With the exception of two days, the air here has been remarkably still to the point that it was difficult to understand the purpose of all the wind generators. However, on Friday night, riding back from Palm Springs on the bike, we could really feel the wind gusts. It was strong enough that it made keeping any vehicle going on a straight path challenging and we were no exception. The wind had arrived at last with a vengeance and it blew strongly all through the night. By Saturday morning it had still not let up and along with the wind came cooler weather. Our tropical temperatures have been replaced with more moderate air and it has gone from highs in the upper 20’sC to highs in the lower 20’sC. I suppose no matter how you look at it, it beats having to bundle up in hats and mitts and shovelling snow.

The only negative that I have found with wintering in the desert is that it is incredibly dry (go figure!) and I find myself forever thirsty. Both Rick and I are suffering with dry skin but nothing that a little lotion doesn’t cure. If dryness and wind are the only negatives, desert life in the winter is pretty damn good and we feel quite fortunate to experience it.

Today we (Rick, myself and Jennifer) decided to go for a swim and it was a real treat to find the pool almost deserted. Apparently the residents don’t like swimming when it is cooler because the wind has chilled the water, bringing it down from 92F to 80F….brrrr! For us, the crazy Canuks and the Oregonian, it was perfect and we enjoyed having the pool and hot tub to ourselves.

When Rick returned from Vancouver, he came armed with some pictures of Makai who is growing rapidly as you can see.