Hotel California - The One And Only

There is such a place, the Hotel California. I didn't have a clue that the place is real and is in Todos Santos in southern Baja California. As it turned out, a new Colorado State University facility has been built in Todos Santos, and since there wasn't room in the normal hotel that staff stay in when visiting, I was booked one night in the famous inn. It seems that none of the members of the Eagles band ever stayed there, much less that the band worked on there album's song while staying there. The hotel makes no such claims. But it was still a fun place to stay, and eat. Really good chile rellenos were served in the restaurant; the whole place is nicely decorated, as you would think things should look in Baja; and the government is upgrading all utilities by burying cables under the streets - Hurricane Odile wrecked havoc all over the southern Baja peninsula.

Chile relleno for lunch

A primitive style portrait

Street view outside the hotel

Utilities upgrade in the street

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Addition made on January 19, 2016
Four days after making this post, Glenn Frey, one of the founders of the Eagles and the voice behind the song Hotel California died. His video obituary in the Washington Post is here.

Quiet Monday Morning Birding

Early September seems a long time ago, given the recurring snow we have received in Northern Colorado. The leaves were on the trees, and sitting on the patio was pleasant. Now the outdoor activities are restricted to clearing the driveway and sidewalk of snow - three significant efforts so far, and another predicted for the weekend. Following are snapshots of the birds, and a squirrel, that hung around back then.

Common Yellowthroat

Black-capped Chickadee

Great-tailed Grackle

Fox Squirrel

The Fox Squirrel here on the Front Range is not as much an acrobat as the Eastern Gray Squirrel were were accoustomed to in Annapolis, and so they have not been as much of a pest. Our pole system to hold our bird feeders does the job nicely with the squirrel baffle, and didn't have to be upgraded to a racoon baffle instead, as we used in Maryland.

Blue Jay

Eurasian Collared-Dove

House Sparrow

Anna's Hummingbird