Ensconsed in Palm Springs

All right, I'll admit it. The place is growing on me. Even this park, with its blemishes, is growing on me. It's especially nice for H here because there is SO MUCH TO DO. Part of the beauty of Borrego was there is NOTHING TO DO. But with a four year old, diversity is a good thing to have. Obama is here today, for heaven sake.

We went out to a driving range a couple of days ago -- all four of us whacking away at the tiny white balls (well, mine are pink, but no need to get picky).

Cimarron Golf Club

We, of course, couldn't get ourselves organized early enough, so we were there in the heat of the day, which was brutal. Even H got into it on both the driving range and the putting green. He is, true to his four-year-old demographic, totally uncoachable, (our visions of the PGA falter), but he had a great time. And they say Bubba Watson has never had a lesson in his life, so there may be something to H's unique putting grip. Some of us gave up early, escaping to the shade on the patio while watching an amazing variety of birdlife on the pond (barely visible on the lower right in the photo). But others sweltered away until finally declaring their game reclaimed. I was both pleased and chagrined to find A has a beautiful natural swing and great distance to boot, doing better than I do, even though I've been trying for four years now and she had only a couple of lessons last fall. Ah well. Fly, my child, fly.

Had a dinner out that same night at a highly recommended restaurant on Palm Canyon Drive, the hub of PS nightlife. We don't get out much at night, so it was a nice diversion, with a bit of a stroll afterwards. There are a zillion restaurants here, just about anything you could imagine. And lotsa people. Lotsa lotsa people. Probably mostly visitors or temporary residents. I have learned that only about 45,000 people actually live in PS full time, while  the whole Coachella Valley has a population of about 350,000. The communities that make up this urban sprawl include Palm Springs, Cathedral City (where we are), Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio, Rancho Mirage, and a couple of others, all nudging into each other, border-to-border, so it's hard to know where one starts and the next one begins. Many Canadians are among the visitors and temporary residents, with a surprising number of them here this year, despite the devalued dollar.

Mexican patio dining on Palm Canyon Drive.

Oh, and did I mention the weather? Hot. Not complaining, what with the pool and all. But hot. By the pool yesterday met a nice couple from Kelowna with a four-year-old, much to H's delight. He's a pilot for Westjet (the dad, not the four-year-old) and knows Phil Evans (meaningful only to ex-Valley folk). The Small World Principle strikes again.