tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:10:03 +0000Palm trees, golfing and a cold drink, this site is hot!http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)Blogger1030125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-4378997587117259764Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:05:00 +00002009-11-25T19:23:04.199-08:00While preparing the decorations for our Thanksgiving dinner table, I came up with this idea for a napkin holder. I drew up a cartoonish turkey in a software graphics program which I printed on glossy photo paper. I cut it out and made a paper ring to hold the napkins. Each napkin was folded in half and then folded again like a fan before inserted in the holder. Watch the above video on how I madehttp://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-napkin-holders.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-2358637097394249380Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:08:00 +00002009-11-22T21:28:59.237-08:00KittenOver a month ago, my mother found a stray skinny little kitten at her back door. She felt sorry for it, so she fed it. The next day the little kitty came back again for more food. When my mom opened the door, the kitty ran in the house. She tried to catch him but he hid somewhere in the house. Later the kitten made himself comfortable and was playing with my mom's other cat, Apollo's, toys. http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/take-picture-of-cat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-199171565952509713Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:06:00 +00002009-11-20T00:16:57.628-08:00We hiked this morning at The Bump-n-Grind Trail that overlooks Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and the Coachella Valley. The trail starts on Painters Path behind the Target store in Palm Desert. It was a beautiful morning for hiking!While filming our hike (see above video), I tried using a steadicam stabilizer while walking. It's really hard adjusting the weights and camera on the Hague to get it to http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/hiking-bump-n-grind-trail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-4831972041287080494Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:03:00 +00002009-11-18T10:00:57.939-08:00Last night we had dinner at our friends, Brigitte and Dennis, house. Brigitte fixed a German dish called Knoedel. A Knoedel in English means dumplings, made from poached or boiled potatoes served with gravy. We had a wonderful feast! To view the dinner she prepared for us, watch the above video.We started off with a hearty salad, then had Schaeufele (pork roast), red cabbage, brussel sprouts, andhttp://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/dinner-last-night-at-friends-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-1081689609849813382Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:29:00 +00002009-11-13T14:02:50.500-08:00hikingI went hiking with the guys at The Coachella Valley Preserve early yesterday morning. The weather was cool and overcast, perfect for hiking.The San Andreas Fault runs through The Coachella Valley Preserve where the Palm Oases are (shown in the picture below). I didn't see any Fringe-toed Lizard, however, I did see a BIG bug that scared the heck out of me!http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/hiking-coachella-valley-preserve.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-3506808009461956112Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:17:00 +00002009-11-11T21:32:28.379-08:00On Veterans Day we give thanks and honor of those who served in our nation's military.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/veterans-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-2881252741109821734Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:28:00 +00002009-11-11T23:56:43.485-08:00Last night our electricity went out in Palm Desert. The power went off around 8:30 PM. It was only out an hour but it felt like eternity without a computer or television. I never did find out why the power went out. I just hope it doesn't happen any time soon again.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/power-outage-palm-desert-ca.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-2315690956009384452Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:48:00 +00002009-11-07T22:49:50.806-08:00cakeHere's a fun cake I made over the weekend while family was visiting.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/sandwich-cookie-cake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-8171367355837568980Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:31:00 +00002009-11-06T00:33:56.297-08:00DinnertacosToday, hubby and I worked hard cleaning out the garage. I must say, we got a lot done but still more to do. It started to get dark early, so we decided to go out for dinner.We went to Fisherman's Market & Grill and had fish tacos. Made with grilled corn tortillas loaded with fresh fish and topped with shredded cabbage. Will have to get this again next time. It was great!http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/fish-tacos-for-dinner-fishermans-market.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-1548176331611746392Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:17:00 +00002009-11-04T21:31:34.426-08:00skysunsetPalm DesertDid you see the sunset this evening, for those of you who are in Palm Desert? All I can say is WOW! I mean...WOW! The sky was absolutely magnificent! Almost looked like a painting. If you didn't see it, you're in luck, I taped it. Watch the above video.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/beautiful-sunset-palm-desert-ca.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-3263395004369037095Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:58:00 +00002009-11-04T00:45:14.003-08:00granddaughterPianoOur granddaughter is taking piano lessons. http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/11/piano-lessons.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-657217784245216045Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-11-01T01:51:37.145-08:00HalloweenBirthdayMomMy mother's birthday is on Halloween. We celebrated her birthday at Shame on the Moon in Rancho Mirage. We had a lovely dinner and lots of treats.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/celebrating-moms-birthday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-104253408490065265Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:57:00 +00002009-11-01T01:59:10.217-08:00PumpkinHalloweenOur beloved dog, Pumpkin, was once dressed up for Halloween. Today would have been his 17th birthday. I miss my little devil.Above photo is out of focus because Pumpkin was running from my camera. He hated getting his picture taken!http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/remembering-pumpkin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-5034246113969919384Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:02:00 +00002009-10-30T06:02:00.609-07:00popcornI love popcorn, it's one of my favorite snacks. Recently we bought a really cool popcorn machine. Last night was the first time we tried it out. Check it out, watch the above video.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-love-popcorn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-6541283502143111706Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:09:00 +00002009-10-29T06:09:00.765-07:00HalloweenWalkingShadowYesterday morning, I took a walk around the neighborhood to get some exercise. There were a few Halloween decorations along the way. Half way around the block, my shadow came out to walk with me. After awhile, my shadow was getting very annoying. I tried walking on the opposite side of the street, but my shadow just wouldn't go away. What is strange, it doesn't even resemble me. Is it possible http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/walking-with-my-shadow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-6218132863847635808Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:47:00 +00002009-10-25T17:09:39.616-07:00Thousand OaksgardensWhile driving on Thousand Oaks Blvd. last week, we noticed a large fountain behind a gate near a restaurant we were going to. To our surprise we discovered it was a beautiful little garden that was hidden from a busy street. It was not there eight years ago when we lived in this neighborhood, so we were curious and took the time to look around and take pictures. Click here to view my photos - http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/gardens-of-world-thousand-oaks-ca.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-5243399427271561246Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:09:00 +00002009-10-24T22:18:07.684-07:00Ventura HarborTravelLast Thursday we went to Ventura Harbor and had dinner at one of the restaurants there. Then walked around the docks when we spotted a long-legged bird. Not sure if it's a heron or a egret. Does anyone know what kind of bird this is (watch above video)?http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/ventura-harbor-long-legged-bird.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-1203019790701038315Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:01:00 +00002009-10-22T06:01:00.025-07:00Pancake MoldspancakesHalloweenHalloween is just around the corner. It's hard to believe it's that time of year again. Where has the time gone? I was in Williams-Sonoma buying a birthday present for my daughter-in-law when I saw these cute Halloween Pancake Molds. What's really scary, I bought the pancake molds to practice on for my granddaughter. Did I mentioned I have no patience when it comes to following instructions? I http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-pancakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-594416061013060186Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:55:00 +00002009-10-21T09:33:45.869-07:00Here is a video clip showing the tangelos that are on my tree. The fruit this season looks like it's going to be great again!The music you hear in the background was created in a new software called Abaltat Muse. This is a great software to use for creating custom fit music for your video projects. This was my first attempt using this tool, not bad!http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-tangelo-tree.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-5353190232516853781Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +00002009-10-20T15:51:42.812-07:00Two days ago, while riding in our car, I saw a hot air balloon floating across the sky in Palm Desert. This is the first air balloon I saw for this season. So, I decided to chase it with my camcorder (see above video). Normally, during balloon season, I can see lots of them from our back patio. Looking forward to see more as the season rolls on.http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/hot-air-balloon-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-1834589170809493751Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:44:00 +00002009-10-20T02:14:25.523-07:00One morning, our friends took us to the Waioli Tea Room . We had a lovely breakfast served with tea. The waiter gave us a tea box that came with several different choices. The menu showed pictures of elegant tea services and was disappointed when served with just a regular coffee cup. Our waiter explained that the tea sets were only used for the afternoon tea.Outside the tea room the atmosphere http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/waioli-tea-room-oahu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-1649612326725965396Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:31:00 +00002009-10-18T22:19:53.315-07:00Waimea FallsHawaiiOn September 24, 2009, we went to the Waimea Falls Park attraction in Oahu. We hiked along the trails taking photos and video of the beautiful botanical gardens, before we got to the falls. The stunning trees and atmosphere were so incredibly amazing that even my photographs did not capture the real beauty that we actually saw through our own naked eyes. We saw peacocks, chickens, and all kinds http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/waimea-falls-oahu-hawaii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-4247048514586815304Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:01:00 +00002009-10-17T10:46:36.102-07:00Zoohonolulu zooOn September 23, 2009, we visited the Honolulu Zoo. The zoo was small however it was very nice. Gordon and I walked around and enjoyed ourselves taking pictures of all the wildlife and flowers.While having lunch at the zoo, I noticed a lot of pigeons hanging around us. Crowds of birds were stealing peoples food right off their tables. People were waving there arms shooing them away. It almost http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/honolulu-zoo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-2224259572828557995Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +00002009-10-16T11:09:30.993-07:00SushiI was mesmerized by the boats on the water conveyor. I love sushi!G-Sushi2919 Kapiolani Blvd.Honolulu, HI 96805http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/sushi-at-g-sushi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15849043.post-2235719751851232861Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:10:00 +00002009-10-15T01:16:24.571-07:00sunriseWaikikisunsettime lapseThis sunset was filmed at Waikiki Beach looking out from the Foster Tower last month. I increased the speed of the video to give it a time lapse effect. Then reversed the footage so it would appear like a sunrise.The music was put together in Soundtrack. Using this great software helps me to create the right music mood for some of my video needs. After speeding up the above footage, it ended up http://thedesertnut.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunset-or-sunrise-reversed-time-lapse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Desertnut)2