Thursday, February 27, 2014

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME

 We left Phoenix on Friday February 14 and headed to California. We are now in Pacific time, it takes a day or two to figure out what time it really is.
 We are staying in Palm Spring until the end of March. We enjoy all the things there are to do in this area.
 One night we went and heard the  Air Force Band of the Golden West. they are on tour from Travis Air Force Base. Lots of good music.
 The Blue Yonders had just returned from entertaining the troops in Afganistan. They were lots of fun and I'm sure they spread a lot of cheer when they were over there.
 The 68th Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival was going on in Indio so we went one evening. There is a lot to do and see. the entertainment for the evening was Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band. This group is very passionate about Verterns' causes. They played all types of music and performed for two hours straight.  We then went to see (and hear) the Motorsports monster trucks and free style motocross. It was a rather loud evening.
 On Saturday we went to the Greek Festival. 
 Great food, sorry I forgot to take the picture of the gyro and other delicious Greek food we tasted. There was music and dancing and vendors.
 We had a tour of the church.  This deacon was very informative and really explained Christianity and  Greek Orthodox beliefs. The churches are all laid out the same, in the shape of the cross with a domed ceiling with a picture of Christ on the dome.

 One Saturday evening the entertainment at Thousand Trails was Cowboy Jack. He sang a lot of the old country songs and was a good entertainer. Last Saturday night they had Casino night which is there big fund raiser for the chhildren in the area at Christmas.
 We have also been kept busy with playing pickle ball and golfing.
 The weather has been beautiful, but today the wind has picked up and the sand is blowing. They are calling for showers in the next day or two.

The other night there was a freak accident  here at TT, a palm tree fell on this three month old Prius parked in the activity center parking lot. The back looks OK but the front was totally smashed and the car was totalled. The strange part was it wasn't even very windy.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

PHOENIX BOTANICAL GARDEN



 While we were in Phoenix we went to the Botanical Gardens to see the Chihuly exhibit. He is a famous glass artist who exhibits his large glass sculptures in natural settings around the world.
 The gardens purchased these pieces of Chihuly's the last time his work was on display here. They are at the entrance to the gardens.
 We went in the late afternoon so we could see the gardens in daylight and the art work lit up in the evening. Enjoy the pictures.









 This is the close up of the tall piece above.
The exhibit closes  here in May and a worker we were talking to said they will have all the glass sculptures down in a week.