COLD, RAINY WEEKEND

Friday was a cool windy day, so we went wine tasting in Temecula with Linda and Larry.

Our first stop was at the Hart winery, but it only had dry wines so we decided to try another winery.

We then went to the Callaway winery. It is owned by the famous golfer.

The buildings were rather plain for a winery, usually the tasting rooms are in beautiful buildings.

For $10 we got to sample 6 wines and to keep the glass. They stopped keeping track at 4 samples and I think we had at least 8. I few too many for me. I enjoy one glass with a dinner.

Larry, Dottie and Linda enjoying our first sample of wine.

There are miles and miles of wineries along this road in Temecula.

Each winery offers wine tasting.

After our 8 samples at Callaway we had had enough wine for the day.

We went into Hemet and had a Mexican dinner at this restaurant.

Saturday brought rain and cold weather. We had tickets for the Jeff Dunham show at the Aqua Caliente Casino on Saturday night. We drove the 60 miles back to Palm Springs with some wet snow flurries and lots of wind in the mountain passes. Jeff Dunham is a ventriloquist. His puppets include Walter, Peanut, and Jose. It was a very funny show and we were glad we had gotten tickets. When we got back to Wilderness Lake the temperature had dropped to 32 degrees.

Sunday morning Larry vended at Wilderness Lake. It was still a little too cold for many people to vend or shop. We have invested in selling these RV motion sensor lights. Larry is very excited about selling them. He had just made up this display, so people can see how they work.

ACROSS THE DAM

Tuesday evening 16 of us (from the pickle ball players here at Wilderness) went to Marietta,CA to the Asian Seafood Buffet for dinner. It is half price on Tuesday nights for seniors, so for $15 for two we had our fill of crab legs, shrimp, salmon, mussells, clams and sushi.
On Wednesday there was no line dancing because they had a funeral at the family lodge. There are two couples here at Wilderness that use to hike with me at Palm Springs. So we decided to go for a hike around here. We went to Diamond Valley Lake (see my January blog, WATER, WATER, WATER). Larry and I had taken the North Hill trail when we were here before, so this time we wanted to hike the Lakeview Trail. It is 21.8 miles long. We didn't go all around the lake!

On top of the dam looking out at the lake. Larry standing in front of Naomi and John. Linda is on the right.

We hiked the East Dam it was 2.5 miles long. Then we turned around and walked 2.5 miles back. A nice hike for today. We would like to bike around the whole lake before we leave the area.

The view of the visitor center and Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology. I would have like for everyone to have gone to the visitor center before our hike to understand more about the lake and dam but it is only open Thursday to Sunday.

As you can see from these pictures it was quite an overcast day. It was cool (almost cold) but not windy. It is suppose to rain (and snow at lower elevations then usual) the next several days, so it was good to go hiking today.

DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN

Sunday morning we left to drive to Menifee, CA, 67miles away. The mountains were covered with snow to a much lower level then they have been before the rain and snow the last few days. Look closely and you will see that there are snow capped mountains in the clouds up ahead.

A little better view of the snow on the mountains. Our drive was a little windy but not too bad.

We are now in Wilderness Lake. Larry played pickle ball with a lot of friends that he had played with at Palm Springs. I was glad to catch up with Faye. She had new dances to teach me and we had lots of fun practicing them. Unfortunately she leaves tomorrow, but we should met again at Palm Springs in a few weeks.

FUN AND GAMES

This fair is held in Indio and opened on Friday, Feb. 18. The first five hours there was no admission charge, so Larry and I went about 1:30. It was sunny but the weather was to turn windy, cold and rainy later in the afternoon.

It had lots of rides, vendors and entertainment. It was like a state fair (even better ) with lots of exhibits and animals.

We watched an exotic animal show. All the animals performed tricks, sort of like a circus.

A nine year old Bengal tiger.

A two year old puma.

A white Bengal tiger.

There was to be a musical pageant each evening of the fair based on the story 1001 Arabian Nights. I would have like to have seen it but the wind and rain came and we left before show time.

There were camel rides and at this tent they even had camel milking.

This woman had a very entertaining bird show.

When we were in Hollywood we saw Pink"s and there was a line of about 20 people waiting to order their hot dogs. So we decided to order a chili dog to see what was so great about them.

Here is our chili dog ($5.75). The skin was real tough on it, and was probable the worst dog I've ever had. The chili was tasty. That is the last I'll eat at Pink's.

We were to leave and travel to Wilderness Lake TT on Saturday but they were calling for high winds on route 10. We bought a night here at Palm Springs so we could stay and attend Casino Night. It is their big fund raiser for the Riverside Fire Co Sparks of Love program that helps needy children. They raised $1100, an all time high!

They had a kitchen opened and we could purchase popcorn, hot dogs, chips, cookies and soda.
Of course we were too busy playing blackjack or Texas hold'em to go get food so they had lovely waitresses taking orders and delivering the food right to the table.

Larry was a relief dealer at this blackjack table.

I played blackjack all evening (7 to 8:30). You purchases a bag of chips when you entered for $5 and you also received 6 tickets for the lottery. There was $500 dollars worth of chips in the bag. At the end of the night I had $2100 ( Larry and my bag). So I won more than I lost. For that $2100 we received 21 more lottery tickets.

I am having lots of fun playing.

I was smiling because I had blackjack.

Counting out the winnings so the lottery could begin. There were lots of great prizes from different stores and restaurants in the area. Many golf clubs and even whole bags of clubs, bottles of wine, a year membership to Skymed, a 32 inch flat screen TV, pies, dates, Thousand trail hats and lots and lots of other prizes. We had donated a bottle of Dry wash and a bottle of Home product and would you believe it we won a RV wash by Manny. So in March before we head home we will have our RV washed. It was a fun evening and it helped support a good cause.

ON THE TRAILS AGAIN

Tuesday night Larry went to Loma Linda VA for a sleep study test. The weather has turned very windy and is to bring cooler temperatures and rain for the next week. Wednesday morning Lynn took another couple and me to Indian Canyons an Agua Caliente Indian Reservation for another adventure. Notice the rainbow as we went down route 10, rain and sun ahead.

We hiked Andreas canyon and then Murray canyon for a total of 5 miles.

This rock formation is right by the parking lot.

Lynn and Larry (Linda and Larry were the couple that went on the hike) looking at the holes in the rock made by the Indian grinding grain.

The Andreas Canyon trail.

Do you see the buildings on the hill?

There is a house at the top. What a view and this nice stream below.

These were the buildings on the hill. We don't think they are used today.

See the lizard, look to the left. It might be the granite spiney lizard.

Pretty flowers along the trail.

These are date palm trees, there were long clusters of "berries" hanging down. I have learned that dates have to be hand pollinated, so I guess these wild trees don't produce fruit.

Off on our second hike, Murray Canyon.

We went up and down and over this stream. It was nice hearing the water flowing, a frog croaking, and the palms blowing in the wind.

We crossed the stream 34 times (17 each way). We were expert rock jumpers when we were finished and not one foot got wet!

At the end of the trail we ate our lunch. The wind was really picking up and blew us back down the trail. We were glad to be heading home and it was getting windier and windier. Blowing sand is not fun to walk in.
On our way back a large bunch of palm leaves blew off a tree and came crashing down. It was across the stream from were we were walking but it really made a crash.

I really am on these hikes even if you don't see me in any of the pictures. Here I am a little wind blown.

The trail back to the parking lot. Homes and windmills in the distance.

We had seen evidence of horses on the hike and here is definite proof. They were just starting down the trail. The wind was getting stronger by the minute, but the temperature was great for hiking . We were glad we were headed home and not just starting out.