Never found the laundromat...instead I found two cars stuck in the mud and I'm lucky I didn't get SMACKED!

I set out with the best intentions of finding a laundromat today, but I never did.  Instead, I walked at my favorite walking spot here in town and took photos of the mountains with their freshly-deposited snow.  I hopped back in my car and remembered I had a library book to drop off, so I headed toward Rancho Mirage and did that.  Hmmm...might as well drive out toward Palm Springs, I thought, to take some photos of the windmills.  The clouds were parting as I drove to Palm Springs.  I hadn't been over there since...LAST SUMMER during the fire.  And, you know, I really should drive over there more often.  Palm Springs has some very interesting looking buildings!  I even drove up the tramway road for a bit and took photos of the snow and mountains, then headed out Highway 111 past Windy Point.  I turned off on a side road and raced (not really...) a heavily-loaded freight train which was chugging along Interstate 10.  I took some pics of the train and then turned around and headed up Whitewater Canyon.  There was a sign on the turnoff saying "Road Closed Ahead" and I knew where it would be closed (right where the river crosses the road...DUH...), which is fairly close to the preserve up there. I was hoping I'd get some nice photos of the snow, but by the time I got up there, the mountains were all cloudy again.  Yup...the road was closed and NOBODY in their right mind was going over it!  That is, until a 4 WD Toyota truck, with two rangers, did manage to cross the road.  Apparently they were posting more "Road Closed" signs.  There were several trucks and cars parked there and people were out hiking.  I pulled over, took some photos, and ran into a gal looking for birding places in the valley, so I talked to her for a while.  Got back in my car and headed to Indian Avenue, where I knew I could get off and get some photos of windmills.  It was closed, too, obviously, since the wash was FULL of water.  But, a couple of IDIOTS insisted on driving through the flowing water and DUH..got stuck.  I was out taking photos and one of the aforementioned IDIOTS told me, "Don't take a picture of my car! Get outta here!"  Huh?  Me?  Well, I had already taken 3 photos of his car, so, of course, not wanting to be smacked in the face, I said, "ok" and turned to walk back to my car...but, little did he know I already had the photos.  I mean, why ask for trouble, right?  I think he was embarrassed that he got stuck...WELL, listen to the news reports and don't drive through the MUD!  Another car tried to drive through from the other side and was QUICKLY told to back up, and he did.  I mean, people who live here in the desert know that you do NOT drive through a major wash when it is raining or afterward.  I'm glad I didn't say anything to upset him further!  

Here are some pics from today's exploits:  First, this is the wash flowing through Rancho Mirage.  I've NEVER seen the water so dirty or muddy.

 This is the train that I was driving next to near Windy Point.

 This is the closed road up in Whitewater Canyon.

 These are the IDIOTS who tried to drive through the water and/or mud and got stuck...