My friend K moved from SF to LA long before COVID; after moving within LA County, he found a house out in Desert Hot Springs, north of Palm Springs, and has been exchanging happy text messages with me about his succulent collection ever since. (If there was ever a friend who would ply a man with images of cacti, it would be me. This is FUN!)
His garden is coming in nicely, and October is finally a time of year when the temperature is below 100 degees Fahrenheit, so I got my overpriced SFO to PSP direct flights going, and spent three nights and four days with my dear friend.
The desert... The pale sands, the tiny shrubs, the VAST WIND FARMS, the really dramatic and very dry mountains which turn so red at sunset... It's so different from the coasts.
We enjoyed museums, gardens, lounging around whenever air conditioning was needed to revive us, and even a field trip to a remote western-themed town to check out an old fashioned saloon/barn-style hangout.
We visited the Sunnylands estate, and learned how rich conservatives who hosted presidents and other heads of state lived in winter. Their vast property and extensive landscaping made the place feel as if no one else exists... Which is how conservatives act also, so I shouldn't have been surprised, but it was a very posh, quiet sort of isolation.
We visited botanical gardens, because OF COURSE WE DID. You know what I'm like! And K is similar, and now has experience growing many types of plants suited to this landscape, so different from the places he has lived previously.
Just in case you don't see it, the upper right succulent looks like it has little skulls with spikes coming out of the eyes and mouth. It's so... metal. It felt timely before Halloween.
I told K I could eat Mexican food every day, and nearly did. After months of strict portion control, it was confusing to eat cheese at dinner so often! But our light breakfasts and active exploration balanced it out.
Finally, these are details from K's own front garden. IT LOOKS GREAT!! And the desert light strikes everything so brilliantly...
It was great to sit in pajamas, talking to my friend whenever we weren't out exploring. So comfortable! I am sad he is no longer a weekly dinner companion, but am delighted I was able to spend quality time with him last month, and enjoy the Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs areas.
