TO-DAY I DIPPED MY TOE INTO THE SALTON SEA

LOOKING NORTHWARD ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE SALTON SEA

We have been a couple of weeks now without any television channels & I'm surprised we have adapted so well. Routines & habits sometimes seem insurmountable & while home in Canada the thoughts of going without our daily television fix was unimaginable. First thing on in the morning & last thing off at night. CNN, Weather Channel, South Park, Local News, ABC, Oprah, CNN, Biographies, Nightime soap dramas, NBC, History Channel, CNN, PBS, Oprah, well, you get my drift. Did I mention CNN & Oprah!!!!

CNN news comes to us now via satellite radio but it's not the same as television & we are not drawn to it the same. Kind of drones on for a bit in the morning & generally leaves our memory banks before we are even back from our walk. Just not the same as at home...............and we like it this way.In an earlier blog last fall I wrote about our morning walks & morning talks. And so it was this morning. The changing economy, the future, the RV lifestyle, the uncertainty, our aging health, decisions, priorities, dreams, realities, mistakes & misfortunes. And talks of things to come. It was a good morning walk.

Kelly's ankle continues it's remarkable recovery. With the amount of pain she was in a couple of night's ago I figured she was going to be totally out of action for a couple of weeks for sure. She's walking on it ok now with no pain. Figured we better take it easy for awhile yet, so to-day we decided to take a drive over to Salton City located on the shores of the Salton Sea about 20 minutes east of us. We had seen the Salton Sea from a distance a few times before but had never drove to it's shores for a closer look.

NOT MUCH ACTIVITY HERE ANYMORE

Highway 86 runs north & south along the west side of the Salton Sea & at about the halfway point lies the raggly taggly community of Salton City. Salton City looks to me like it might have been a nice place at one time because of an area along the shore that had been landscaped nice with palms & plants. A paved drive with white curbs marked what might have once been a picnic area or a beach pavilion. Now, the palms are all but dead, the pavement is cracked & broken. The curbs have faded & broken glass & litter is everywhere. The salt encrusted poor smelling shoreline with it's brackish water was anything but appealing & in the end this is what may have finally spelled the demise of people's efforts years ago to have themselves a fine recreation area. I always find it sad when I see something that people have obviously worked hard to make nice, in such disarray. Somebody had a dream at one time & all that is left is the dead & dying palms, faded curbs & broken asphalt now.

We drove around the streets & houses & saw the for sale signs, the empty windows. Didn't appear to be any downtown area, just dusty & empty streets in many places. We drove into an RV Park near the water that didn't have a single sole in it. The lots were there, the water taps worked, saw electricity boxes, picnic tables, fire pits, some nicely planted greenery...........but nobody was there. No rigs, no people, no hope. We also saw nice homes, a couple of other RV Parks that appeared to be full & we drove past the brightest spot in town, the High School. It was painted a strong mustard yellow & trimmed in a hard dark blue. Couldn't resist a few photos. The town lies between highway 86 & the Salton Sea, about a distance of a mile or so. The west side of the highway is a totally different story. There is evidence of progress here. A huge gas station complex is under construction with about 10 gas pumps & as many or more diesel pumps. Dump station for RV's & the list goes on. The garage is looking like a mini-Casino. A new supermarket right beside the gas bar opened a year ago to-day & looks like another food eatery place nearby too. Subdivisions are also going up on the west side of the highway. It's as if the highway divides the dying past from the bustling future. Or, does it!! Nothing is for sure anymore in this economy:((
So, we wish you all the best Salton City & hope you can turn yourself around.

LOS ANGELES IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE MOUNTAINS SOMEWHERE

We were home by 3 & both tired. I don't think rock scrambling in the canyons is as tiring as driving around looking at a crumbling lifestyle so with a bit of luck & Kelly's ankle on the mend we're hoping to go have us a look at a place nearby called Coyote Canyon shortly. Been reading about it in my new book lately. A lot of history here in this area.
SACK OF BIG CALIFORNIA ORANGES FOR A DOLLAR

The full moon rising over the Santa Rosa mountains to-night was nothing short of marvelous. As I sit here at the computer I can look out the big windshield to my left & the ground looks like it is covered with snow. The moon on the sand & gravel surface seems to illuminate the landscape while the dark shadowy mountains in the background lend there presence to give one an ominous feeling. There are legends in the desert & sometimes you can almost feel them............................................

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