Dinner in the mountains

I had to attend a training class all day Wednesday this past week and that really just messed me up for the rest of the week.  I had NO energy to do anything...sigh...I don't like to be like that.  I like to get OUT and enjoy and observe nature, which is why I have this blog.  Instead, I got into another rut, like some of you.  But, I sat next to my good friend Barb at the training all day and she invited the hubs and I up for dinner at her mountain place last night, so off we went, armed with cold beer, wine, and asparagas.  Oh, and graham crackers (for dessert).  There were a couple of Barb's neighbors there, too, and one of them in a natural farmer.  He brought THE MOST DELICIOUS tomatoes I've ever eaten (and I'm not a big tomato fan).  But, these were absolutely tasty (not like the cardboard ones from the stores).  A good time was had by all and we drove back down the mountain about 10:30 last night.  We had grilled shrimp, chicken, asparagas, and 3 kinds of peppers soaked in olive oil.  Oh, and the DELICIOUS tomatoes!  Hubby wrapped some corn in tin foil and put it on the bbq also.  There was beer & wine (I had ice tea, thank you!).  Dessert?  Oh, yes...dessert was a banana cut in half, like a boat, and stuffed with graham crackers, little marshmallows, and chocolate, then put over the grill just long enough to melt the chocolate....Oh, my goodness!  A good time was had by all and we actually got to sit outside and enjoy the evening air and view the skies.  Oh, and Timeless...a LOT of UFO stories were told, too!   :-)  Here are some pics from yesterday.  Yes, there are horses roaming her yard.  It's completely fenced with an electric strip running on the top and bottom.  The bottom keeps the coyotes out and the top line keeps the horses IN!

Weather update

Our mountains had rain today.  Idyllwild got over another inch and Anza got an inch, too.  This afternoon, I could hear thunder up Deep Canyon.  Hubby was home today, so I didn't go for a drive up there.  If he had been at work, I would have hopped in my car and driven up there.  So, these photos are from the Toro Mountain cam, which operates 24 hours a day at over 8,000 feet. This is the view looking north, so Idyllwild would be hidden in the clouds on the left hand side of the photos. This is after the big thunderstorm.  Hubby just told me another storm cell is on its way into the valley, so there may be more rain and thunder tonight.  Aren't the clouds gorgeous?

Mountain fire update

As of last night's 11:00 p.m. news, the town of Idyllwild will be OPEN TODAY!  Whoo, whoo!  That's great news!  Depending on the weather, I may take a drive up there today.  I did take a quick (1 hour) drive up Highway 74 through Deep Canyon yesterday.  I saw 4 California Highway Patrol cars coming down the mountain, 2 more brown unmarked sheriff's department cars, 2 green BLM pickup trucks, and another 2 fire trucks all coming DOWN the mountain from Idyllwild.  Phew!  So, now instead of seeing crews driving to it, they are driving away from Idyllwild.  The fire, last night, was 68% contained, thanks to Idyllwild getting over an inch of rain Saturday night and Sunday.  We actually had puddles here in Palm Desert right out in our street.  I didn't even hear the thunder, but folks all up and down the valley watched the 4:00 a.m. light show (I slept through the whole thing!)  Of course, Thursday I had just taken my car through the fancy smanchy brand new car wash down in north Indio (the kind where you swipe your credit card and then drive through the car wash)...I HAD TO...it was so filthy!  I even got to use their free hose to clean out the back and the driver's side mats.  Now, of course, I need to go back!

Anyway...I digress...

I took a short drive up Highway 74 to take some photos yesterday morning since the clouds were so pretty hanging on the mountains.  The last photo is looking down from Deep Canyon across the Coachella Valley.

Fire and horses update

My horses are safe.  They are on the OTHER side of the mountain ridge between the fire and them and across Highway 74.  In fact, during last Tuesday's lesson, we couldn't even see the smoke from the fire.

It rained here in the desert ALL NIGHT last night and everything is soaked.  However, when I got up at 5:00 a.m., I did see lightning to the south (up Highway 74 and not in a current fire area)...

A follower just posted on the Idyllwild Town Crier facebook page that it also rained all night up in the mountains, in the fire zone and the fire is now 49% contained.  I'll keep you guys posted today...

Haven't been doing much.  I have been driving over the Palm Springs every morning with my camera to take photos, but yesterday it was so cloudy I couldn't tell which were smoke clouds and which were storm clouds.  And, today it's the same.  I may take a drive up Highway 74 later on...

Thursday night sunset and smoke from the fire

Hubby and I drove into Palm Springs Thursday night.  Last night we had dinner with our daughter, SIL, and baby Ellie.  They are flying to Oregon this morning from the Palm Springs airport to spend 10 days with a friend and her 5 children!  Oye!  It will be a busy household!  Today the sky is completely surrounded with monsoon clouds and I can't tell what is smoke and clouds.  We've already had a few sprinkles here in Palm Desert this morning, so hopefully the mountains will get rain and it will put out the fire.

Fire cloud~SkyWatch Friday~071913

I took this photo last night.  That's a smoke cloud from the fire near the town of Idyllwild, CA.  Hubby and I drove out by the Palm Springs Indian canyons.  There were quite a few folks out there...some had tripods.  ALL were looking at the flames slowly moving down the mountain a little further away.  Such a sad scene...I am sad that our mountains are burning.  SkyWatch Friday for July 19, 2013.  To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Mountain fire~Friday's Fences~071913

I took this photo on Tuesday.  By the next day, the road up to the mountains was closed.  Apparently it is now open again.  The fire has now crested the mountains and it is working its way down into the Palm Springs Indian canyons.  Over 22,000 acres have burned and a monsoon is heading toward the valley.  Friday's Fences for July 19, 2013.  To visit Friday's Fences, please go to:   http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Fire update

Last night the entire town of Idyllwild was under MANDATORY evacuation...sigh...That's over 6,000 people.  And pets.  And horses.  Now I worry about all the wildlife~the bluejays, squirrels, rabbits, deer, and other wildlife...

Our daughter had texted me earlier in the afternoon to inform me that the Idyllwild School of the Arts was being evacuated.  That's a good thing because they are having music camp there and kids are up at the camp.  And their musical instruments.

I can no longer drive up Highway 74 to Garner Valley because the road is now closed.

And, a monsoon is heading our way, which means a wind shift toward Idyllwild.  That's why the town is being evacuated.

These photos are NOT mine as I can't get up there anymore...sigh...All photos are from:
http://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2013/07/15/photos-mountain-fire-grows/  NOBODY can drive into Garner Valley anymore, unless you are a resident.  I'm not a resident, so I can't get through there.  Yes, the road to Anza is still open (as far as I know...)

FIRE in my mountains!

My mountains are on fire.  It started a couple of days ago up by Mountain Center, which is at the turnoff from Highway 74 to Idyllwild.  It was windy that day...need I say more?  What started out at 5 acres went to 25, then to 50, then to 1,000, then to 2,500.  It is now at over 9,000 acres and it has taken on a life of its own.  There is NOTHING to stop it from heading down Andreas Canyon, Murray Canyon, and Palm Canyon (the Palm Springs Indian canyons).

I headed up that way today anyway to go to the horses' weekly lesson with their trainer and I took a few photos before their lesson.  Once their lessons were over, I headed back toward Idyllwild.  I figured I'd drive as far as I could and take photos.  There were quite a few other folks pulling over alongside the road taking photos and talking with one another.  I met a nice gentleman from Anza who told me that last night the sky glowed red.  Ugh.

The smoke from this fire is quickly filling up the Coachella Valley with smoke.  I mean, it's BAD.  There were ashes all over our cars this morning and the dogs don't want to go out.  I drove out to COSTCO this afternoon and took additional photos with my little Nikon Coolpix.  The sun was red from all the smoke.

Hubby is off Thursday, so we may grab our cameras and head back up the mountain that afternoon.

Here are a few pics from this morning and noon.  This fire is a pretty scary thing.  As some of you know, these mountains have VERY few roads on them.  Basically, the fire is just going where it wants to go...sigh...I took the first photo in the morning.  The others I took about 12:30 p.m.  What a difference a few hours made...

And the skies opened up~SkyWatch Friday~071213

So, I took a drive this morning up into our local pinyon forest, which is only 12 minutes from my house, up Highway 74.  What a difference 12 minutes makes!  The temperature dropped about 15 degrees and it was raining.  Not a desert sprinkle, but big rain drops!  And, I turned off the car, rolled down the windows, and just sat and SMELLED the wonderful mountain smells:  pine, creosote, and a little bit of sage.  Then I turned around and went back to the humidity and heat...SkyWatch Friday for July 12, 2013.   To visit SWF, please go to:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/

"Surrounded"~Friday My Town Shoot Out~071213

I love old wagons and I especially love old wagon wheels.  This one is up in Bodie State Park.  Friday My Town Shoot Out for July 12, 2013.  To visit FMTSO, please go to:   http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/  I cropped the bottom one!  

RAIN!!!

We finally had some sprinkles here in the valley this morning and the temperature dropped enough that I could open up all the doors and windows and let fresh air inside.  It's been nearly two months since I've been able to do that!  I hopped in the car and drove up Highway 74 to our local pinyon forest to sit and listen to the rain and to smell the wet smell of pine, cresote, and sage.  It was marvelous!  More rain is forecast as the monsoon clouds move from Arizona through the valley late this afternoon.

Cosmos

Just a quick photo of the cosmos out in my front yard.  It is dark, dreary, and ready to rain here today...I may go for a drive later.

Vulture~Wild Bird Wednesday~071013

First, I can't believe my summer vacation is nearly half over.  WHERE did the time go?...sigh...Anyway, yesterday up at the horse ranch, a large shadow drifted over me, so I looked up to see a vulture circling above.  I don't often see them up there anymore, so I ran a few steps to get some better shots (I hope...) Then, POOF~it was gone! Wild Bird Wednesday for July 10, 2013.  To visit Wild Bird Wednesday, please go to:   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/   NOTE***PLEASE click on the photos to enlarge them.  I am not a professional photographer.

, 2013.

Clouds are moving in

Clouds are moving in from Arizona, part of a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico.  It's already dark out front and the humidity is WAY up there!  We should have showers by Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  Of course, it's MY FAULT because I got the car washed today!   :-)  I always love to see the clouds up in our local mountains this time of year.

Window and jars~Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors~070813

I was driving around Idyllwild Thursday morning when I spotted this window, door, and the various bottles along the cabin.  I would so love to have a little cabin like this...sigh...someday!   :-)  Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors for July 8, 2013.  To visit WWDD, please go to:   http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/

Garden shadows~Shadow Shot Sunday~070713

I was so busy trying to capture some of my wildflower garden last month that I didn't even notice the fence shadow in this photo!  I kind of like it.  My German Shepherd insists on taking a LONG nap right in the middle of my flowers, so now most of them are bent over!   And then my white outdoor cat takes HIS nap in the middle of it, too.  They both like it because I leave the hose running and there is cool mud for them.  No, I don't leave the dogs out all day...just a few minutes in the morning and late afternoon.  But, the outdoor cats sure enjoy the shade~!  Shadow Shot Sunday for July 7, 2013.   To visit SSS, please go to:   http://shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com/

More yellow flowers~Sunday Stills Challenge~070713

It's a good thing that the yellow rose up at the ranch is still blooming, or I would be out of luck for this week's challenge, which is "yellow flowers"!  I already posted photos of the rudbeckia I found last week up in Garner Valley!  I do have a couple of tiny sunflowers in my yard, but they really aren't worth taking a photo of right now.  It's been brutally hot here and I water them once a day, but our mesquite tree shades that portion of the yard (thank goodness!) and I hate to trim it back!  But, these yellow roses are in full bloom now.  I nearly caught a been on one of them, but it escaped just before I clicked!  Even these roses are a little tired from the heat.  It was hot up there yesterday and I left by 11:30 after giving one horse a nice shower with the hose!  Sunday Stills Challenge for July 7, 2013.  To visit the Sunday Stills Challenge this week, please go to:   http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/