La Quinta, California: I'm sure you have had enough of the Atmospheric River details on the nightly news, and have seen the terrible devastation the flooding has brought to California. Dave's hometown, Merced, has been flooded and all-over the national news many evenings. His brother's house was not flooded. Brother Steve, northeast of Sacramento, suffered with pond flooding and so many trees down or snapped in half. A lot of clean-up, but they are all safe.
Climate change is real, people. It has dipped into the 30s several nights over the past several weeks. The Coachella Valley averages 2-4 inches of rain per year. Last week, we received one-half-inch in one day.
It works like this: the rain usually comes from the west (LA area) and when the clouds reach the San Jacinto Mountains (10,834 feet) between LA and the Coachella Valley, they come to a screeching halt, and we get no rain. However, if conditions are just right, the clouds get over the mountains and the valley gets moisture. If it cold enough, the mountains receive snow, and Palm Springs (the western-most city) gets much of the rain. Cities to the east of Palm Springs (Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio) get what is left-over. Usually, not much.
First time we have needed to turn our irrigation off for days in a row. (In Oregon, we would turn our irrigation off for basically six months.)
So you can understand we haven't been doing much. I have only golfed once in two weeks. The kids were coming out for MLK weekend, but Lucile came down with a cold (not COVID, not flu, not RSV - she was tested for everything), so cancelled last minute. Happy to report, her bug did not spread through the family. Lucy is back to school, but wearing a mask.
With a sudden family-free weekend, Dave and I went to a new Mexican restaurant, Mole Sedona, in Palm Desert. I had their signature dish, chicken mole enchiladas, and found them to be very good. I could really taste the sweet spices! I love mole, but it takes me two days to make the sauce... so happy to have a local place to enjoy this treat now.
My Driver tried their beef tacos. The meat was super tender, and the portions were super generous.
(NOTE: If you go to this restaurant, double-check the google maps/Resy information. It is NOT in the Gardens of El Paseo... but across the street and west two-three blocks. We did this walk in the rain.)
In non-weather-related news... our friends are arriving! Kathy & Woody are here for three months in their RV, and Marcia & Red are here for three months in a rented house near us. I predict a lot of golfing and adventures with our old friends.
I've been cooking a lot, stitching a lot, and getting ready for Lunar New Year. It is a Rabbit year, so Leo's year! While stitching, I have been listening to Spare, the memoir written by Prince Harry. I am enjoying it (he is in the Army, flying Apache helicopters, in the current chapters), as he reads it hisownself. Apparently, I am a terrible person paying this tome any mind at all? The other day, scrolling through Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) on Instagram, she posted about being curled-up next to the fireplace reading Spare, and was promptly ripped by THOUSANDS of her followers. I am unfollowing you. I am throwing-out all your cookbooks. Royalists were on Ina's back for giving the liar/spoiled brat the time of day. Lisa told me Spare is the #1 book, #1 large-print book, and the #1 audio book in America, so the haters are going to need to unfollow thousands. People really need to relax... like maybe curled-up next to a fire, reading something other than Instagram?
One last photo: the atmospheric river left a ton of snow on the mountains. So pretty!
Until my next update, I remain, your soggy correspondent.
* Jimmy Buffett song
My co-worker gave me her family’s secret, authentic tamale recipe to make for New Years. I’d never had them before and my Husband and grown kids all said they didn’t really like them. She’s Hispanic and said what you get in a restaurant isn’t authentic so I set out to make them. It took me 3 days to cook the meat, make the homemade red chili sauce and put them together wrapped in corn husks to be steamed. My husband and son’s loved them. But three days . I told her that she must really love her family to make them and she laughed and then admitted that the ENTIRE family gets together to make them! LOL So, it’s one and done.
I would really like to read SPARE but haven’t bought it yet, also want to read Ari Melber’s Jan 6 book. The idiots who trashed Ina and others are disgusting. What she enjoys is none of their business and if they don’t approve, just move on. It’s been so out of control since the twice impeached lying orange clown encouraged all this nonsense. Manners went out the window.
My extra time is spent in my garden. It is full of lush turnip greens, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and onions, leeks and one okra plant. We cover and uncover as the weather changes from lovely to freezing but fortunately, it only lasts a few days in North Florida.
Enjoy your friends 🙂
Yes, it isn’t anyone’s business what people read…… but, please,
we can all have an opinion. To me he is a whiney baby who
betrays his family knowing they cannot respond. He must
be so unhappy.
( I’m still a follower ) lol