On the 1st, mostly took it easy at home.

Some clouds this day

Late afternoon

On the 2nd, drove Kathy to Escondido for MD appointment and OB to drop off jewelry to be modified. Kathy was nauseous the whole way, despite meds. We shopped on the way home.

Caught rat #7 in house early this morning

Gave rat a little bath

I hurriedly pulled over after seeing a spectacular alignment with the contrail shadow - too late, as at this point the shadow was no longer aligned with the sun & us. A minute before, even in the sky part of the sky below the contrail was black & it actually looked like a tornado!

On the 3rd, mostly took it easy at home. Jef washed Kathy's car & the windows of the other cars. Also stopped at Sewanee & unplugged fridge (after an $81 power bill) and picked up palm fronds for later burning. Kathy's nausea continued.

Agave poking thru mesquite canopy

Cool sunset this evening

On the 4th, we took it easy at home on another cool & windy day. Kathy's nausea finally started to lessen in the evening.

Nice sunset this evening

On the 5th, Kathy wanted to start working again.

On the 1st, Kathy continued taking it easy, but we did a little 2 mile walk with puppies this afternoon in the wind on this otherwise pleasant day.

Sunrise this morning

Nice clouds this day

Last 2 amarilys blooms going strong

Kathy didn't need to put on bug spray as the wind kept gnats away, but she did it anyway

Cactus flower with paloverde blooms behind

Kathy & Daisy around half way point of 1st lap

Progress of agave after arriving home

Don't know how it will bloom in this crowded canopy

On the 2nd, Kathy returned to work, working a full day. Jef did lots of errands.

Lupita didn't put trash in container, so ravens had a field day tearing it up

On the 3rd, Kathy was too wiped out to walk. Jef worked in office and doing other chores.

Mesquite blooms

Cool clouds this day

Bob attired for Easter coming up in 2 days

Nasty cactus blooming on lot next door

Cool sunset this evening

On the 4th, Kathy mostly slept due to recovering from going to work too early after a recent back injury. Jef did chores around the house.

Jef made a new top for backyard furniture out of old scraps

Desert rose about to bloom

Cloud kinda looks like a tornado coming down

Oxalis blooming in sun room

Sun setting over puppies in back yard

On the 5th, while Kathy took it easy at home, Jef walked to town to get the mail.

2 more blooming stalks (of 5) - one blooming and another just starting

Cactus flower in front of house

Mescal about to bloom in our mesquite canopy

Meter still heading south

This desert dandelion is blooming still! Next to some blue gilia at back of our property

Field of blue gilia with Toro in background(on Wagon)

Lupines are all gone (after pic from flower pix of last month)

This area was much more colourful last month

Indigo plants are starting to bloom

Another after pic

Desert groundcherry

Desert lily done for the season

Smith front yard on Bending Elbow very colourful this day

All the swooshes in the sky - Nike advertising?

My shortcut trail cutting thru field of blue gilias

Blue gilia field with "Bob" in background

Today is Easter

Mostly contrail clouds this evening

Kathy bar-b-qued carne asada this evening so we could have tostada for the next few days

On the 6th, did chores around the house and we mostly took it easy. Kathy was able to resume walking, so we took doggies on a 1.2 mile walk around the circle.

Decided to try setting up new tent to see if bed fits in it this morning

Tent poles assembled

Starting to erect tent

Tent up

Bed in tent

Inflating bed

Nope - that won't work

Trying bed perpendicular

Bed fits(barely) and door can be zipped shut

Inside tent with door zipped shut

Kathy did 1.1 miles going around circle with her walker this evening

On the 7th, Kathy cancelled all patients to let her better recover from her recent injury.

Desert rose is blooming for 1st time

Boysenberry blooming for 1st time

Got rid of a lot of gnats, flies and even flutter-bys with this sticky thing

Able to fill in bottom inch of this fly trap before repeating process

On the 8th, mostly did chores at home. Kathy continued to rest.

Kathy cooked beans in microwave with lid on, causing it to crunch in and vacuum prevented taking it off, even with tools

Went to free movie (1st of new season): "One Battle after Another". We met Pam & Jaime there and viewed the 2h 40m movie together

Fred mentioned there were no movies that made a lot of money last year, but this one did okay

On the 9th, Kathy returned to work at the office, only doing the "easy" patients.

Sunrise this morning

After taking the tupperware that Kathy crushed in microwave the prior day, sealing it and microwaving it again, got most dents out. Then unsealed, microwaved and popped the lid off. Then jury-rigged this vise to get final dent out of it

On the 10th, mostly took it easy at home.

Desert rose

Agave progress

Last amarilys blooms of the season

Agave starting to bloom, but...

...difficult to see in the canopy

Nice day

Back yard just before sun disappeared behind mountains

A bit hazy

On the 11th, mostly took it easy doing chores at home. Julie & Johnny arrived late this afternoon.

Progress of agave bloom

Jef & Julie

Bar-b-que-ing steaks

Dined on steak, baked taters & salad using our fine tableware

On the 12th, Kathy was not yet ready to go on any adventure, so took Julie & Johnny to Glorietta in the black Jeep where we hiked for about half an hour.

Starting from black Jeep

On the trail

Climbing the steeper trail

White sage bloom

Johnny & Julie at the "meadow"

Julie's pic

Left Johnny here as we hiked a few more minutes

Julie was scared passing between agaves, and so walked around them

Big fallen ocotillo

Wild buckwheat blooms

Arriving back at the trailhead

Catclaw blooms

Back to the Jeep

Johnny & Jef

Stopped by to see some dinosaur statues on drive to Sewanee house

Fallen dino

Wind damage broke this flimsy dino's leg

This dino is still standing tall

Johnny viewed from the upper roof

Looking east on roof

Looking north from upper deck

Looking SW

Looking SE

Desert rose blooming

Desert rose

Cool clouds this day

We took doggies around the circle

Julie bought us a nice dinner at the Red O

Red O this night

Burning medical records

Jef happened to walk by fire when a burning stick fell out and onto my foot, catching my sock on fire. I quickly removed the sock and proceeded to step barefoot onto the burning embers. You would not have liked to here my "singing"

Johnny & Julie entertaining us with music around the fire

On the 13th, Jef & Kathy had to drive to SD for dental appointments. While at Jef's appointment, Kathy went next door to an urgent care & got x-ray of her back, showing a compression fracture of L2. We did some shopping on the way home.

Sunrise this morning

Julie's new Honda hybrid in our driveway

Caught another rat in the garage

Stopped at Blue Sky Reserve to go potty on the way to the dentist

Meanwhile Julie & Johnny hiked Palm Canyon

Made it up to 1st grove

On the 14th, walked to town with Julie & Johnny & did some shopping. We then went on a roading adventure, hitting some sculptures & Font's Point.

Meter seems to be staying about the same

At the library

Julie volunteers at the Socorro Library

Bob seems to have gone to heaven after Easter was over!

Roadrunner vs. Rattler

Jef v. rattler

Apparently these sculptures are an apology from Rams Hill for building an illegal road - these boxes are related to powering a gate to the road

At Fonts Point

Panorama with Julie

The sink & Ant Hill

Jef & Julie

Julie & Johnny

Julie looking at her old workplace of Clark Lake

The rim trail and Salton Sea in the distance

Julie & Johnny sitting at fruit stand used in movie we just saw: "One Battle after Another"

Julie bought a bag of grapefruit here

At front of Indianhead Ranch by turtle sculpture

The "Sun God"

Sun God wears earrings

Still have a few verbenas blooming

More turtle sculptures

Johnny & Julie on old "Borrego Racquet Club" land

Capped wellhead is behind creosote in middle by left camel sculpture

Capped wellhead for Borrego Racquet Club

Julie & Johnny by wellhead

Jef at wellhead

Back home - the desert rose

Burned more medical records this evening

Johnny & Julie continued the concerts

On the 15th, took it easy at home. Took Kathy to local MD this afternoon.

On the 16th, drove Kathy to MD in Murietta & did some shopping. Then headed to Escondido to get x-ray, but x-ray machine was down, so just drove home. Stef & John called after we got back & suggested we go out to eat at Carmelitas.

Wascally wabbit in fwont yawd

Dining at Carmelitas

Kathy & friends at Carmelitas

On the 17th, mostly took it easy at home. Bar-b-qued hamburgers for dinner this evening.

Our new air-plant garden on/over kitchen island this evening

This turns out to be the last time we used this bar-b-que

On the 18th, Jef drove to town, but had to detour at start of drive to SD, as a fatal motorcycle crash had closed 78 between scissors and Tamarisk Grove. This cost 30 minutes. Got behind a parade of Corvettes leaving Rams Hill, which slowed me down a bit. Drove straight to OB to pick up the belated engagement ring I got for Kathy. Very crowded in OB, but I succeeded in my mission. Then detoured to Santee to check out Big Rock house, which had some progress since last time. Then drove up to Bryan's house in Escondido, ate pizza & played poker, losing 4. On the way home, had to deal with street racers making a lot of noise at the gas station. Then about halfway back, noticed a few dozen night runners (near midnight) spread over about 20 miles on Hwy 76, 78, S2, and Montezuma Rd, with a couple dozen (I imagine) support cars parked over that span - a midnight running event of some sort where all runners all had the same reflective shirts, headlamps, and other lights.

Hole in outside wall by sewer pipe has been filled in at Santee house

Guest bathroom

Holley's old room

On the 19th, mostly took it easy at home.

Caught a baby rat in house, but found out later, this was not the only one living in the house

Agave starting to bloom in mesquite canopy in front yard

Agave progress

On the 20th, mostly took it easy at home. Kathy had me call all her patients to tell them she could not see them this week again.

Kym suggested I take pic of moon & Venus this evening

On the 21st, Jef walked to the PO to get the mail. Later that afternoon, the new bar-b-que Kathy ordered arrived & I started assembling it.

Catclaw in our backyard blooming like crazy

Lots of bees

Meter still going south, even tho we turned on the spa

Catclaw blooming at base of steep trail going to town

Desert hibiscus still blooming

Rock daisys still blooming even tho plant looks dead

Only a few fagonia blooms left

Panorama at summit

Someone left this flag near base of spur trail

On the 22nd, assembled bar-b-que, hauled old bar-b-que to street with "free" sign (it was picked up by somebody within a few hours). After doing all that, realized I forgot to remind Kathy of her MD appt until too late. Walked doggies around the circle - Kathy refused to go due to it being pretty windy outside. For the same reason we didn't use our new grill to make burgers this evening, so cooked them inside.

Before resuming new bar-b-que assembly this morning

Sunrise this morning

Old bar-b-que on street

New assembled bar-b-que

Burgers not cooked on new grill due to windy conditions this evening

On the 23rd, did chores at home.

Pulled D/W out to confirm leak I saw was caused by rat damage

Rat chewed discharge hose from D/W

Close up of damage - ordered new hose later this day

2nd baby rat caught in house

This oriole crashed & died on our front window this day

Sunset this evening

On the 24th, jump started & drove truck to Titos for a battery replacement. Noticed high inflation as last battery replacement I got a couple years ago cost only half as much - this one: $300. Walked home after dropping it off, but Kathy dropped me off in the afternoon to pick up the truck.

Jump starting truck

Discovered this new dirt road crossing area south of Roadrunner on walk home

2nd time this golf course has died

Found this dumpsite - either from the old Ensign Ranch or Borrego Springs Resort

Dump is located just beyond bend in Palm Canyon drainage ditch

Bend in Palm Canyon drainage ditch after averting most of Borrego Springs Resort

Looks like drainage crosses thru the golf course

Hole in fence that allowed me access to take shortcut when walking to Titos last time - nothing left on sign

This little cave, with level/shaded ground under these 2 trees would make a good place to camp

Someone dumped an old hot water heater

Somehow there are still a few desert dandelion blooms!

Meter still heading south

Agave bloom peaking above mesquite canopy

Iris Julie gave us on her visit now starting to bloom

On the 25th, took it easy at home.

3rd rat was finally caught after replacing battery in my rat catcher

Now 2 blooms on iris

Cool, windy weather with nice clouds this day

Too windy for Kathy, so Jef took doggies on 2 mile walk

Doggies smelling in a big patch of coldenias

Clouds late this afternoon

Not clear to the coast, so this is all the colour in the sunset this evening

On the 26th, another day of taking it easy at home.

Sunrise this morning

Decided to finish framing job for glass panel previously used as light filter in ceiling at work - 2 sides done here

Remaining sides completed

Walked it to road and planted it near our driveway

Looking from driveway to street

On the 27th, drove Kathy to MD in Rancho Mirage & shopped on way home. That evening, Kathy figured out how to play a couple melodies on her violing: "Free Range Chicken" and a tune heard at Staters: "California Sun" sung by Joe Jones in 1960.

After 1st rat was dumped last nite, caught #6 in the house at 3am this morning

Kathy practicing violin this evening

On the 28th, Jef got results of physical - need to get new image of prostate(MRI) and then mostly took it easy at home.

Our Borrego PT sign was shifter away from our office to make way for new businesses

Front yard this afternoon

On the 29th, hosted John & Stef for dinner - chicken cordon bleu, baked taters & salad.

Cool sunset

Looking east from house this evening

On the 30th, Kym & Kathy got mammograms while Jef stayed home. This evening, Jill came over & we both got our hair done.