On the 1st, rained fairly hard most of the day, so stayed home & soaked up water leaking in sunroom & taking it easy.

One of 6 bucket-full of water soaked up from sunroom

Very wet out there!

Low clouds all day

Got a couple things from the store

Webo is peak on left, San Ysidro Mtn on right

A couple of ravens checking out dates in palm trees

Noticed this bubble in ceiling paint with water dripping from it

Placed ice chest to catch water from leak

On the 2nd, a mostly cloudy day. We took doggies on 4 mile, 2.5 hour walk to town to drop off xmas card(3 kings) to Stacey (which her mom has been doing for decades). Kathy had bad back pain the whole way, so we had to rest a minute for every 2 minutes of walking.

Sun trying to poke thru at sunrise, but clouds won out for the rest of the day

Depth of water indicates we had 1.5" of rain

Circled area is where new leak is located

Newly painted room

Panorama of backyard from roof

Close up of area of possible leak

WStar house at start of walk

Low clouds by Indianhead

Front "lawn"

On the 3rd, Jef walked to town and met Kathy at the office where they worked out for another 1.5 hours.

Back "lawn"

Meter still heading north

house viewed from the rear

Shortcut trail to rocking chair

Sunset this evening near end of our workout

Sunset after our workout

On the 4th, Jef went to Sewanee and did some weeding. Kathy went to Pam & Jaime's and helped with housecleaning. Jef joined and helped later & we had pizza there this evening.

Clouds this morning

Sewanee's back yard "lawn"

Panorama by elephant statues

Rain in mountains (Jef got a few sprinkles just before arriving at Pam's)

Pam, Jaime & Kathy

Moon above sloth statue on drive home

Moon after arriving home to WStar

Moonbow looking towards Montezuma

On the 5th, mostly took it easy. We cooked albondigas this afternoon.

Sunrise this morning

Toro still shrouded in clouds

Cool clouds this day

We made a batch of Albondigas this evening

On the 6th, a cool and cloudy day where we mostly took it easy at home.

On the 7th, we mostly stayed home, but did take doggies on a 2 mile walk a couple times around our circle as it was sunny with little wind.

Our lawn is pretty verdant now

At WStar & Tilting T

Heading up EStar with Daisy

Kathy managed Pepper most of the way

Split level house on sand dune

Sand dune is covered with "lawn"

Looking toward Indianhead near top of circle on EStar

Kathy arriving home

On the 8th, Kathy saw a couple patients at the office. Jef walked to the Mall and hit the PO on the way home.

Entering canyon behind old country club

This (probably invasive) weed is a problem at our houses and is also out in the wild

Nearing the end of the canyon

Saw a few birds fly by

They appear to have been hawks

The trail to exit the wash

Panorama at the pass

Lupine in bloom at bottom of spur trail

A desert lily has come up at this point along the trail for many years

On the 9th, Jef did some burning of dead branches & diagnosis of electrical problem at Sewanee house. Kathy broke her back cleaning house, but was mostly "out of it" all day.

On the 10th, took Kathy to Escondido for MD appointment & MRI in Mission Valley, doing some shopping on the way home.

Coldest it's been all season

On the 11th, took it easy at home.

On the 12th, Jef walked to town, picked up mail and got a couple things at the Pantry.

Meter still heading north

Sand blazing star in bloom

Panorama at the top

Walked home the easy way - the fountain was running at the Catholic church

On the 13th, A+ Roofing came by and patched the roof. Kathy worked at the office & Jef did chores at home.

A little sunset this evening

On the 14th, Jef went over and did some weeding at Sewanee house. Kathy cancelled the walk this afternoon due to the "no-see-ums". Jef didn't want to work out, so we resolved to work out on Friday the 16th.

Jef shadow after dropping trash at the end of the driveway

Checking out patching job on roof where ceiling had been leaking

A patch was also placed around sunroom roof edge, where water appears during big storms

Drywall tape was placed before this spongy thick white stuff was applied

At Sewanee house, the plants surrounding this old log seem to be whispering bells

On the 15th, Kathy had a full day at the office. Jef stayed home and did chores, but walked to office to help with new patient paperwork this afternoon.

Brittlebush blooming

Rock daisy blooming at base of trail out of wash

Desert hibiscus bloom fully extended

Desert ground cherry

View from the top

Start of descent

Note how green base of Fonts is

1st desert dandelion

On the 16th, Jef drove Kathy to MD in SD. Kathy drove to Ramona from there where we did some shopping before Jef drove home to Borrego.

On the 17th, mostly took it easy at home.

Sunrise this morning

On the 18th, mostly took it easy at home, doing some clean up and weeding in front yard.

This black acacia is leaning on fence and roots are exposed

On the 19th, Jef dropped Camry at Tito's for maintenance & then walked home. Later drove black Jeep there & exchanged with Camry.

Left Camry at Tito's

Saw this solid wall of green across from Roadrunner - a 6' tall growth of weeds in the channel draining from the Roadrunner

Most of the terrain was similar to this on walk home

Dunno what weed this is

Saw 2 pairs of pants on walk home

Old fence around abandoned driving range

Panorama from middle of driving range

3 of the 4 tires I saw dumped along my cross country route

Saw this and another patch of broken glass

Took this trail on final 1/2 mile on walk home

This little (yellow) primrose and fillery were blooms I saw along the way

Walked Daisy around circle after Kathy was unable to continue and she decided Pepper needed a new harness

Hummingbird on nest by front door

On the 20th, Kathy returned to work, seeing 5 patients. Jef met Dave at Sewanee & did weeding. Dave found problem with laundry room electricity was that it was on a GFI circuit.

On the 21st, Jef & Kathy worked out at the office.

Sunrise this morning

On the 22nd, Kathy returned to work. Jef walked to town to do some banking and get mail, and walked back home the longer route.

Clouds this morning

Meter still going north

Brittlebush flowers with desert hibiscus blooms behind

Notchleaf phacelia in bloom

Creosote blooming looking north from spur trail

Limestone implies this was probably underwater a million years ago or so

Heading up trail beyond point I usually turn off to go home

Panorama

Note the big tennis ball in front of old tennis club

North slopes are still pretty green

Creosote blooms with old tennis club in background

Heading down this ridge to wash - sun is starting to come out

The steep trail to pass I normally go is in this pic

More easily seen in middle of this pic

After reaching wash

On the 23rd, mostly took it easy at home, doing chores.

Walked doggies, doing a pole line on 2nd lap, doing about 2 miles this afternoon

On the 24th, after seeing a facebook post on the "Obsidian Wave", we suggested we go there after Flaco arrived. We then went to Bombay Beach for a great sunset before driving home.

Looking north to the Salton Sea from Obsidian Butte - I think the middle with dark rocks contain the "obsidian wave"

Panorama from Obsidian Butte looking south and showing all the nearby geothermal power plants

Panorama with our car in the middle left - Kathy was talking to other people, who were rock hounds, while Flaco & Jef were atop the butte

Flaco & Jef

Heading back down

We walked down to the beach to check out this mostly obsidian area

Flaco helped Kathy down to the beach while oblivious Jef snapped pix

Small obsidian sample

Kathy & Flaco

These might be bird blinds for photographers

Beach panorama

Kathy picked up some small samples

Kathy walking with her rockhound hammer

The beach was entirely composed of barnacles!

Kathy with obsidian sample & Jef

Kathy needed to go to bathroom, so stopped at this gas station in Niland

Besides this collarless dog, we were amused with a crazy person digging a bottle from the trash and using it as a light saber against a phantom menace. We had to help Kathy find her wallet, as she temporarily lost it in the bathroom

Arriving in Bombay Beach

Sample pieces of Bombay Beach art

Cool clouds forming

This will turn into a great sunset

We didn't check this out, but looks like a good viewing point on 2nd floor

270° panorama of SW corner of berm surrounding the town

Bridge made out of a trailer

The sunset is starting

We discover the parking area for the beach

Jef took this pic of stranded boat, perhaps a Spanish sailing vessel from the time of Cabrillo?

Conditions may exist with Flaco

A couple of guys drove by on their unicycles

Sea monster arm is high & dry, as the lake level has been going down

Flaco on the grounded cube raft

Jef catching the now high & dry fish

The other thing

This sea might be gone someday, but the oceans will remain

Uh, oh. A pirate pyrimid!

Kathy was talking with the guy in this van while Flaco & Jef took pix - she wanted to buy a wind chimes, but we didn't have enuff cash, so Kathy promised to be back in a week

We had a drink at the Ski Inn, after finding the Legion was closed - note the dollars decorating the walls & ceiling

Flaco playing Semer's(Kathy's dad) old Silvertone, which hadn't been played for over 50 years, and was still in perfect tune!

Kathy & Flaco jammed a little

We dined on Canneloni this evening

On the 25th, Kathy took it easy at home while Flaco & Jef hiked Ant Hill. Later that day, after Flaco left, Kathy & Jef walked the puppies on a new pole-line road for over 3 miles. Jef walked about 10 miles this day.

Briefly stopped at Henderson Canyon flower fields before the hike

Flaco at left in this panorama

Flaco starting the hike

Saw these 2 parasailors a few times on our hike

One of, perhaps, 100 desert lily plants we saw on this hike

Parasailors in front of Fonts Point(L) and Ant Hill(R)

Actually saw these other hikers!

Baby ant hills on way to Ant Hill

Patch of 8 desert lilies

We were about to walk on this dirt road when the 2 parasailors, following the road, passed right by us!

Desert sunflower

Dune primrose

Lots of Sahara mustard as we near the hilly part of the hike

Toro Peak

Hit this fence line, but followed it a bit before crossing it at a low point, such as this

Flaco getting something from pack

When Flaco was about to put on more suntan lotion, I offered my bandana to protect his neck

Flaco sporting his new headgear

Desert lily bloom amid verbena field

Flaco noticed this chuckwalla when it moved

Another big patch of desert lily

Creosote blooms with verbena field in background

After reaching the ridge leading up to the peak

Panorama with Ant Hill at left and flower field on south slope of ridge

Upper reaches of this flower field are brown-eyed primrose

Flaco approaching the peak

Flaco at the peak. Jef called Julie & Kathy, but noone answered

Heading back down

Heading into the Valley of Flowers

Montezuma Grade & Borrego in distance. Green in middle ground might be mostly Sahara mustard

Sahara mustard

Summary of Ant Hill hike - about 6.5 miles

Summary of hike with doggies - about 3.2 miles

On the 26th, took it easy doing chores at home.

On the 27th, Kathy returned to work. Jef walked to Tito's to pick up black Jeep, taking a new route.

Meter still heading north

After continuing x-country from Walking H, saw this abandonned wellhead

Terrain to be traversed

Chinchweed that bloomed so spectacularly in this area in October is all dead now

Crossed this drainage choked with vegetation

This might be the new invasive Valeria weed - this one about 5' tall

Old pumphouse along DiGiorgio Rd

Slab of an abandonned house

Wellhead implies this was a pumphouse

The drainage I crossed over emptied on east side of DiGiorgio Rd in a 6' deep trench - dammed up before enterring an even bigger 12' deep drainage - perhaps to have more water seep in here, not far from that pump house

Where the main drainage comes from DiGiorgio - I believe this is when Palm Canyon creeks makes it this far

Looking down the drainage channel - I believe this was made to prevent flooding at the Borrego Springs Resort

Panorama of this channel

Found this kite, which I later found out to be part of a $700 kite Steve had lost a year ago

Turned out to be Steve's number

Use your imagination.... No Trespassing, perhaps?

Kathy had me look at the sunset this evening - just caught the tail end of it

On the 28th, drove Kathy to MD in Rancho Mirage. We went on an hour hike from city hall afterwards, before shopping and driving home.

Sunrise this morning

On the 29th, another work day for Kathy. Jef did some weeding at Sewanee.

On the 30th, did chores at home all day.

On the 31st, packed up and drove to Niland to get wind chimes Kathy couldn't get weekend before and camped at Bashford's Hot Springs Resort.