A new day on top of Bump and Grind

Meeting Rick and Katie this morning for the second time this week sure makes it easier to keep my commitment to daily exercise. This is the third week Katie and I have met Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5am to hike the close-by, local Bump & Grind hill. The hike is about 4 miles and usually takes us about an hour and 20 minutes. We aren't fast but we keep up a pace where we probably sweat a half a pound of water on these humid, warm summer days. When we begin our hike it's still dark and cool compared to later daytime temperatures around 108 degrees.

Rick was excited to see the sunrise this morning. He kept wondering when the sun would pop-up over the mountains. At the moment the sun appeared, I asked Rick and Katie to pose for this shot. I focused on the sky so the camera would expose for the sunrise with fill-in flash selected to light up Rick and Katie.

Scraping the barrell for a daily photo.

My funny husband's captions for this photo I took while we were watching CNN tonight:

"Check this footage."

"The thrill of victory or the Agony of de-feet."

I'm a sucker for animal movies.

My friend, Carol, sent me this You Tube video tonight.



My dream is to have a couple of acres along a river in the mountains of Colorado and watch all the animals come by. I'd have my camera and tripod set up for any and all visitors.

5:15am walk around MHCC

Fifteen minutes into my morning walk, I called and woke Sandi up asking if she'd like to join me on the walk. Sandi lives 1 mile away from me. 10 minutes after my call, we met and were walking the Westin golf course.
Sandi and my shadow.Returning home I caught these figures out of the corner of my eye. The sun was in front of the figures off to the left a bit. The couple who own the home and property across the lake bought this lakeside lot opposite their home just so no one else could build and they could create the view they wanted. That's having $$$$$.
One of my upcoming classes has to do with numbers. So I've been looking for anything with numbers on it. This is a color photo I desaturated and added a photoshop filter to it.

Mailbox on street. Ray couldn't figure out what was to the right of the numbers. It's the gutter of the street filled with water.
And when I walked back to our home at 6:45am, Ray was backing his golf cart of the garage.

Baby Egret, I think.

Ray and I walked 16 holes of the closed Palmer Golf Course around 11am today in about an hour and 15 minutes. We intended to walk the entire 18 holes but we were too close to our house at the 16th hole to continue walking the remaining two holes in the 108 degree day.

Ray spotted this bird in the lake by the 4th hole. I was surprised the photo turned out as clear as it did as I was using my little digital Sony 640 at full hand held zoom. I can't get close or they fly away.

Up and at 'em early this morning.

I set my alarm for 4am to go up Bump & Grind. I got out of bed at 5am. At 6am I finally exited the front door and walked the Palmer Golf Course, now closed for aeration and repair. I found myself pleasantly distracted by the early morning light and reflections in the lakes to keep up the steady pace without occassionally stopping for a photo or 40.

I am obsessed with my shadow.Morning light and reflections on one of my favorite fairway houses. Had I known the price of the condo we bought would double by the time we finished having it gutted and decorated, we could have bought a large expensive home instead. Not that I would want to live anywhere but where we live. The view and privacy our condo has is unique and not found in any of the homes here in Mission Hills Country Club.

A glimpse into my day.

Work in progress on the fountain bowl we've procrastinated on finishing. Yesterday a man came and we discussed how to place the stones. All the stones initially looked too round and similar in color and size. I asked him to add 5 rocks I had collected while on the Colorado River in 2005.

Today a worker came by and added the pebbled bottom. Tomorrow the bottom gets acid washed. Then the large center rock is placed in the center and hooked up to pipes that will deliver a water fall through the center of the rock. A light fixture will also be added.

Kudos to Karen at Common Pools who has been extremely conscientious and accountable. Thanks Sandi, for the referral from your networking group.

I'm thrilled we will soon have a finished pond/fountain outside our front door.

p.s. So LR, this is where some of the large chunks of money I've been spending have been going!While packing up my camera gear for Mammoth, I picked up the Canon 40D and went out looking for a photo. Even the geese think it's too hot. Most of the geese were all standing in the water cooling off before I got too close for this photo and scared the geese closest off.

Cindy says, "This is a must see!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE

I've never seen love expressed so clearly.

Thanks Cind, for sending me this video.

Three very beautiful Fairy Princesses plus their very beautiful make up artist.

Alima's girls went to a Fairy Princess party last week. Alima's friend, Katya, came over and applied some pretty cute Fairy Princess make-up.

Earlier I was thinking about what I would post today on my blog. Then I received an email from Alima with these .jpgs attached. Are these girls the cutest!

Jess and EmilyCate and Katya (applying her creative Fairy Princess make-up.)

Head turning subjects

Black birds at the River Shopping Center. We'd just seen Mama Mia. I enjoyed the music and some of the acting but the rest was pretty silly. I love ABBA. I use to play their CD while training in the Santa Monica Mountains for my PCT '02 hike. Their music makes me smile.While Katie and I were having coffee outside Starbucks, after an early morning hike, this dog caught my eye.
Ray and I take walks around MHCountry Club. This dog and swan made me turn my head.

Sunday at the movies.

Went to see Bat Man Sunday. I went because Ray wanted to see the movie. I am not a fan of these types of movies. I couldn't wait for the movie to be over. I must admit though, I was impressed with the acting and the action scenes.

What was fun was seeing Stuart selling tickets at the River Movie Theaters.
Stuart

On the way out of the theater I couldn't resist this closeup of the larger than life HULK statue in the middle of the walkway. Four young girls asked me to take a group photo of them in front of the Hulk. I took 4 photos of them, with each girls' camera.

Trip to my son Lane's 25th Annual Pig Roast in Colorado

Ok, I’ve been way too busy. I’m back on my blog again. Back until August 2^nd that is. Aug 2nd Ray and I will head up to Mammoth for the month, hopefully avoiding the over 105 degrees temperatures here in Rancho Mirage.

Last week my brother Don flew me and Don’s mate of 30 years, Colleen, back to Fort Collins, Colorado to attend my son Lane’s 25^th Annual Pig Roast weekend. I was asked to present a slide show of my New Mexico backpack on Saturday night. Sunday was the Pig Roast.

Me waiting as Don and Colleen approach at the Bermuda Dunes Airport.

Colleen
Don
Don and Ray
Colleen, Don and Linda

About 2.5 hours later we landed at another small local airport 20 minutes from our motel and Lane’s house. A black rental car pulled up next to Don’s plane seconds after he landed and minutes before airport personal taxied his plane into the hanger 10 feet away.

I could get used to this lifestyle!

Flying on Don's plane to Lane's in Colorado.

Click on arrow to view video.


Don

Colorado snow.

At Lane's.

Don and Lane


Lane kissing his girlfriend, Nicole


Later Saturday night at Lane's friends' 8th Annual Crawfish Party.
The Crawfish stew is cooked (there were a total of 4 large pots of stew) and then thrown on to a plastic wrapped table top where the feeding frenzy begins.



Everyone had their fair share of drinks. I was just crazy, not drunk! The girl in the photo was having fun with me and my craziness. My brother asked me, "How do you always attract the drunks?" Her t-shirt is NOT tie-dyed.
My handsome son!

Slideshow at 11:30pm!


Sunday and the Pig Roast.

Nicole and her Sister on the Shot Luge.



Lane on the Shot Luge. This and the next video are funny!
Click on arrow to view video.



Don and Colleen on the Shot Luge
Click on arrow to view video.



And finally, the pig.

Not Clouds - Smoke!

My brother Don took these two photos today while flying his plane southbound, a bit north of Sacramento.

He was west of the Sierra, shooting east.

In his email he said, "It's a good thing you are not hiking the PCT this year!"

Name this peak.

What could they be thinking? Or Saying?

Singer and her singing dog.

Hi,

I'm back home for the month of July. Until Ray and I leave the "hot" desert to go to Mammoth for the month of August, I'll be daily posting on this blog again.

While visiting Susan and Dan in Albuquerque, NM during my backpack, I video taped this performance with Susan and her dog, Nikita.