A Golfer's Dream Day

Out and 7 and back at 5, I sit by the pool on our last night in Palm Springs. Today was so special. A friend of a friend got us on the private PGA West Arnold Palmer Signature Course. This was the last round for many years at the Bob Hope Classic. An eagle led to a final round historic 59 for a win for golfer Dave Duval.  Lots  of skins games were played on these courses over the year.

To top it off, we played it alone, no one leading or following us, so we took our time and heard stories of what happened here and there. It was incredibly hard for me to reach the greens and putt well but it was so much fun.  This is also the course featured in Soaring Over California in the scene where you get bombarded by a golf ball.  The kids were impressed.

We lunched at the Nicklaus Grill over at the stadium course and saw lots of memorabilia

The whole bunch of us had a blast at Knotts Soak City yesterday riding slides and bouncing in the wave pool. Many moons since we did something that active in the water, I am sore and sunburned. Off to a cooler and overcast San Clemente to watch and listen to the ocean for a few days.

A Candle in the Wind

 We walked down Palm Springs main drag last evening, Its more of a winter destination and much of the hype beckons back a few decades when Frank Sinatra, and Pat Boone and Marilyn Monroe visited the desert.

This impressive bronze of the famous movie moment weight 34,000 lbs and is on loan here for a year. Our dinner at Ruby's also brought back the feel of a 50s Diner. Good food.

Playing a Golf Digest Top 100 course was a treat with Larry and his friends, I did find some of that water on the back nine. Today we head for the water park to enjoy the rides and hope to avoid the heat with some shade here and there.

Today we enjoy the Knotts Water Park and hope we can find a bit of shade to rest in between slides and waves.

"Yune" is Palm Tree Trimming Time

When we bought a home with tall palm trees, we learned they grow quickly and leave dead fronds, and must be trimmed yearly. June is the time and the streets are full of trucks doing this all over town.You can clearly see a before and after look in this snap taken on my walk.

 We enjoyed another relaxing day and met our friends for Pizza and saw how the newer part of town is a mecca for resorts, enjoying a massive Marriott property in Palm Desert.

The Pizza place was hosting lots of season ending baseball parties for the kids so it was full of young families.

Heading out to play a Pete Dye/Gary Player designed course called Mission Hills today, right next to the DinahShore course.

Puttering around

There is nothing like Putt putt golf to bring back memories of growing up. These attractions predated the video game revolution. The kids enjoyed it although the afternoon sun was intense. They charge alot for this game but I don't think they have fixed the carpets since the 70s!!!! I remember many trips with youth groups to enjoy these recreation areas.

Saw a beautifully green golf course on my walk yesterday and look forward to playing tomorrow although this hard mattress has done a number on my left hip, I could barely get the ball out of the hole yesterday. Ah, the aches and pains of aging.

I actually read a mystery novel recommended by a friend. It was enjoyable poolside fun. Dick Francis is a British writer who was a jockey and this was set in England and featured solving an old mystery while filming a movie about horse racing.

Serious Worldwide Shoppers

We went to the largest outlet Malls I have ever visited in Cabazon CA yesterday. People and tiny dogs from all over the world, and many sporting Disney hats from their recent visit were doing some serious shopping. Ben got a Ferrari hat, the girls some necklaces and Laura a Coach handbag, the women has a special thing for handbags.








I loved my morning walk through the neighborhoods, and our first excursion to a Starbucks to get a taste of that bitter stuff they call coffee there. I don't get it.









Ralphs Market takes Frys Cards for discounts, good to know. We had a store bought meal on the back patio. Oh, we also found the Walmart for some needed supplies, including another pair of clip on sunglasses for me, and a bet as to how long it would take me to lose or break them.

I bought a boring blue Van Heusen shirt to replace my aging boring blue preaching shirt with a button down collar that has worn out.


It's Sunday, and I try not to think about my usual Sundays and know that our congregation will be fine today. God bless you for letting us get away for a bit of relaxation and re-creation.

Hooked on Sweet

We are now a mostly Stevia family, but today I drink coffee with cream only. We forgot the artificial sweetener. We are settled into the digs at Casitas Del Monte, very nice large 1600 sq. ft. condos with a nice pool in a quiet corner of Palm Springs, backed up again the mountain.

Marveling again about GPS installed on the Xoom and how you can find almost anything...that is if you can follow the directions without forgetting them.

We are planning outings, two golf days for me with my friend Larry, who is here for the 14th annual "It's a Dry Heat" Tournament with his northern California friends. The Outlet mall is near, as is a Knotts Farm Water Park, and some museums.... mainly just the change of pace and venue revive the spirit.

We even have our own back yard, shared with a Bunny Rabbit. After my unsweetened coffee I am headed out for a morning walk.

Recompense

We washed and vacuumed the Kia for travel last evening and laid down the back seat for loads of stuff for four.

D-Day survivors are becoming rare. Every soldiers who died would be very old had they lived, but they did not live. The fact that Laura's mothers brothers remains lie under a cross in Lyon France and not in Edinburg Cemetery in Mississippi tells the world that a price was paid at Normandy.

One of the facets of the restoration of all things that I think about quite a lot is the truths behind the word "recompense".  Very crudely, it means payback for that which was lost. I cherish the hints I see in the character of God that promise that sacrificial loss is not final loss, that things can indeed be restored and fixed. That life can go on for the life cut short.

The mindset of vacation is upon me, a hallowed place where family and a new location and a relaxed mental state produce deep recreation. Recreation is a theological word, amusement is a word that talks about not thinking, ie sitting in a bar drowning your sorrows. Re creation is about looking and experiencing. So....we pack and we are off later this morning..