We arrived here a week ago yesterday and when we did, most of the lawns here were brown. There is a sprinkler system throughout the park but when the summer temperatures often hover well over 100F (38C) for weeks at a time, is it any wonder that the lawns struggle to survive? After all, Catalina Spa IS in the desert!

The volunteers who maintain the lawns in the winter arrived a few days before we did and carefully prepared and reseeded all the scorched areas and started a stringent watering schedule. Now, just a few days later their hard work is paying off and there is a distinct shade of green poking through the lawns surfaces.

The putting green that Rick so carefully built last winter was also in pretty tough shape, with patchy green spots where the grass tried to survive. Since he arrived, it too has been taken back down to the sandy roots, leveled and reseeded and like the rest of the park; it’s quickly coming back to vitality. Yes, the summer months can be brutal on the plant life but thanks to the many winter volunteers, soon the gardens and lawns will be lush and in bloom once again.