The sun is shining, the pool is inviting and the martinis are flowing in beautiful Palm Springs.
Did I mention I brought two bathing suits with me and have worn neither…oops, TMI!
Life is great for Zoomers down in the desert and I can see why they choose to live or vacation here.
Their motto could be the same as the sign I saw in the Moorten Botanical Garden, which reads, “Take your time like a turtle… and you will see more.”
And the charming garden owner, 75-year-old Clark Moorten with movie star good looks, would agree.
Born in Palm Springs, Chuck grew up in this garden. He got involved in other interests but came back to the garden 38 years ago and has never looked back.
As a cactus master, Clark has no formal training or degree in botany. With a twinkle in his eye, he says “I only majored in beer and girls. I would whip the world and love the ladies but it got boring.”
But he has never been bored by his love of his magical botanical garden, with over 3,000 varieties of cacti. His mother coined the term Cactarium which is a terrarium for rarer cacti species. Clark has been involved with 90 per cent of the prickly plants in the garden.
Despite health problems, Clark continues to work every day. Influenced by the work ethic instilled in him by his parents, he says, “If you can walk, you can work. I gotta water the garden tomorrow!”
As research tell us, the secret to staying young at heart is to remain active, maintain social relationships and have a purpose.
Chuck Moorten exemplifies this, as do the other Zoomers I met in Palm Springs.
They include two of the 325 volunteer docents at the Palm Springs Air Museum which boasts over 49 vintage aircraft from the Second World War through Korea and Vietnam.
I had the pleasure of meeting the affable docent Patrick Shannon. A Canadian with dual citizenship, he told me about the war in the Pacific theatre after I asked him why the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour. I learned so much from him and it was a delight to see his passion for the subject. Patrick again, epitomizes a vital, engaged Zoomer who has so much knowledge to share with the world.
Then there was the loquacious Englishman, Mick Dawson, who left school at the age of 14 to work with the American 392nd Bomb Group during World War II. This was a base for B24 Bombers.
He regaled me with his stories and took me back 75 years.
In downtown Palm Springs, I met 81-year-old Sally McManus, the retired director/curator of the Palm Springs Historical Society, now working in the 1930 General Store Museum.
“I feel warm in my heart,” she says, as she and her new Pomeranian puppy, Cosette, interact with visitors enjoying their nostalgic experiences.
Gotta love these Zoomers who are as resilient as the Joshua tree, as warm as the California sun and as energetic as the desert roadrunner.
As for me, not so energetic. Time to dip into the pool and listen to Dean Martin on the stereo.
I can see the sun setting behind the San Jacinta Mountains… must be time for another martini.
April Lewis is the local communications director for CARP, a national group committed to a ‘New Vision of Aging for Canada.’ She writes monthly.