I never wanted to be a blogger who just posted photos of family and trips - I wanted my blog to be filled with thoughtful paragraphs about philosophy and self improvement, rants on my current likes and dislikes, well-written book recommendations, favorite quotes, pictures gathered from other blogs and websites, step-by-step recipes, and tidbits of stuff I learn and want to share.Well, all that takes time and thought and effort. When I sit down to post on my blog it's so much easier to check out other blogs and read about everyone on Facebook lol. Distraction happens. Oh well - since my blog is a form of journaling for me, it has turned into a little photo album with brief captions.
So, without further excuses, here are a few photos from a recent quick trip to Palm Springs, California. This trip came about because last year, on the cold winter night, Scott answered a telemarketer's phone call and signed up to get three free nights and a free dinner if he'd listen to a condo presentation at a Westin resort in Rancho Mirage. (We sat through two solid hours of a high-pressure sales pitch, and no, we didn't fall for it - but it took another solid hour to convince them that we really were NOT interested, and we were just there for the freebies.)
It was HOT in Palm Springs - it was definitely the off season. To cool off, we went to a beautiful little oasis in the desert called Andreas Canyon and hiked a one-mile loop. We enjoyed the huge palm trees, sparkling creek, and abundant lizards.
If there's a rock, Scott has to scramble to the top of it. 
We went to a little art shop so Scott could buy some new paint brushes. And then we walked through the beautiful upscale shopping area and enjoyed some fabulous art galleries.
(An art gallery's nod to Halloween - the metal and barb wire nests were priced at $2,000.)
I walked around the corner and was excited to see an exhibit of Kent Wallis's paintings. He's President Wallis to me - our (church) stake president. I served as stake Relief Society president for three years until last month and got to know him well. I should have asked for a discount on a painting don't you think?
This is the lobby of the JW Marriott hotel. It's huge. There's a lake in the lobby with little boats that people ride in. I liked the flower centerpieces.
And, finally, I have to share a photo of the full moon over the desert mountains. The September full moon is called the Full Corn Moon because that's when the native Americans knew that their corn was ready to harvest. The shades of purple and coral in the landscape beautifully complemented the gray sky and bright white moon.
