This is a photo of the beautiful backdrop of Palm Springs, Mt. San Jacinto, from Ruth Hardy Park, which was a few blocks from our old home.
Why am I writing and posting photos of Palm Springs again?
Because I was there Friday through Sunday. It’s beyond gorgeous looking out the airport windows to the mountain. I forgot how much I missed that!
The night before we left, one of my best friends called and asked if she could pick me up at the airport. She’s the friend who helped us move five years ago. True friends. I wrote about that move HERE.
I was going to take a Lyft to my dad’s skilled nursing facility, but my dear friend drove me and came inside to surprise Dad. He was thrilled to see her. My dad was hospitalized several weeks ago and sent to skilled nursing to rehab. He realized at age 93 and 11 months that he can no longer live alone. It was a relief that he came to this conclusion on his own.
Friday accomplishments: Dad signed power of attorney to me. Dad listed his home with realtors we met in his home Friday. It was a long day for both of us!
The next door neighbors helped all weekend, too, popping in and out. They’ve looked out for Dad for three years.
Saturday was another long day meeting movers and getting them scheduled for Tuesday. Dad will be discharged from skilled nursing and needs a place to sleep by Wednesday night! I tagged what Dad wants moved including artwork, lamps, bed, dresser, dishes, clothing, etc. with yellow stickies.
I taught my dad how to use Lyft, in the event he decides to sell his car 🙏. Also, assisted living will drive residents wherever they want to go — at anytime without charge.
The realtors will schedule Angel View Thrift Shop to pick up everything left behind and prep the house for photos and to show. I don’t have to be there!
I’m exhausted. But Saturday morning I started the day with a walk and coffee with another Palm Springs good friend. We swam masters together, plus our daughters were friends from pre K through high school and beyond. My daughter was a bridesmaid in Kira’s wedding this past summer.
Here’s a crazy coincidence:
My daughter told me yesterday that she visited Kira on Saturday. On the way, my daughter got off on the wrong BART stop (Bay Area Rapid Transit). My daughter was frustrated with her mistake and was looking down at her phone to figure out what to do next. She looked up and saw Kira’s younger sister standing in front of her! The two got back on BART and went to Kira’s house together.
At the same time I was walking and having coffee with my friend, my daughter was with Kira and her sister (my friend’s daughters!)
What could have been a really tough weekend turned out to be special and possible — thanks to friends.
This was our home of 28 years downtown Palm Springs. Our backyard and French doors face Mt. San Jacinto, so we had great views.
This is Tahquitz Canyon Way. We had great views of Mt. San Jacinto on our morning walks.
Also, a great view Sunday morning of the Tahquitz Witch.
What is the Tahquitz Witch?
Cahuilla shaman named Tquits (or Tahquitz), is a malevolent figure from Southern California Native American lore, often appearing as a fiery ball or shadow in Tahquitz Canyon near Palm Springs, said to steal souls and cause strange phenomena like rumbling or earthquakes, with the legend popularized by stories and books, including a local horror tale about a witch-shadow that scares children.
The Legend Explained
- The Shaman’s Fall: Tahquitz was a powerful shaman who used his abilities for evil, angering his people, who eventually banished him to a cave in the San Jacinto Mountains, near Tahquitz Canyon.
- His Spirit: After his defeat by a chief, Tahquitz’s spirit was bound to the canyon and mountains, becoming a source of fear and mystery, notes the YouTube video and the Los Angeles Times.
- Manifestations: Believers say he appears as:
- A large, green fireball or shooting star in the night sky.
- A shadow or silhouette cast on the canyon rocks at certain times.
- Causes strange ground shaking, rumbling, or animal sounds in the canyon.
- The “Witch” Aspect
- While Tahquitz is a male shaman, the “Witch of Tahquitz” is a common local nickname, especially in children’s tales, describing a witch-like shadow figure that snatches misbehaving children. –AI OVERVIEW
Links to Tahquitz Witch articles:
The Witch of Tahquitz Canyon: October 2020
When have friends helped you out with something significant or simple?
What local legends do you have for your area?
As always, very very beautiful ☺️☺️.
Thanks!
Welcome dear Wickham☺️☺️.
So happy that things went well for you EA and that you got to spend time with wonderful friends!
I’m relieved too, although there were still some important items he refused to do. I can always go back after he’s settled in. Spending time with friends made all the difference for me.
I’m so glad that the visit you were dreading had great moments too. Friends are really awesome.
It was really a joyful trip because of friends. They were the support I needed.
Friends sense that we need them even before we tell them.
I love that. It was so true for me this past weekend.
True friends indeed.
💕
What a beautiful house and location. I would have been hard put to leave!
I’m glad everything with your dad went smoothly. Moving yourself is hard enough, but doing it for someone else must be extra stressful.
Thanks! It was a beautiful house, but not that practical to live in. It was built in 1937 with no attic or insulation in the roof. The AC bill was ridiculous.
It really helped to have friends with me. My dad couldn’t fight me with other people around!
Wow, Palm Springs is very beautiful, thanks for the beautiful photos, Elizabeth! I can tell that you miss living there very much. I remember taking the tram to the top of that mountain years ago with the ex. It was a beautiful ride up there!! ❤️
It was nice to go back and see close friends. I forgot how beautiful it is. But I really like Arizona better. Downtown Palm Springs is so crowded with tourists. Now we are out in the wild with lots a space and 130 miles of hiking trails across the street in a preserve.
That sounds wonderful! I was a toiritjere years ago. It’s a nice town.
👍🏼
I love that coincidence, Elizabeth! Just goes to show how incredible those friendships and families are that span generations!
You deserve to be exhausted – that is a lot. So impressed by how you get it all done! Sending you restful vibes!
Thank you, Wynne! I felt like I accomplished a lot with the help of friends. There’s a few things left to do but it will have to wait until my next trip.
That sounded the everything went about as smooth as you could have wished! Friends who step up when needed are golden. Your pictures make me want to drive out to Palm Springs. This is the perfect time of year to be there!
The weather was sunny and 75 to 78 degrees. It was perfect! Although my Arizona weather is about the same but a bit cooler. Yes, my friends were really supportive and helped me out.
I can see why it would be hard to leave that house. Coincidences and good friends are a marvel
I wish I could have taken the house with me to Arizona. I like it better out here in the wild than downtown in the city. Good friends are a marvel.
That was a busy weekend, but it’s good that your dad is now settled and has most affairs in order. I’m waiting for my mom to make a similar decision one day, hopefully soon.
Good luck! It took my dad an ambulance ride and a week in the hospital to come to that decision.
Wow, I hope it doesn’t come to that, but my mom can be pretty stubborn, so it may take something significant to change her mind.
My dad is as stubborn as they come.
Such a beautiful place and I am so glad your father is feeling good about his new surroundings. 🥰
Thanks! It’s a relief to get most of it done.
Having helpful friends makes life worth living. I’ve only been to Palm Springs one time, but it is a pretty place. We enjoyed our cable car ride and hike on San Jacinto.
My friends I saw these weekend are some of the best. They have no
idea how much they helped me out! Yes, Palm Springs is pretty. But it seems so congested and small compared to our wide open spaces where I live in Arizona. I prefer not living downtown but next to a nature’s preserve.
No wonder you’re exhausted, but I’m glad everything is falling into place. And your prior home is gorgeous!
The movers sent me photos of my dad’s assisted living apartment all put together today. It looks great! Our 1937 Palm Springs home was one of a kind! I missed it so much at first, but living in a 20-year-old home has it advantages of modern comforts we lacked in our beautiful but rustic home. I managed to raise a family in that house that only fit one person at a time in the kitchen!
Our kitchen is small, so I know what you mean. But we raised our kids here and they turned out great. 🙂 The size of a house means less than the love inside.
It was a great place to raise kids. We called it our “one butt kitchen.” I could stand in place and turn around to the stove, refrigerator and sink without taking a step! When I mentioned a small kitchen, I just meant that was one of the things in a house almost 90 years old that are different from newer homes. I never wanted to leave, but my husband said he didn’t want to work until the day he died. It was very expensive to keep up and repairs were often. Now I’m glad we did move, although he’s still working!
Wow! What a home! Hope all continues to unfold smoothly for all of you!
Thanks!