Indio, California: Since arriving and getting settled back into our daily life in a resort setting, the weather had helped ease us back to our new reality. The temperatures climb into the low 80s every day. There has been little wind (the bane of the desert!) and our neighbors and fellow campers are about their business of playing tennis, jogging, walking, chatting, boating and riding bikes. There is much socializing and much cocktailing... but with the time change, it is dark in Southern California at 5p. Dark. Daylight Savings makes for a very short day!
After exercising and aa breakfast of avocado toast, Dave and I headed out on errands. After returning to our car from making a few purchases at a shop, we noticed a zillion dead bugs on our car. Interesting thing about the dead bugs? They only covered dark cars. If our car was parked next to a white car, the white car would not have even one dead bug on the hood or roof - yet our car would be covered with dead insects.
The amount of fried critters on the sun roof was pretty disgusting. We learned they are Water Boatman Bugs and have come from the nearby Salton Sea, covering cars and drowning/floating on the surface of area swimming pools (which means basically one pool per household in this valley). The bugs cause no harm and they blow off of the car as we drive. They do not bite. They do not sting. They do not carry disease. They are tiny little gnatty-looking creatures. We watched them land on our car, flop about for a few seconds and die. Fried to death, I assume. Why they are not attracted to light-colored cars I cannot imagine. The local news report the bugs will be gone in a few days. In all the years we have come to the desert, this is the first time we have seen this phenomenon. Hope it is the last.Colleen and Rick invited us to join them for a sunset cruise on their boat this afternoon. There was no wind, and the canals were as smooth as glass. We saw Green Herons, Cranes, Cormorants and two huge Night Herons.
My bad luck, I only had my cell phone and no camera... so here is a photo of the beautiful Night Heron snapped with a phone. Sorry.After our cruise - it takes about an hour to traverse the waterway inside the Motorcoach Country Club - Colleen and Rick joined us in our outdoor covered patio for Chinese Chicken Soup. (Thursday is soup night at our house.)
My bad luck, I only had my cell phone and no camera... so here is a photo of the beautiful Night Heron snapped with a phone. Sorry.After our cruise - it takes about an hour to traverse the waterway inside the Motorcoach Country Club - Colleen and Rick joined us in our outdoor covered patio for Chinese Chicken Soup. (Thursday is soup night at our house.)
Chicken Noodle Soup (with fresh spinach, green onion and shredded chicken, in a sesame-ginger broth), Cucumber Salad, Rick & Colleen (from Alberta), Scallion Pancakes, and sliced citrus.A fun evening with great friends, a great boat ride around the resort and good Chinese food... even if I say so myownself.
Until my next update, I remain, your yachty correspondent.
RV PARK: The Motorcoach Country Club