Desert mornings

We were happy to see Mr. Road Runner is still in residence here at the Lido Palms Motel in Desert Hot Springs.  If fact, when we checked in yesterday afternoon, he came to the door begging for a handout.

FYI, Road Runners don't like popcorn and crackers; they eat meat.  You will not see one lizard in his pool courtyard, no sir.

He's as tame as a pet chicken, and seemed to enjoy his photo close-up this morning.  The desert birds, being smart creatures, wake up with the sun, and that's about 6:30 am this time of year.

And what a sun!  Not like our pallid, weak, Seattle morning light in November. The sun lights the tops of the trees first, where many little birds roost at night. This makes excellent sense, and everyone gets up at exactly the same time to make a racket.

We were up way before the sun this morning (don't ask.)  I will only say we took a rather long,  unintentional "detour" on the back roads from San Diego to Palm Springs, and hit the sack early last night. 

Forget Hollywood celebrities, the palm trees are the stars of Palm Springs.  We went to Indian Canyon today and had a nice hike.  Indian Canyon is on the outskirts of Palm Springs on reservation lands. The Indians do charge $9 per person, but I think it's worth it. Indian Canyon has an incredibly unique topography with plants, streams, springs and  rock formations. The trails are well-maintained and interesting.

You almost feel like you're walking around in a botanical garden, instead of a natural area.  It's amazing seeing a pure, cold springs bubbling up from the canyon floor, the miracle of running streams and the astonishing biosphere it supports in such a small area. Here's a few pictures: