Three Perfect Days in the Desert!

We survived the holidays, and don't have to be back to work until Jan. 3, so my wife and I are out in the desert for a few days. Not sure why I like the desert so much... stress reducer?  Escape mechanism?  Whatever, I just know I like it out here in 29 Palms!

Three Perfect Days:  Day 1 (12/28/10)
As we eat breakfast at the dining room table, looking out at the desert, I notice a big crescent-shaped piece missing from a prickly-pear cactus.  How strange...
 

Bite mark out of Opuntia cactus



Well, it didn't take long to solve the mystery. A few bites later into my apple fritter toast, it became very clear who the culprit was!!  A BIG jackrabbit!



Caught in the act!!!

After breakfast, time to work on the "bottle tree" (will post a picture tomorrow).  Then time to take the Jeep out for a little exploring, rock hunting, and photography. Heading north on Lear Ave. from Hwy 62, we run across a homestead cabin late in the afternoon.  Can't resist taking a picture. I always wonder... who owns (or owned) this place? What was their story, and why did they have to walk away from their dream?

One Room Homestead Cabin

  


What a view from the Outhouse!!

   

Here's the "kitchen"!



Toaster Oven with Birdhouse Inside!

Back in the Jeep, down the next dirt road to the next homestead cabin. On the way, we pass by this sign... Rancho Not So Grande!  Ya gotta love the folks in the desert! 

We reach the next homestead cabin just as the sun is ready to set... hard to take a bad picture when the light is soooo perfect!

Pink Cabin in 29 Palms

Even the doors look artistic in the late afternoon light!

Front door, with bottom halve and outer wood skin missing

Back door with outer wood skin missing

Three Perfect Days:  Day 2 (12/29/10)

Day 2 started not as perfect as planned... very high winds, light drizzle.  My original plan of constructing a windmill would have to wait.  However, the bottle tree my wife put together yesterday was still standing... amazing!

So, after dropping some furniture off at Rosy's Thrift Store in 29 Palms, we continued east on Hwy 62 to an area called Wonder Valley.  We turned north on Sheldon and explored every dirt road we could find!  I could never figure out why they call it Wonder Valley, but spending time this afternoon after the storm had passed through, and seeing the wide open spaces surrounded by multiple mountain ranges, was simply incredible.  Truly a "wonder".  We were able to collect some incredible rocks today, in addition to some old desert wood I plan to use for shelves.  As always, couldn't pass up the abandoned homestead cabins. Hope you find these as interesting as I do!

Cabin #1:  Cozy, on 5 acres. Very private with no neighbors.  Forever views right out the front door!

This one includes a natural stone outdoor cooking area!

Forever view right out the front door... you can see for miles!

Oiginal kitchen looks like it was bright and cheery!

Cabin #2: Open and breezy... well ventilated!

Yes, definitely a fixer but look at the view!!!

View out of interior wall facing East

 Cabin #3: Beautifully located on a desert knoll with killer views in every direction!

Wow... true desert solitude

Cabin #4: Flat, level 5 acre lot.  Needs some roof work.

That's my beautiful wife exploring the area!

 Cabin #5: This one's a real fixer (note 2x4 supports holding up one wall; caved-in roof).

Bring your hammer!



Wonder Valley living up to its name!!

 

Three Perfect Days:  Day 3 (12/30/10)

Winds are very high again today, so had to bite the bullet and build the windmill in less than ideal conditions.  However, perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and in my view, any time spent in the great wide open is perfection!

Had a surprise visit from a buddy of mine. Bruce is the leader of the band I am in, and we've been making music together for almost 15 years. A great guy, and he's taught me more about music than anyone else. He was making a delivery in the area today and knows I have a place in 29, so wants to come by and  check the place out. Next thing I know, I see a tractor-trailer that is too big to navigate the turn on my sandy desert road!!

Truck's too big to make the turn up to my place!

So, on to the windmill construction project! I bought this guy on the internet, so wasn't really sure what to expect.  Turns out this 10' model is surprisingly well designed will quality materials; I give it a thumbs up. If you're in the market, Google "Barnyard Supply".  A fun project, and should give us years of enjoyment! Check out my knit cap... a Christmas gift from my sister over at Lap Dog Knits blogspot.  Man, did it come in handy!

Spinning like crazy on this windy day!

So ends our "three perfect days"... a great mix of fun, relaxation, exploration... reading, photography, even a suprise visit from an old friend!

If This Ol' Pepper Tree Could Talk!!

Got a call yesterday, in the middle of S. CA's biggest rain storm in 10-15 years, that the old pepper tree on my mother-in-law's property in Yorba Linda came down.  Thank goodness, no one was hurt and no significant property damage.

Perhaps one of Yorba Linda's oldest CA Pepper trees

I have some sentimental attachment to this old Pepper.  I can remember when I first started dating my wife and seeing this big tree in her front yard.  I do believe we walked down and sat under it a few times :-).  I would have been about 17 at the time, which means 40 years ago (yikes!).  Even back then, the tree looked huge and full-grown.  Makes me think this tree is probably a good 100 years old.  

This old tree's seen many,many changes over the last 100 years in Orange County... incredible changes, from open fields, orange and avacado groves, and dusty roads, to the sprawling metropolis it is today.  One thing I love about my mother-in-law's property is it looks amost exactly as it did back in the 50's!

Close up of Pepper tree... one part of trunk is still intact, but likely not for long!

The diameter of the trunk of this old Pepper is approximately 6 feet.  There is still one offshot of the trunk intact, but the tree is so lopsided, it's only a matter of time before the whole thing comes down.  

Bee hive in tree hollow



I noticed a big hollowed-out area at the base with bees flying all over the place. Slowly, carefully, I got closer in hopes of getting a picture (and trying my best not to get stung!).  Can't see it too well in the pic, but here it is.  Look closely, and you can see the bees buzzing around.  A moment of silence, please, for a wonderful old Pepper tree!

Granny's Cinnamon Rolls!!!

When I was a kid, granny used to make these killer cinnamon rolls.  She didn't make them all the time, so when she did make them, it was a real treat!!  I've been know to eat an entire plate at one setting!

It's Sunday night, and I'm reflecting back on what a nice Thanksgiving weekend it's been.  Lots to be thankful for this year, and I'm 100% sincere about that.  One of the highlights of our family Thanksgiving meal was the cinnamon rolls.  Granny has passed on, but thank goodness the cinnamon roll legacy lives on!  My sister over at Lap Dog Knits blogspot (http://lapdogknits.blogspot.com/) has somehow decoded the secret process.  I can close my eyes, pop a cinnamon roll in my mouth, and instantly be transported back in time... a perfect re-creation of Granny's Cinnamon Rolls!!


Mmmmm!  A picture just can't do them justice!  Notice there are a few missing!!

 Another interesting Thanksgiving experience... what to do with the turkey neck and giblets??  Well, we decided to set them out in the desert for the coyotes, and much to our surprise, they were still there Friday AM.  But by late morning, I see this large bird on the telephone pole behind the house, and I'll be darn if he doesn't have a turkey neck up there with him!!  I'm guessing he's a Red Tail Hawk, but I'm not too good with birds, so would appreciate any input you can provide on what this bird is. 

So, how do you work off that great Thanksgiving meal (not to mention the full plate of cinnamon rolls)??  We decided to take a drive into Joshua Tree Park... that was the extent of my exercise on Friday.  But these guys know how to burn off major calories!!  Made me nervous just looking at them!

Hope everyone had a great 2010 Thanksgiving!

Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)

It must be nest building time for Cactus Wrens here in 29 Palms.  We were surprised to see a mating pair going in and out of our bird houses, and there is clearly one bird house with a nest under construction.  My wife noticed a wren sitting on top of a Golden Barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) and pulling out the fuzzy stuff off the top of the cactus with it's beak.

Cactus Wren atop Golden Barrel (ouch!)

Prickly Pear cactus with nest in center

We've been watching these wrens for a while now.  Their nest last year was in some prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.) - you can see it in the center of the photo if you look closely!

Here he is standing on top of the new home he (or she?) is working on.  We will have to see if this is a permanent selection!

New Home???