Desert Days

It’s been pretty warm in Palm Springs. Each day the temperature touches 100 degrees and the skies are clear of any cloud whatsoever. But since the humidity hovers around 8% the heat is not as oppressive as it could be. It fits the desert nicely and adds an air of authenticity to the place.

One of the properties that I was able to both shoot and lodge at was a single level flat with its own private pool. The wall hugged the back yard nicely and you could do as you will, free from any onlookers. In the distance, the mountains baked in the sun and were framed by California palms. The palms here have a ‘beard’ of dead leaves which collapse and provide a nice little scarf for the tree.

This particular place had music pumped throughout, and I kept that dial where it was. Playing was the tunes of the late 40’s and on. Music of the likes of Frank Sinatra and Burt Bacharach filled the rooms and spilled out to the desert beyond. Martini sipping all the way!

Reluctantly encouraging that previously canceled property to shoot later in the day brought me, once again, up that precarious route through the mountains. I was glad to get those shots done and back down the mountain! Our friend the dead squirrel was still there, lying beneath the Dodge Ram.

Today I made a visit to a popular attraction here called the Living Dessert. It is pretty much just a zoo - a desert zoo. On display are both the plants and animals that have adapted to extreme desert conditions around the world. Giraffes and zebras, agave and acacia trees were in the mix. It was a nice way to highlight the diversity of desert life, but easy to be done with it in a hurry.

One of the main attractions was near the entrance of the zoo. And it was…… a model train set. An enormous model train set! With several different scale locomotives crossing large bridges, stopping at miniature stations and traveling over waterfalls. It was the small-scale railroaders dream! “Odd,” I thought, but why not. In a region that only sees a thimble of rain every year it would good place to set something like this up.

I wanted to video a humorous bit by the trains and, whilst in the process, caught the eye of one of the supervisors. Sauntering over with white conductor hat, rail road outfit and radio in hand, I returned to my study of the small world. But soon this supervisor saw some dilemma on the track, radioed the concern to his cronies and went stomping through the world of little plastic people and tooting trains.

So, while the time here included dilemmas of the less-than-desired nature, it was a visit to a Martini-flavor desert town. Full of the practical styled/modernistic Bauhaus and nouveu-Spanish architecture with clay-shingled roofs; a cosmopolitan flavor of art galleries and hip restaurants with waiters and waitresses clad in black and hair in Emo style; and a higher gay concentration than even San Francisco. The feeling is alive and happening.

The entrance of many an establishment is shrouded in a cloud of mist. These foggers help to cool the surrounding air and are a refreshing escape from the desert heat. In fact, this is the one of the very reason cities like Rome had great fountains. The mist would naturally cool the air and create a great air-conditioning affect. Anyhoo…

All of the above is nestled in a valley between the fantastic San Barnadino mountains to the east and San Jacinto on the west. There a steep faces to these mountains and the town brushes up right next to them. When you drive, they loom gigantic before you. As the sun sets, they are series of dark silouettes, but the sun makes the mist before them glow. The rays band through them every dusk.

Although the broken hot water heater made for a cold shower this evening, I thought it was kind of a funny way to end here. It certainly started in such a fashion. But all is well!

Let’s plan a date for a martini in Palm Springs! Tonight I toast to the end of another journey. At some point it would be good to toast with some of you. But old wood floors await my feet and to once again see the blooms of delphinium, blue globe and the rain on Lady’s mantle - ah, so nice to be homeward bound!

May the beginning of June find you all in wonderful health and happiness. Cheers!