Memorial Day Week

The light during the eclipse was an eerie
mashup of twilight and high noon.

It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon; and for me, it's been an eventful two weeks in Palm Springs. For starters there was the annular eclipse, an event we shared with a goodly portion of Asia and the Western US. I watched it from Bob and Doug's back yard. I didn't see the ring of fire but the effect on the land below was note worthy. The quality and angle of light was eerily beautiful – a mashup of high noon and twilight.

I have become very aware of light here. Light and heat are the dominant sensations in these parts. During the day, the intensity of both nearly obliterate the other senses. The beauty of the land, and there is a tremendous amount of beauty here, is best appreciated in the early morning or late in the day when both the light and heat are tempered enough to allow for color, scent, and sound to hold their own. At night, floodlit, the sky a jeweler's drape, the architecture of the city emerges like a still glamorous lady of a certain age who understands the importance of good lighting. So much of the architecture here looks best in soft light.

Archetypal mid-century courtyard apartment complex in the
Warm Springs neighborhood

I have begun to meet people. From the small sample, I am encouraged that the diversity I have been missing is abundant here. I have met two neighbors, which given the summer occupancy of this complex is probably about 40%, is not bad. My neighbor on the left is a retired school teacher. She smokes on her back balcony on late afternoons when the sun has dipped to the other side of the building (morning smokes are on the front balcony. Often I sit out at that time to enjoy the afternoon light. Sometimes we chat. The neighbor across the way is another retiree from Los Angeles. Don't know much about him yet.

Lobby area at The Parker

I met a man, retired AT&T employee, who is half Navajo, half Cherakowa Apache. He has greatly aided a reexamination of many of my cultural assumptions. He is not Indian or Native American as in Amerigo Vespucci. He is half Navajo, half Cherakowa Apache. He is a dessert person. He has spent the bulk of his years in New Mexico, Nevada, and Southern California. He lived on the East Coast for several years and hated it. He was unfamiliar with the land and uncomfortable with the people. When Tony talks about people he is talking about the original inhabitants of the land. His discomfort was with the energies of the native peoples of the Southeast US.

Tony's perspective on the world is as a Navajo/Apache through a libertarian filter.  He is not optimistic about the current state of civilization. He has many observations regarding how out of balance things have gotten. I don't share all his views but I do agree with his assessment of how interesting (as in old Chinese curse) the times are in which we live.

Lemonade garden with bocci court at The Parker

His has conviction that he is a member of a species of humanity on the verge of extinction. It has been predicted by his elders for generations. He is very fatalistic about it all. His plan is to escape to Portugal, where he owns a small apartment, as soon as he reaches retirement age. From his perspective, Portugal is a third world country and knows it. The US has become a third world country and is still oblivious to the fact. As I said, I am beginning to meet people.

My brother and sister-in-law were in town for nine days. They looked at a fair amount of real estate and we checked out several local eateries with mixed results. Lulu, Rick's: good. Wang's: awful.

As a tour guide I blew it, though. Today, thanks to a friend who also moved here from Sarasota, I was introduced to one of the many hidden treasures of Palm Springs.

The Parker Hotel and Resort was once Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch estate. It was, for a time, the Merv Griffin Resort, then the Givenchy Hotel and Spa—and now, it’s part of Parker-Merridien Hotels and known as simply The Parker. The public areas have been restored to their multi-decade splendor. There is a mix of 50s, 60s, and 70s decor including Mr. Parkers a restaurant that looks like it awaiting the momentary arrival of the Rat Pack,

Indoor and outdoor dining is open to the public

Just over the garden walls that ring the property is busy Palm Canyon Drive. Once inside the walls, you are in a secret pleasure garden with fountains, pools, and abundant greenery. It is a place of sybaritic retreat and indulgently clandestine trysts for the wealthy and famous. There are many such places in Palm Springs and I intend to check out as many as possible. If you want to see more photos of The Parker go the link above or check out my Facebook album.

I can see that there is more to this place than meets the eye, especially at mid-day. I look forward to discovering more hidden places for myself — and for the blog.