Other Crazy Cat People in the park

We get a lot of people who stop and look at our cat tent and tunnel system.  But this lady proclaimed how much she loved it and invited me to come and see her "cat house".  Hmmm.  What kind of park is this?

 The other day I was tooling around on my bike and when I went past her house, she and her husband were outside...so I stopped to say hi.

Her "cat house" is incredible.  Her husband helped construct it and it runs the length of their storage shed (and beyond)  and is snugged between the shed and the house.  It has multiple platforms for their two cats to perch on.  There is a larger door in the back where she can access the litter box for cleaning.  And the best part of all is that the cats can come and go from the house at their leisure.  Please...don't anyone tell George and Gracie about this...they would be SO jealous.

Then I got to go inside and meet the cats.  The one cat was very shy and the photo I tried to snag of it was blurry, so you only get to see Tucker...the more outgoing cat.

He is somewhat dog like and likes to fetch with Karen, his owner.

He is certainly not shy and even offered his tummy to me for scratching...without attacking my hand while doing so.

Such a pretty boy!


It's always nice to meet other cat lovers and share the joy.

Long Live the Queen of Cats

The Living Desert Zoo Gardens in Palm Desert CA

One of my favorite places to visit is the Living Desert Museum in Tucson AZ, so when I learned of this Zoo Garden in Palm Desert I just had to check it out.

We had hoped to check out more of Palm Springs as well, but since this was further away and took most of our time, that will have to wait for a second visit.

It's not a huge facility, but is nicely done with a mix of native desert plants and an assortment of animals from North America and Africa.

These cattle had the largest horns I'd ever seen.  The docent told us they weigh about 50 pounds and are hollow, with a honeycomb structure inside that helps to regulate the temperature of the animal.

The desert setting and the mountains in the background did provide a sensation of being in Africa.

The sky was totally blown out behind this giraffe, so I replaced it with a blue sky with clouds and then an almost full moon instead.

Unfortunately most of the animals are only visible behind fences and wire mesh, which really limits the ability for good photos.  But some were far enough away, like this mountain goat, to provide a nice shot.

And we did get to watch the giraffe feeding.  Talk about a long purple tongue!

Overall it was a nice day to spend walking through the zoo gardens and enjoying the day together.  As we were leaving I spotted this hummingbird who was enjoying the flowers at the gardens as well.

Long Live the Zoo Queen

George's first Selfie

He's been so jealous of Chloe Jo and Stella with their selfies and has been working really hard to get that perfect selfie.

Only problem is he tends to stick his tongue out when he concentrates that hard...but I think it's kind of cute.

Long Live the Queen of Weird Cats

Good Fences Thursday

I'm posting this early due to Thanksgiving tomorrow and want to wish everyone a very happy day.

It's amazing how many fences there are when you are suddenly aware of them.

We were really glad to see this sturdy fence holding back the ginormous cattle with really big horns.  Wouldn't want one of these bad boys running down the sidewalk.

Long Live the Queen of Corrals

A visit to Oceanside CA

Part of our mission while in this area is to explore areas to take the kids when they come down for Christmas break.  We had heard of a mass transit in Oceanside called "The Coaster" and went to get more info.

Oceanside is a pretty town with lots of houses up on the hill.

When we approached the ocean I had to laugh at this sign that warned you there was no outlet...no kidding.

We will probably explore this pier when the family comes and have a snack at the restaurant at the end.

Along the way home we spied another cell tower disguised as a tree.  But instead of the palm tree version, this was a pine tree.  They are so clever.

the palm tree version

the pine tree version

But not as clever as those who painted these rocks to show the images they saw more clearly.  The first one we spotted was this apple.

And yes, that grouping of rocks does look like a frog, especially now.

While in town we stopped at the 101 Diner for lunch.  This was like a step back into the Fifties.

They even had the old tabletop jukeboxes available to catch those favorite tunes.

And to complete the trip down memory lane was the pay toilets.  It was worth the price of 25 cents just for the laugh.

Long Live the Queen of Road-tripping

Rubbish Tuesday

I love this category since I seem to always be taking shots at old dilapidated stuff....don't know why it calls to me, it just does.  I admired the creativity of re-purposing this old outboard motor into a mail box.

Long Live the Junkyard Queen

Hmong dolls

Last summer I created a grouping of little dolls for use at the Hmong Center.  At the time they were just naked little creatures, but now I have been sent a photo showing the completion of this project.

The little costumes were all created by local Hmong women in the La Crosse WI area and as you can see they look much nicer dressed and with some hair.

This is the kind of short post when I figure you really don't care about my doing laundry and grocery shopping.  Even here in paradise there are domestic chores to be done.


Long Live the Dollmaker Queen

A tour of the park

It's time for a tour of the park so you can see where we are living.  We have a Welcome bear on the table outside our RV.  You can see where Left Brain puts his bike helmet when not in use.

Here is the entrance to the park, lined with palm trees and flowers all the way down.  You will notice that the Hampton Inn is immediately to the left.  

This is where our family will stay when they come down for Christmas break.  It sure is nice to have someplace close for them to be while spending time with us.

Most of the people in the RV Resort have RV's...well, duh.  But those who don't, can stay in these little park models.  I think these are so cute and would be an option for when we leave our house with wheels.

Behind the office area are the sand volleyball courts.  I just know my oldest granddaughter will have fun digging into the sand playing with us.  We'll just have to pull her back a bit with her power, it's just not nice to spike old people.

Then there are the swimming pools and hot tubs.  

There are three swimming pools, and one is set up permanently for water volleyball.

There are also three hot tubs and they are HOT.  It feels so good to soothe those tired muscles after a session of playtime.

There are flowers everywhere, and many grasses such as these lovely pampas grass on the side of the buildings.

Only the older set will get my joke about the "days of vines and roses" here.

Speaking of roses...they are in abundance and in every color.  And the scent is intoxicating.  It's no wonder many of them tend to be near the pickleball courts...perhaps in an attempt to hide the smell of our sweaty bodies playing in the sun?

And finally my favorite spot of all...the pickleball courts.  There are four of them and they are dedicated pickleball courts - no extra lines over old tennis courts, basketball courts or in parking lots, which can be very confusing.  

There is a nice shaded area and benches and chairs for those waiting to play the next set.

Well, that's been our tour for the day...I hope you liked it.

Long Live the Queen of Golden Villages Palm RV Resort

Good Fences

I'd forgotten it was Thursday until I saw Jean's post, so will squeeze this in quickly.  It's not that exciting of a fence per se, but the setting was tranquil.

Long Live the Queen