More Pictures from Desert Hot Springs

A Little Indulgence In the Desert

Outside of a quick and very entertaining camel safari in the Thar desert and a van break down in Death Valley while moving to California, I've not spent much time in the desert. After a very serious bout with the Flu recently, I decided I needed to seek out the healing waters. Only 2 hours east of L.A. are the many mineral spas of Desert Hot Springs California.
With only a days notice, we were able to find a great place that accepted dogs. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the last time I went to a sauna was in San Francisco with my friend Annie. The place was really just a couple of capsule like saunas, packed with people whom you couldn't avoid touching. I won't go into the details....but the conditions were a little sickening...really.
The Hacienda Inn was perfect! We spent almost every minute there in warmth, looking out into a very clear desert sky. There were few guests there, so it was very peaceful and Rufus loved the two dogs, Gracie and Shanti, who wandered the property and played with him.
To top it off it wasn't expensive. Less expensive than going to the doctor and much more therapeutic.

Why I love Florida

When I tell people I am from Florida I usually get one of two reactions. Either they think I was lucky to have grown up near the beach and Micky Mouse, as if everybody there is just sunning in a bikini with Mickey serving them Pinacoladas. The other reaction is one of surprise. To the latter folk, Florida is a plastic wast land of cigar smoking developers and their bleach blond redneck wives. Or perhaps they think of the despotic, airbrushed sunsets of hard partying meccas like Datona beach or the aggressively augmented perfection of the bodies gliding down Miami's South beach.
I won't try to deny that there isn't a certain unpredictable quality in the air in Florida. Both the ocean air and the people of Florida can shift quickly without warning. And it seems that the pain threshold of most of the people I grew up with is higher than normal making for some crazy decisions on ATVs and the like. But there is a different Florida that to my surprise I sometimes miss.
It is probably the flatness of Florida that drew people to race everything from horses to cars there. That same flatness allows you to see for miles and miles. It can be overwhelming, like looking into the vastness of the ocean. Only in the country, where I used to sit under huge oak trees, threaded with Spanish Moss it feels like possibility.

Up The PCH

This was the second time I've gotten to see these napping Elephant Seals along the PCH.

• 

Christmas Tree Delima

Though I've never been a Christmas enthusist, I have warmed to the idea over the years. So much so that for the past few years I have taken the time to eke out a little space for my annual dolled up tree branch, ala Charlie Brown Christmas. This little symbol of Christmas has been enough for me to hang a few homemade decorations and lite up a corner of the room with as much Christmas as I need or want.
This year however, I scoured the well manicured streets and parks of Los Angeles to no avail. I couldn't find ONE tree branch. I got on line to find out the truth about christmas trees...artificial and real. It seems real trees are bad because they use fertilizers that go into the water supply, gas to transport them, and when they break down they release co2. Artificial aren't better since they utilize chemicals to produce, are often made in China which means a lot of resources to get them here etc. etc.
I had resigned myself to not having a tree when I found the perfect little live tree at the grocery store. It was perfect! And the best part....I can use it next year. If I don't kill it.