Ennui

I knew it would happen sooner or later. Ennui has come to visit. Too hot to garden ...too hot to do anything but try to stay cool and the forecast tells us this is just the beginning! Languor is not such a bad thing, I guess, especially if you live in Borrego. But, at this time of year, the siren call of higher elevations or misty beaches is certainly beguiling! It just might be time to slip away for a few days.

We had a small taste of a cooler elevation last Saturday when we drove to Palomar Mountain. We took the back road and meandered around. There is an outstanding overview where you can see for miles and miles. Lake Henshaw looks so much larger from that vantage point! It was a cool and comfortable trip,and not too far away from Borrego Springs.

Since we decided to take time off from gardening, we thought it was also time to let the garden rest. It put forth so much effort last season we decided to pay it back with a well deserved sleep. We first enriched the soil by spreading one bag of manure on each raised bed, digging it in, flooding it and covering the entire bed with plastic. Borrego heat takes care of the rest...solarization helps kill any unwanted pests and even gives a boost to organic nutrients already present in the soil. When uncovered, in late September or early October, the soil will again be ready to go back to work for us! Depending on the weather, seeds will be started in flats about three weeks prior to the time the beds will be uncovered.

Meanwhile, we look forward to the cooler nights that are sure to come!

Not a Walk in the City or Suburbs!

An early morning walk around the block is a habit of many Borregans. Our walks differ from a walk in the city or the suburbs. Our blocks differ from them, too! According to the pedometer, our block is one mile in length! There are no sidewalks, no streetlights and we rarely even see a car on the road! During the season, you will meet regular walkers, some accompanied by their four legged household members. Dogs always find something different to sniff or investigate every day. They love their daily regimen.
Most dogs have stepped on cholla. Lola is no exception. When she first encountered a cholla cluster, she didn't know how to handle the situation. She tried to remove the cactus with her mouth and immediately found out that was the wrong idea. Now, she has learned to stop, lift her paw and wait. If you carry a comb with you on a desert walk, you will find out how easy it is to remove cholla by just putting the comb under the sticker and flicking it away.
These morning outings offer unimaginable vistas. I often carry my camera with me and have loved some of the photos I have taken in the early morning. You often see unexpected things as the sun comes up...one morning we saw a young mountain lion who seemed unable to figure a way out of a fenced pasture. The first time we saw a burrowing owl was on one of our easement walks. ( Yes, we still have telephone poles ) He stood in front of us, bouncing up and down with those huge eyes. I remember, too, the first time our dog encountered a discarded snake skin. She jumped a foot off the ground, it was so foreign to her. Lola had her first meeting with a tarantula, also on an early walk. She reacted the same way. A coyote joined us on a walk one day. He walked parallel with us and stopped when we stopped. Our dog paid no attention to him and seemed glad to have the additional company.
One early warm summer morning offered an experience of a different kind. Realize, that no one was around during this hot spell...the neighborhood was almost empty. As we walked that morning, we heard the sound of a door opening. A neighbor walked out to pick up her paper...stark naked! Another neighbor does early morning gardening...after spying us coming up the road, we often see her making her way back to the house with her hoe or rake, clad only in her nightgown or underwear!
We are safe, though. I don't think either of them blogs!

The Borrego Yeti

Sometimes , you can solve a mystery. Sometimes the mystery eludes you and is never solved. And, like many Borrego residents, we look for desert clues to explain things. You know what type animal has been frequenting the garden by myriad clues...scat, prints, feathers, sounds or actual sightings. We are always looking and listening and have come up with answers to most Borrego mysteries. But, there are exceptions:

A real poser when we first moved here was not solved for months. We kept hearing things at odd times...soft eerie flute-like melodies with out any real structure...just soft musical notes coming to us on the wind, so to speak. We were even uncertain of the direction from which they came. " Do you hear something?" ...was the often asked question. We made up stories to explain it; the ancient shaman calling to us, the lost musician, the echo from afar, the sound of the wind... We solved the riddle several months from the time we first heard the music. We were passing by the old Hoberg Hotel, which was vacant, and heard it again - louder! GHOSTS! As we walked by, we spotted a reclusive flute player amongst the palms. We later found out he was the caretaker. Mystery solved!

One unsolved mystery remains: We never found out who ( or WHAT ) made the barefoot tracks we found for several consecutive weeks around our neighborhood. Others had also noticed them. The footprints were huge - around size twelve or larger, we guessed. It had to be a night walker. Streets and sand are too hot during the day. And, he must have had tough feet because there are stickers, pebbles and cacti everywhere! We heard rumors of others seeing bare foot prints around their yards, even around their houses. We never met a barefoot person on any of our walks.

We know about the Ranchita Yeti. Do you think there might be a Borrego Yeti, too?

The Borrego Sun

Regardless of all else that goes on in the world, every Borregan looks forward to picking up his mail late Wednesday or early Thursday, every other week. Why? Because that is the day the Borrego Sun is delivered to each subscriber's Post Office box!

The "Sun" has been the major source of news in Borrego since 1949. It is truly a "down-home" newspaper and is full of all kinds of news...who had a baby, what's for sale, important meeting dates, an opinion page, letters to the editor, an editorial,a crossword ( new ), ads and lots of other things of community interest. Judy Meir has taken over Joe Stone's old column and is doing a great job. This time of year, the paper is understandably thinner than during the season, but, as always, chock full of information that is fascinating and refreshingly upbeat when compared to the big papers.

The photos on the first page are often of Borrego kids who have made a name for themselves...Youth Theater actors, graduates, or current events like flooding, beautiful fields of flowers, sunsets, clouds, farmer's markets, fiestas, parades, plein aire painters and the like.

In the most recent paper, I found out the General Plan Update had finally been approved by the County. I went to the on-line site and read the entire thing. I think it bodes well for the future of Borrego Springs and am thankful for all the time and effort of the many volunteers who worked so hard and for so many years on the plan.

There is even a CRIMEWATCH section I definitely enjoy reading. Of course, not much is usually in it. This time of year, especially...in August. Someone damaged a gate to gain entrance to a swimming pool, used the pool and left "beer cans scattered about". Rangers rescued two men stranded in the mud caves. The item that alerted me to what is really going on was the group of naked meteor watchers who were issued warnings. They were amongst a group of 70 "mostly clothed" viewers watching the Perseid Meteor shower from Font's Point. Also, some welding tools were stolen from a shed. That's it!

Ode to Mi Tenapa

Long ago, we learned that Borrego Springs adheres to Baja time: An early restaurant , a tiny place on the south east side of the Circle, which was called, "Mi Tenapa", had the best home cooked Mexican food you have ever tasted. The thing about the place, though, was you never knew when it was open. The owner of the Fudge Shop also remembers the place fondly and told me he always looked for cars in the parking lot before he stopped to eat there. We also had a signal we looked for...his two dogs. Even if there were no cars around, if the dogs were outside, you could then be sure he or his wife were inside cooking. Usually, his wife would get there early. She was the cook. He was the server and would arrive later. Ray served each table himself. One beer at a time! He slowly and carefully set the tables...spoons, then forks, then knives...making many shuffling trips back and forth and often stopping to talk. We saw an out-of-town customer ask him to hurry up. His reply..." I haven't hurried in sixty years and I'm not about to start now!" We have so many memories of that unique place...it only had a few tables but it had a larger "waiting room" with four old car seats, firmly attached to the floor with heavy chains. NO ONE who knew the place would wait in the waiting room, which was stifling in summer. The entertainment at Tenapa was watching tourists run outside to wait after a few minutes in that waiting room! One time, our family was having dinner and we did have live entertainment. Friends of his dropped in, part of a mariachi band who entertained us in that small space...a harp and two guitars . You just never know what will happen during a Borrego summer!

You often didn't get what you ordered, because Ray was "out of it" but whatever you did get was always delicious! When the food ran out, the doors closed. He worked until he was well into his eighties and, though the name of the place has changed more than once, it will always remain Ray's Mi Tenapa to us.

The Moon Also Rises ( and Sets )

It's well known, isn't it, that Borrego Springs is famous as a " Dark Sky Area" ? That designation was bestowed upon us some time ago. And...I certainly agree that most nights here are inky black and open the starry heavens for all to view. However, some nights are glaring exceptions.

When the full moon rises in the east and starts its' nightly journey west it bathes Borrego in moonlight, often so bright that you can actually go outside and see the colors of things...umbrellas, furniture, trees, flowers...almost as well as you can see them in daylight! During these periods, the Park, ABDNHA and other organizations even offer " guided moonlight hikes " in various parts of the desert. We've never been on one, but have often walked to neighbor's houses or home from dinner at a near-by restaurant under the light of the moon.

But always a blessing it is not. I can't tell you how many times I have been awakened by something startling. The moon wakes me up when it shines directly on my face during the night. It is as if I have been placed in front of a strong spotlight...and it keeps me guessing as to when it will move on.

We had similar experiences like that at the beach, where we used to live but those were caused by the Police Helicopters who loved to shine their spotlight on the beach, sweeping it in giant arcs along the shore late at night...and those events were always accompanied by the beating of rotor blades and sometimes, even the loudspeaker telling anyone on the beach to get off. I can't count how many times we jumped out of bed and rushed onto the second floor deck to see what was wrong...once even silently observing a young beach fugitive hiding under the first story deck!

So, in retrospect, the silent luminous light of the full moon should be welcomed...accompanied by only the soft hoot of an owl or the distant howl of the coyote looking up at the bright light as he has done here through untold centuries!

August Gardening in the Low Desert

This is one of the most uncomfortable months in the low desert. Night- time temperatures hover in the eighties or above and daytime temperatures mostly over 100 degrees with humidity...not exactly the best conditions for gardening...but, there are some chores you can and should do before the month elapses.

We pruned all the palms in the garden, pruned and laced the olive trees and pulled out the remainder of the vegetable garden. One sack of manure will be spread and dug into each raised bed, followed by a deep watering and then covered with plastic. Irrigation has been shut down. This method allows the beds to rest and revitalize before the fall planting season.

If you still need to garden, why not stay inside and give additional care to your houseplants? They, too, crave attention! I have already planned the fall vegetable garden and have sketched out plans that include rotation of plants: Each year, I plant chard, lettuce, carrots and other vegetables in a different location. I have compiled my seed list and plan to get an early start by planting seeds in flats before transferring to raised beds. The only plants that don't seem to care are tomatoes, strawberries and peas, which are always grown in the same beds.

One other chore you need to do is check on your irrigation system often - and , for the natives and cacti that are not irrigated, just look at them and they'll tell you when they need a drink! Ocotillos are still magnificent, even when they lack leaves, but non native cacti sometimes need assistance. If they start to look withered and thin, they will quickly respond to a heavy spray of water...a simulated "flash flood" applied directly to the plant. Their roots are shallow but widespread and they will slurp up any water available to them. The spines direct the water and allow it to spread. Some even water creosote every now and then, but I enjoy the seasonal change they undergo. Lack of water never killed a creosote plant!

El Descanso

Our palapa is located outside the walls in the midst of our own wilderness garden. It is truly a resting place in deep shade during summer, a bird watching station, a conversation or reading place and a place to commune with nature in your very own way.

Everyone should have one...at least, if you live in Borrego! If you look at pictures before you read, you'll know I'm talking about a PALAPA! A palapa fits into desert living like a foot fits into a shoe...it just seems to belong here. We have one and, like everything else, it aged and needed a rehab. A few fronds had blown away over the years and it desperately yelled, " FIX ME".

Easier said than done! When Mr. Creative first built the palapa, he was a bit more agile than he is today...if you had seen him at work, you would also say more foolhardy! The main pole and frame created no problem and was conceived and carried out fairly easily. ( but with a great deal of thought ) It was the second stage that presented problems. Putting on the palm fronds. To prevent injury, the sharp spines have to be cut off. A machete is the tool of choice. And it takes a lot of hacking away and a lot of fronds to make a palapa! There are many ways to attach the fronds to the frame, starting at the outside edges and working towards the top center. We started with the traditional method of looping portions of the leaf underneath a support and tying it securely. Too hard. He came up with the idea of looping bailing wire over the leaf and twisting it under the support. Time consuming, but we only lost a few fronds over a fifteen year period !

Everything went along fine until near the top, where he could no longer reach. My heart almost stopped when he told me his plans to move the RV close to the palapa, span the distance with a ladder and crawl over it to the center of the palapa. Over my objections, this he did. The fronds were attached without mishap.

We were wiser, this year, and hired helpers, who were more dexterous.

The Dog Days of Summer

How many times have you walked up to a store door, tried the handle and found it locked ? More than a few times, I'll bet, if you are in Borrego Springs in August!
You know what I'm talking about. August in Borrego is different from any other place! Shop owners have a delicate balancing act to perform...Will the air conditioning costs exceed revenues - will the store have customers or has everyone gone on vacation to cooler places? Each store has come up with his very own solution: Some have what they call " summer hours", some stay open, some close for the week end, some are open only on the weekends and others close for a month or even for the entire summer!

This can be rather confusing for the Borrego Springs resident who stays here all year! For example: The Fudge shop usually is closed during summer but I passed it and noticed the umbrellas were up. I stopped to talk to the owner and he told me he had only opened because Calico's had closed for a few weeks, but after the owners of Calicos return, they would go back to the original summer routine. He said the best way to gauge is this..." If the umbrellas are open, we are,too. If they are down, we are closed." Well, in the time it took to go to the hardware store and drive past the shop on the way home, I noticed the umbrellas had been lowered!

The shops that close for the summer are easy to spot...they have sheets covering the windows. The others? I guess it's just up to us to read the signs in the windows!
( Scroll down to see more photos )

Summer in Borrego Springs

How do you know it's summer in Borrego Springs?

YOU KNOW IT'S SUMMER WHEN...

warm water comes out of the cold water faucet.

you turn on the hose and almost get scalded.

you try to swim but the water's too hot.

you can't open the gate because the handle's too hot.

there are parking spaces in front of the Post Office.

your electric bill goes up.

your water bill goes up.

car upholstery burns your legs and you can't hold on to the steering wheel.

your only visitors are U.P.S. or Fed Ex.

you go to the P.O, the Center Market, the Library or the Medical Center just to get cool.

you can't walk on your patio with bare feet.

the dog balks at bringing in the morning paper.

you sleep on top of the sheets instead of under them and start thinking that nudists have the right idea.

golf TV takes the place of your start times.


birds hop around with wide open bills and rabbits don't bother to run away from you.

you read more books in one month than you had read all season.

You go to the market and the bread shelf is almost bare.

the hardware store closes early but you forget what time.

( and I'll bet you can add a few more )