Birds in the desert.

 White Crowned Sparrow.

Welcome to The Round House, Desert Garden, A small cactus garden in the desert at Desert Hot Springs. We have lost count of the number of birds we have seen here over the last few days. Sitting quietly in the garden watching the wild life pass by and hoping to get a photo.

American Tree Sparrow.

Male California Quail.

Humming Birds, we have seen 3 different types,  above a Rufous we think, and below an Anna's Humming Bird, sorry about the focus, they are really difficult to snap.

And the third a Costas Humming Bird.

 Common Ground Dove.

 

Grey Flycatcher

Two shots of a Pine Siskin

 

And two photos of a Curve-Billed Thrasher 

 

To finish off and makes a change from all the birds, this old Jack Rabbit has been in a few wars, he comes for a feed every day around 4pm.

A trip to the Outlet Mall then back to the desert to relax.

Desert sunset, Desert Hot Springs.

This morning we went to Desert Hills Outlet Mall, the girls really excited at the thought of spending money. I don't think there are any outlet malls in France, they have them in Germany and England but France? Far to much of a capitalist idea, the local chambres de commerce would have a blue fit at the thought of factories flogging off their own stuff.  Emily brought over an empty suitcase which is now full of Oshkos gear for James.

 I spent most of the time moving from sun to shade and then back to sun again, the girls enjoyed themselves and James had a good time watching all the construction work going on.   Big additions going on here with lots of diggers and trucks moving around, not so good for the shoppers but James thought it was just great.

Around 4pm. when we arrived back all worn out, shopping is hard work.

 A couple of pics. of the cactus garden, this one from the patio looking over part of the garden.

 Looking towards the house.

                                                                                       

 

Interesting cactus growing out of an old root.  

Tomorrow I will concentrate on the birds which are many different types.

A cactus garden in the desert.

We have moved from the RV Park to a rented house for a week in Desert Hot Springs, the house has an amazing cactus garden full of wild life, which should keep us amused for the time we have here. not sure about James wandering in to the garden, kids and cactus don't really go together.

 Peaceful repose.

This Hummingbird settled just long enough to snap.

                                                                               

 

A young rabbit peering through the undergrowth.

 

Just love these greasy sunflower seas

 Some modern art amongst the cactus. 

 A Dove I think hiding amongst the thorns.

 This is a lovely little bird, a House Finch.

 And the female House Finch.

Santa Monica California.

 

Thursday was a trip to Santa Monica 'tout en famille'.  The weather continued to be kind and we found two parking meters next to each other just across from the pier, couldn't be better.

 

Happy holiday makers.

 

Part of the beach at Santa Monica.

 

Looking down at the beach from the pier.

A pelican sailing majestically past the end of the pier.

 Where ever you by the sea you always have 'tat' shops, they are all the same no matter which country, this one in California, lift it up, drop it in Spain change the california plate to Benidorm and voilà your in business. (Bet all the stuff in this shop is made in .....)

 

Not impressed with this row of stores but I must say I liked their anti pigeon solders, there was 7 of these brightly coloured owls.

City of Angels.

 

Welcome to smoggy Los Angeles.  Wednesday up with the lark and off to LA airport to meet up with 2 daughters, 1 grandson and a husband, come all this way from France to visit. Very busy freeway all the way to LAX, every lane full, what a way to live! back here in Desert Hot Springs, well its a different world.

Ruth looking down the exit ramp from baggage claim wondering if they will ever arrive.

                  

Emily (daughter#2) with baby James (18mths.)  and Agnès (daughter #3)  We have been away from France for 9 months, its really great to get together with them again.

 

Is that really my Grandad, he looks a lot bigger than on facetime.

 

Son-in law Dave, looking a bit worse for wear after 20 hours of traveling. I think 13 hours of actual travel and then all that waiting around in airports first Bordeaux then Paris and then getting through LAX. which took over an hour and half, and they were fast tracked because of James, airports take the shine off air travel now. but I don't think theres much can be done about it, one of those things you have just to grin and bear.

Palm Springs Air Museum

 

Back to the air museum, sorry not blogged for a couple of days, think I got a touch too much sun visiting this museum, feel good now so lets get on with the visit.

This beauty is a Grumman Tigercat it never saw action in the 2nd. war, arrived too late but did a bit in Korea. "All engine" 2x Pratt & Whiney 18 cylinder Wasps, normally air cooled but I think this version was liquid cooled or a combination of both,  should have been paying more attention to the retired pilot/engineer who give you all the info here but by this time I was feeling pretty grotty -thats the excuse anyway.

 Lockheed Harpoon, was this the original flying gunship, guns, rockets and bombs it had the lot.

 

A well used Sikorsky Choctaw

 

Chance-Vought Corsair, Used from 1943 to 1958 it had a long and productive life, again the Pratt & Whitney 18 cylinder wasp.

Hot lazy days in Desert Hot Springs.

The weather here at the moment is just wonderful, endless sunshine and temperatures just popping over the 30c mark. We haven't being doing much other than going to the pool, and in the afternoon looking for shade, which there's very little of here.
Yesterday bright and early we went into Palm Springs to get the truck washed, we went to this car wash and what an experence. I am sure they have these types of car washes in Europe but I've never seen any, just watching all these men swarming over the truck was worth the price.

The final wipe, they even polished the tire's. 

We then went on to the Air Museum.

 

This old boy started life with RAF in March 45 and the flew with just about all the other Commonwealth air forces before going into the private sector and finely ending up here in Palm Springs and its still flying- amazing.

Ruth was quite taken with the museum lots of human interest stories associated with planes, that was good left me to look at the planes and the engines.

  

 

18 cylinder Pratt & Whitney Radial,  9 cylinder Curtiss Wright Radial.

 

Huey-Cobra. It must have been pretty scary having this machine hunting you down.

The museum is in three parts European Theatre, Japanese Theatre and the more recent stuff outside, couldn't do it full justice by the time I got this far it was getting a tad warm.

 

Just love the art work.

By the time I got this far the heat was getting to me and went in search of Ruth, had to drag here away, she was having a great time reading about the lives of the people who built and flew these planes.