that occur daily with rush hour and the like.

The newspaper today reports that with all the rain the desert has been getting it should be a pretty spring out in the desert, with flowers in many places. Something very nice to look forward to during the month of March, they estimate, particularly at Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego parks.

The flight to Costa Rica may be as long as 6.5 hours, not looking forward to being crammed in small plane seats for that long flight. Will have to look for those special socks for flying, that compress your legs and avoid swollen ankles and feet.

The wee park model that we just bought was supposed to have been re roofed by the sellers today, their roofing contractors just work on weekends, but as it was raining, we guess it didn't happen. Oh well, there is still next weekend to get the job done, because the sellers plan to leave this area Feb 17th and return to their home in Vancouver, WA. Hmmmm.

Went to a nice mellow movie last night, It's Complicated, with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Steve Martin played a straight guy, not a humourous part as he normally does, and it was a very well done film, we thought. Not overacted as Hollywood often tends to do, or sugar up the ending. Not this time. We really enjoyed it.

Meryl Streep is a divorcee, and a very successful restaurateur, who gets back together with her ex hubbie, played by Baldwin, for a fling when their son graduates from college. As all kids do when their parents are divorced, her kids hope that it works out once more for their parents, and they get back together, but she decides against staying with him.

Steve Martin is very good as the architect who is designing a big addition to Meryl Streep's wonderful house, and he himself is recently divorced. I think he should take more serious roles, he did it very well. The film was shot in Santa Barbara, CA and New York. Definitely worth a watch for a touching chick flick. Great support from Meryl's long term female friends.

Tomorrow we pay for the new(old) park model

Well our trusty banker came through, and we got a cashier's check from the Bank for the cost of the new park model. So we're off tomorrow to pay for it, and then we have to take the registration for it and go to Motor Vehicles and do the transfer, and pay a license fee or something like that.
Weird, but that's the way they do things down here apparently.

Should be interesting, and Lary is also taking the Dodge truck for its first lube and oil change, early tomorrow.

So a few things to take care of tomorrow.

This morning late we went over to the rural part of Indio to Augustine Casino, a small one. We had a very late breakfast after joining the players club, and then played the slots for a while.

I Di made $5 turn into $23, but Lary didn't have the same luck.

Later we got the cashier's check at the Bank, and then made the appt. with the current trailer owners to go and pay them.

We decided to go up to the clubhouse and eat the taco salads and burritos on offer, so we did that, and then stayed for Card Bingo which is a fun game you play, using dimes as bets.

We lost our $2 each, but had a nice time anyway.

The wind has kicked up tonight late, and is whistling around, there is another small storm on the way, with perhaps rain too. It was very hazy today as it has been most of the week. We had shorts and tee shirts on today, but tonight changed into long pants and sweaters.

Would still like the "seasonal norms" to happen, and it to warm up. We didn't go in the pool today as we had yesterday. I miss the get togethers with other people when we don't go.

It's kind of like Happy Hour without the drinks, everyone goes into the pool and just chats and chats. Really mellow.

OMG - we bought a small elderly park model

Well, we went back to Almar Acres and found a small park model that we like, so we offered on it, and we will own it on Feb 17th or so, this year. We are in shock, and have put the wheels in motion to pass over the money to the current owners, who are from Vancouver, WA.

It's not big, it's very small, and built in the mid 80s, but well loved, and is in pretty good shape.
It has a living room/dining area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. It is heated by a heat pump, also cooled if necessary. This Saturday it is getting a new roof. It is completely furnished, and all the things except the people's clothes stay.

We will own the tiny wee lot, and will be members of the homeowners group. They have a board, and a management company, as well as an onsite manager. There are 184 lots on 3 paved roads, there is a nice pool and 2 hot tubs, and a lovely busy rec center.

The monthly costs aren't very big, just over $100, and they bill you quarterly.

We need to go and pay for the license for the unit, you pay it every year. We don't pay
taxes other than that.

That's the latest, we'll keep you posted.