My Latest New Gadget

I've always loved gadgets and new technology... like being one of the first in Wenatchee with a Fax machine, and cell phone. That was when Fax's used thermal paper and cell phones were really two-way radio transmitters and receivers. Today I fed my lust for a new gadget.

This morning Max and I went for a random drive around the area, stopped at our favorite little donut shop then headed to the Roger Dunn Golf Store where I chose the newest SG5Golf Caddie. It's not much bigger than a cell phone and will be so cool. I wish everyone had one of these because it's a time saver on the golf course. No more looking for yardage markers on sprinkler heads, or wondering how far the hazards are. The only bad thing, of course, is it won't actually stop the golf ball from going into a hazard, it will only tell me where and how far away they are.

Now, I just have toarrange a game of golf to test it out.

Stay tuned...

Carol

Lunch With Lowell and Mary Jo

One of the highlights of our annual trip to Palm Springs is getting together for lunch with Max's cousin and his wife. Lowell's Dad and Max's Dad were brothers so Max and Lowell grew up together in Cardston.

Lowell & MaryJo live in Edmonton, Alberta and also have a home in Palm Desert, where they spend 6 months of the year. We try to get together for lunch at the Olive Garden once a week while we're here.

Today they had us over to their condo for lunch and dessert. The upper left picture is Lo & Jo cutting the Apple Pie and dishing up the ice cream. YUMMO!

And here is Max and Lowell sitting on the sofa discussing an article that was printed in the Cardston newspaper about Lowell recently. Lowell has been an avid athlete all of his life and was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton on his 80th birthday last September. He was quite the runner and basketball player as a youth... got into squash as an adult, but in later years seemed to focus on tennis which he became very good at, has won many trophies, and still plays regularly.

Remember: You can click on any of the pictures in this post or the entire blog to enlarge the image.

Beautiful Day On The Course

Our golfing friends, Carl & Mary Lou Lattimer, from Wenatchee are down here for 3 weeks. Last night we got together for dinner at the (Cathedral Canyon Country Club) clubhouse with Bud & Dorothy McIntire (who live here). Bud and Dorothy used to live in Wenatchee but moved down here several years ago and love it. They usually go back to Wenatchee for a few weeks in the summer (when it's soooo darn hot here) to visit family and friends.

Above, clockwise: Max, Bud, Willy, Dorothy, Mary Lou, Carl.

Today Carl & Mary Lou invited me to play golf with them. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Here is a picture of Carl, Max and Mary Lou while we were waiting for our turn on a par 3.

Max rode with me for the first nine then I ran him back to the condo for a nap while I finished the back nine with Carl and Mary Lou. My game didn't start out so great but I finished pretty strong. I shot a 49 on the front, 40 on the back, to break 90. Yay! I was particularly proud of the back nine 40 because it was the "Lake" nine, which (IMHO) is the most difficult on the course. There is not only LOTS of water but plenty of sand too.

I love Palm trees! I'm not sure why, but I find myself fascinated by them. No matter where I am, I find myself gawking around looking at Palm trees. Whether they are tall or short, they seem so graceful. The first picture above is three TALL palms behind the pool near our condo. Orange, lemon and grapefruit trees line the pathway to the pool.

The second set of palms was taken on the golf course today. What you can't see is the BIG lake on the left and the BIG sandtrap on the right.

The Afternoon Office

Here is a picture of my "office" this afternoon... by the pool/spa, just steps away from the patio of our condo in the Cathedral Canyon Country Club.

Looking up, here is a view of the palms from this spot, hovering over the spa area.

Life Is Good!

Max & Carol Williams On The Patio

Shirley took a picture of Max and me yesterday morning while relaxing on the patio with coffee (and hot chocolate for Max).

In the background you can see the tennis courts which are right next to the clubhouse. We have a very convenient location near the clubhouse and we have a golf cart with our condo so we can tootle around the neighborhood when we don't have anything else to do.

Shirley made me reach back and pull an old 4-H Style Show pose while goofing off under the orange and grapefruit trees this morning. I'm not really super model material any more, but... Oh Well!

More Fun in Palm Springs

Cousin Shirley St. Clair and her friend Richard have been here since Wednesday but had to fly back home (to the cold Northwest) today. They live in Eugene, so the weather isn't quite as bad as in Wenatchee (and the Cascade mountains of Washington) but it will still be a shock going back after the wonderful 80 degree weather they've been enjoying here. Here we all are out in front of Babe's (a very popular BBQ restaurant) after dinner last night.

Here is Max posing out in front of the pool and spa just a few steps down from our condo.

We had some good times while Shirley & Richard were here. Friday afternoon we went to the Palm Springs Follies, which is a fabulous 3 hour musical and dance show featuring ALL senior citizens. The youngest cast member was 56. The oldest 78. They do 9 shows per week! They don't allow photographs to be taken in the theatre, so no pictures to post.

Random Acts of Fun

It's hard to believe we've already been here one week. Time truly does fly when you're having fun!

I was able to play my first game of golf on Tuesday... the first in 6 months (since I broke my arm in early August of last year. I was invited to join a small group of ladies at the Cathedral Canyon Country Club (where we are staying). In this picture is the 120 yard par 3 hole #9 of the Lake course. Notice the snow capped San Jacinto Mountains in the background? This is a very challenging course, with lots of water and sand traps, making ball placement crititical. In spite of a less than stellar score, I can't use the broken arm, shoulders or last years back surgery as an excuse. I actually felt pretty good. I was also able to play again today with my friend, Dorothy McIntire,during their regular the Ladies Club day. My score improved by 6 strokes and the weather continues to be fabulous. Life is Good!

Anticipating the arrival of cousin Shirley St.Clair and her friend Richard, Max and I took the car down to the local car wash and gave it a good bath and hand wax. It deserved a nice pampering after all it went through (snow, sleet and rain) getting out of the Northwest and down to Palm Springs.



Yesterday, cousin Shirley St.Clair and her friend Richard arrived for a few days of fun in the sun. The temperature here was about 70 degrees yesterday and Richard said that was twice the temperature of when they left Eugene, Oregon that morning! Today was about 72 and supposed to be about 77 tomorrow. Yea! Tonight we all went down to "The River" and had dinner at a California Bistro called Pieros Acqua Pazza. That was fun.

Tomorrow we plan to see the Matinee performance of the annual Palm Springs Follies, which is always a fabulous show of song and dance, featuring ALL senior citizens.

Ginger (Rogers) and Me

Today Max, Connie and I went to see a stage play called "Ginger and Me". It was a musical about the life of Ginger Rogers, from her Mother's perspective. Her mother was really the driving force behind her rise and success.

Did you know Ginger Rogers was married 5 times? Even Howard Hughes proposed to her but she could see his philandering ways before it was too late. 3 of her husbands turned into alcoholics. I guess it's tough being married to a movie star.

Tomorrow Connie and I plan to go to the Street Fair at the College of the Desert. It's held every Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. It's always one of my favorite things to do when down here. It's still a bit cold in the mornings for Max and said he'll probably opt to stay home. It will be warming up as the month goes by and we will have several more opportunities to go before heading home.

Settling In

Today was a nice, leisurely, day. I did some grocery shopping to stock up the empty food shelves and refrigerator... and we're settling in.

Here is (from left to right) Max, Connie, and Bill (on the floor watching a Laker game).

Connie and Bill are staying with us for a couple days, then they have a timeshare they will move into until Wednesday when they will go back home to Sun City West (Phoenix).

Tomorrow we are booked to go see a Broadway play "Ginger and Me"... about Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Will write about that tomorrow or the next day.

Stay tuned...