There are only two things you need to know about the desert.....

 There are only two things you need to know about the desert. 

A. It is hot

B. it is vast.

And that really is it, you could perhaps throw in a couple of mountains perhaps, maybe a trailer park even few billions miles. But that's it, other than comedy cacti and MASSIVE trucks with what looks scarily like knives on their wheels, just in case you get too close.  We find an excellent radio station to take us across the desert (50's on 5, 60's on 6 or should we listen to 70's on 7?) and we drive to Palm Springs.

Ahhhh Palm Springs, the most perfect low rise town in the desert mountains.  Laying by the pool I can see the mountains in the back ground, framed by the hot pink bougainvillea and the tall pineapple like palm trees and it is desert hot.  So hot it feels as if you are breathing in fire and I love the feeling of it on my skin.  I know just how bad for me it is, but with my dry itchy psoriasis this is just the most perfect feeling.  I can feel it literally scorching my lungs...wonderful.

Yesterday after depositing a rather flue -y Daisy in the beautiful apartment that is right on the pool at Casa Cody Sam & I wander around the town.  Or the street, as there is really only 1 street in Palm Springs, a beautiful street but that is pretty much it.  The bar we decide upon is cooled with misters and we settle down for a good chat and a few beers before retuning to check on the patient.  There are $4 margaritas and we find a litre of tequila for $14 (I don't drink it ALL of course) all of which, combined with the long drive  and a particular time of the month prove too much and an early night is had.

The morning is bright, dazzling yellows and pinks and greens of the gardens, sizzling bright blue sky and I sit, mainly in the company of Mr R Everett, all day, blissfully day dreaming of New York, theatres, underground clubs Noel Coward.  Sam & Daisy retreat into the coolness (virtually arctic I feel, but each to their own) of the apartment rooms to watch reruns of dreadful films and I breathe in the fire and swim and tie my hair up in a rather fetching 50's hair band, my eyes hidden behind the biggest black glasses and pretend I am a silver screen Hollywood film star escaping from the cameras beside a kidney shaped pool and that Charlie Chaplin will emerge from one of the rooms and ask me if I would like another mimosa daaaarhling (and yes, I really do)

I take a wander once the sun has gone down.... treat myself to a totally delicious iced coffee and a look up Marilyn's  skirt, yes she does have the most wonderful lacey knickers on....

Of course, Palm Springs, is is where Marilyn was 'discovered'.  It is also like a slice of old Hollywood, with stars in the walkways commemorating actors and, it seems, pioneers and cowboys!  I just love it and can imagine retiring to such a place, could the house perched on the mountains be the one of my dreams?

Onwards and upwards.... LA and Santa Monica beach tomorrow and thus our holiday slowly comes to an end, the last stop....I am now totally out of ideas to inspire and drag Sam & Daisy too and other than Universal Studios I think I may just lay by the side of a pool for the rest of the holiday....