La Quinta, California: Our state and county have lifted most mask mandates, and people are once again out and about. It is all a bit disconcerting to both of us, after cocooning for so many months, to see someone without a mask! Most people in my neighborhood (a lot of retired folks) still wear masks in the grocers though, and I expect this to continue for quite a while. I haven't had as much as a cold for over two years, and that is a good thing! I hope you are all getting back out in the world again and that COVID cases continue to fall in your county, as they are here.
We are still golfing quite a bit, even though we had a very rare snow storm in the surrounding mountains, resulting in rare frost delays on our course. The first two photos were taken from our back patio:
This photo was taken with my phone while I was out walking. It looks west - the snow is covering the mountains directly above Palm Springs:
It's still all sunshine and flowers on the desert floor however.
Lucy has been out and about as well. Her school had a very special celebration for the second graders on 2-22-22, calling it TWOS-DAY. So clever. Her school also celebrates 1/2 birthdays for the summer-birthday kids. Lucy (August birthday) received a little bag of treats:
Not only was there excitement at school - Lisa and Lucy went to Burbank City Hall (amazing Art Deco building constructed in the early 1940s by the WPA) to have their passports renewed (no trip planned; passports were expiring), and then they went to lunch. Mother-Daughter date.
Intimidating little tykes!
While I'm on the subject of kids, Kathy and Woody's grandchildren came to visit them in Palm Desert. One afternoon they all came here for an al fresco lunch and to see our new house:
Then - can you handle all this activity? - we had more visitors! Tamra and Steve flew from Portland to spend four nights with us. We golfed, talked, and ate (and ate and ate and ate). Tamra claimed she had not golfed in forever, yet was out-driving us all. She was so excited and it was so much fun to see her so excited. One afternoon, Steve and Dave golfed while the ladies went window shopping on El Paseo (the local equivalent to Rodeo Drive). There was only one thing we wanted to buy, but we are pretty sure it was not for sale:
This adorable car - right-side steering - may not have been for sale, but if I were carrying a larger tote, I could have put it in my purse and walked away! The Figaro was causing quite a stir with passers-by, and was probably the most-photographed object in town today.
The last night of Tamra and Steve's visit, I prepared a Taiwanese feast (we all lived in Taipei in the 1980s). Onion pancakes for appetizers, Three Cup Chicken (national dish of Taiwan), garlic-sauteed spinach, Taiwan Pickle and steamed rice.
How fun that we ate from the little tea table from our kitchen in Taipei (circa 1985).
We have more adventures planned and more visitors are arriving. Stay tuned.
Until my next update, I remain, your day-tripping correspondent.