chuckography

Put wind turbines where the wind blows....DUH.

 While I was celebrating my birthday in San Diego last month, I decided to visit an old buddy nearby.

I rented a car and drove to Palm Springs. It's about 135 miles on N.E freeways.

Drive time depended on who you asked. I was told 2 hours; 2.5 hours and three and a half hours.

It took 4 hours. Each way. On a weekday or even on a weekend.

So I mentioned to my buddy Bill, I didn't see any wind turbines until I got to Cathedral City/Palm Springs.

Why so many here?

Duh! They erect them where there is a lot of wind.

When there is pretty steady wind blowing, they put up a bunch of the turbines. Sorry, birds in the neighborhood or unfortunate migratory ones just  passing through.

I had stopped to take some photos of - to me - a strange sight. I noticed some of the 3-prop ones are different sizes and there are some very large 2-bladed ones. I believe the newest ones are much taller with a man standing on top just for scale. But I didn't see any of the giants.

Bill moved to Cathedral City 2 years ago from Encinitas in San Diego North County and bought a very nice, extra wide and fully-furnished home for a great price.

He bought it from a Canadian "snowbird," who had lived in it only during the cold months for 10 years. That's cold months in Canada, eh.
It's situated in a nice, quiet, 55+ community of desert-lovers.  Or, bargain seekers.

Bill pointed out he was very close to a major grocery store, several fast-food places, full restaurants, shops and stores and other amenities. All without the fearsome traffic of Los Angeles!

He took me to his favorite coffee place in Palm Springs and we sipped our brews outside on the cool covered patio. The waitperson snapped our photo and I remember now that I was wearing my Speed Graphic t-shirt.


Bill was very proud of the view he has of the palm trees and mountains.

I agreed it was gorgeous and snapped a few photos from his living room window.

He said the view - and the low price - made buying the home a no-brainer.

He said many snowbirds sell homes here furnished because they have all the stuff they need back at their "real" home.

His came with very nice upscale furniture, all appliances and even pots and pans and glassware.

He bought a Keurig and individual coffees so we started our days with some hot java, fresh fruit, and buttered toast or waffles.

One evening, the day before my actual birthday, we went to a nice nearby Italian restaurant, sipped wine, listened to some Sinatra songs played by a band and ate plates of 3-cheese lasagna. Burp.

Around us were elderly, but not "early bird diners," older. I even saw some empty handicap spaces in the lot.

Coming out into a desert twilight, I noted a scene similar to the SC state flag symbol.

Well, with a full moon instead of a crescent one.

Bill is a fellow newspaper guy, but I worked for two different family-owned papers and I left both while they still were,.

Lucky me.

Bill was blindsided when his Herald Examiner bit the dust on Nov 2, 1989.

But he quickly landed jobs in radio, an aural skill he had honed as a broadcaster overseas with Armed Forces Radio in Austria and in Italy, near Pisa.

When we met, he had settled in as Promotions Director for legendary KFI in L.A. after many years doing promotions and creating on-air special hijinks for KMPC and other properties owned by Gene Autry.

Driving around one afternoon in Palm Springs, he pulled into a shopping center.

He said he wanted to pay a visit to his former boss.

Autry had told his staff he did not want to be called Mr. Autry, just "Call me Cowboy."

Bill said Autry once received a nice note from President Nixon who mentioned: "... and your wonderful horse Trigger."

The letter was immediately trashed at the mention of rival Roy Roger's horse!

Bill is seated on the left of "Cowboy".

(Click on the pictures and links for more details).

Some of you know I am edging up to my 1,000 posting on this blog. This one is number 995 so I'm slowly getting there.

Wow, posted my first tentative brief posting in March 2006, encouraged by  Post and Courier journalist friend Dan Conover.

Thanks, Dan!
It's been a fun ride and I'm still in the saddle.

Labels: Cathedral City, desert and mountains views, full-furnished homes for sale, Just desserts are at the end of a meal. Canadian snowbirds, Palm Springs, wind turbines

posted by chuckography @ 6:23 PM