La Quinta, California: It's been a busy few weeks around here. It seems we have just returned from one RV trip, only to leave again. The escrow process has finished and we moved our bus from our rented RV storage garage, 100 feet to her new RV storage garage. Since it is 110° this week, the Magna Peregrinus should appreciate her new air conditioned home. Though she won't be there for long - we leave here on 7 July for a two-month trip. Dare I say it? A vacation!
Some fun news: Lenny was in Vancouver, BC, for work. Lenny was going for a run in Stanley Park and was texting with Dave. Of course, Dave told Lenny to find the famous Harry Jerome statue in the park. Lenny did, and snapped a selfie:
Why, you may wonder, would he want Lenn to pose with famous Canadian sprinter Harry Jerome (1940-1982)? Well, it was perfect Lenny was running in a University of Oregon cap, as Jerome ran not only for his country, he ran for the Ducks (and has a masters degree from UO). Thank you, Lenny, and GO DUCKS!
While exercising in the pool lounging on a pool float, I noticed a lot of activity in a small palm next to the water. It was a hummingbird nest! Less than two feet from the ground and in a spot that receives no shade until late afternoon... not to mention, isn't it a bit late for hummers to be nesting in the Coachella Valley? Thank goodness we don't have a cat. I snapped several photos with my fancy camera (using a longer lens in order to not disturb the babies), but the best shot was captured with my stoopid phone:
Watching the momma bird hover, fly away, return, feed, hover, fly away, return, feed, hover, fly away, return and feed all dang day - at breath-taking speeds - makes me wonder if humans have mothering easy? Mothering is NOT easy, but regurgitation is not required to nourish our young, so we have that going for us.
The fledglings are now "leaving the nest" enough to venture 6-inches out to stand on a palm frond. It's like one of the "twins" has earned her driving permit?
Lofty goals the past few weeks: leave with a very empty freezer. (A girl needs goals!) Due to my "don't waste food" obsession problem philosophy, there are way-too-many jars of homemade stock in our freezer. Using a jar of veggie stock, I added freshly-grated ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil to make a nice, light, Asian-inspired broth. Fresh spinach leaves were placed in the bottom of a soup bowl, hot (Taiwanese!) noodles were placed on top, the broth ladled over. The hot broth wilts the spinach to perfection. Cilantro garnish.
We each added a spoonful of chili crisp (our favorite) to the top, and dang, it was like we were back in Taipei.
One more field trip planned before we hit the highway. Until my next update, I remain, your organizing correspondent.