La Quinta, California: After the most miserable desert winter we can recall in 15 years, we are now back to hot days and lovely evenings. The weather really cooperated for Weekend Two of the Coachella Music Festival. Lisa brought Leo out for two days of the three-day weekend.
Lucile is too young for Coachella, plus she had a baseball game. Leo is probably too young as well, but he knows the bands and wants to see them... though his main goal was to be on television - and he was, several times:
We had a great weekend with the kids, always a lot of fun over Coachella weekend, and so many young people staying with their parents/grandparents to attend the festival. Coachella is held at the Empire Polo Club, which is on the next block over from our country club. Obviously, a primo location for festival attendees. The wind must have been just right, because we really heard the music this year... 99% of it not to my liking/interest.
There were a few interesting sightings on the golf course last week. Walking down the first fairway, I happened to see (hard to miss!) a massive hawk on the grass in the rough. It was sitting on something... which we discovered was a mallard. A dead mallard, which would certainly become a massive feast for the hawk. Wow, that was really something. A mallard is a fairly large bird and it must have been an epic battle. Guess the bird with the talons wins that war? Then, on the 4th hole we saw a goose egg sitting on the grass near a pond. No goose around. No nest around. Just an egg. Very odd. There are many baby ducks and geese in the ponds now.
Then, some sort of miracle occurred. An orchid plant (received in full bloom as a gift from Kathy months ago) bloomed again! Never in my life has this happened - even when we lived in the tropics. The dang thing is sending up another shoot as well, loaded in buds.
Here is an odd tale: When I heard Harry Belafonte passed away, a memory stirred in my little brain. He kissed me once. Truth! Though I do not remember the moment at all, my parents swear it happened. At an airport, when I was quite young (5? 6?). Why I was at an airport - when I never flew until I was 19 - and at which airport did this occur? No one recalls. The story goes, he walked into the terminal and somehow struck up a conversation with my parents, and leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. A fleeting moment. I'm sure he remembers it often and wonders what ever happened to that cute little girl? Ha! The evening after he passed away, I asked Madam A (Alexia) to play his music and lifted my martini glass to toast him.
My Driver had a birthday this week. Another trip around the sun. We will celebrate with the kids next weekend (stayed tuned), so just had a nice dinner for two at the clubhouse. I was going to cook for him, but an email from the restaurant reported Chicken Paillard was on the menu. Can't resist a chicken cutlet, especially if served over/under tossed greens.
Then DT had a little birthday surprise. The singer at the clubhouse tonight was Filipino. We sent a request for a very famous, and very very old Filipino song, by a very famous Filipino, Freddie Agular - Anak - known well by every Filipino. When the musician read the request, he looked up immediately to see who had requested this song. No other Filipinos to be found in the crowd. Then he said, "Well, this is a first." Of course, he knew the song, and played and sang it well. We were a little verklempt, as it is a very sad song. I cry every time I hear Anak. Fun little surprise for DT's 68th.
I will leave you with a pretty view across the golf course. Quiet week, with lovely weather, and no festival - until tonight - when the final weekend of madness descends upon this valley.
Until my next update, I remain, your "I have a tee time in 30 minutes" correspondent.
Beautiful, peaceful view of the golf course and distant mountains. I’m guessing that is looking north or northwest. Then I had a terrible thought: it must take a lot of equipment to keep the grass well manicured. When do they cut it? How many workers does it take? And the tough one: how much noise? I assume they start late so as not to disturb your sleep. Maybe grab a 5 minute video with sound some morning when they are just beyond your pool. Thanks
Constant mowing, maintenance, irrigating, grooming and trimming. Pretty wide open out there, so not too much noise to wake us. Sometimes they are mowing so early the headlights are on. The staff is well over 20 and they are employees of this country club. We appreciate them all.