Day 235; 130 days to go!  As much as I miss friends and church at home, I will be sorry to have this adventure end.  It's been an amazing experience, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Meanwhile, we are still enjoying Desert Hot Springs, and the Caliente Hot Springs Resort.  Just now, the desert winds have been blowing for a couple days, and the temps are cooler (upper 60's), but still better than what the east is experiencing.  And the desert in the high winds is very interesting.  While back east, roads are closed because of snow or ice, here roads are closed because of blowing sand!  Looking off towards Mount San Jacinto, you can see the clouds of sand. 

It isn't so bad right here, although when Snuggles and I were walking in the desert yesterday morning, when the winds were at their worst, I could feed the sand stinging my face.

In spite of all that, it is beautiful here, and about to be more so, because the desert is beginning to bloom!  Even the creosote bushes have buds ready to burst open, and a few hardy blooms are already gracing those ubiquitous bushes.  Cacti that seemed to be dried up and dead are greening up, and a few blossoms appear here and there.

Around the resort, the lantana is in bloom, and the oleander is ready to.  The ducks in one of the ponds are feeling like spring; the males chasing the females around the pond.  There is a lovely egret that joins the ducks in that pond, also.

But my favorite of the wild life are the strange California Grouse, with their little topknots and their weird call that sounds sort of like a musical spit;  I know, I know, that doesn't sound very pretty, but I don't know how else to describe it.

And Snuggles?  She loves the desert, and the dog park.  She has a couple favorite dogs; one is a chihuahua mix that she runs and runs with in the park, and the other is a Scottie that she loves to wrestle with.  One day there were 8 little dogs in the park, and while Snuggles and Fergus wrestled, another little dog barked and barked at them.  We couldn't decide if she was refereeing, or telling them to behave.

Life is easy, here, what with swimming and dog parking and walking in the desert.  We've explored some of the area by car, attend St. Anthony of the Desert Episcopal Church, and generally just soak up the sun.  I have taken some watercolor classes, although the teacher isn't as good at instruction as those I have had at Chautauqua.  The classes give me an opportunity to paint without Snuggles "helping" me.

We think about you all, and you are in our prayers daily. See you in June!