Purslane/ Verdolagas for sale $2 a bunch.

We have lots of purslane/verdolagas, a wonderful vegetable that can be cooked like spinach. We love to add it to eggs, or mix with nopales, tomatoes, onions, and a protein: tofu, chicken, beef.
You can purechase verdolagas from us for 2$ a bunch. We pick verdolagas to order, so it’s only freshly picked.

DragonflyHill Verdolagas
Here’s how we cooked it recently at DragonflyHill
Stew meat (beef) from Whole Foods– pan fried in ghee. Cook till brown on all sides. Remove from pan (You can use tofu, chicken strips, tempeh)
Pan fry 1 onion chopped in same pan as the meat was cooked in, along with minced garlic. Burn the onions. Add chopped verdolagas, parsley and basil (all the greens came from our garden). Cook until greens are cooked down. Add 1 large can of chopped roasted tomatoes. Cook until blended and hot.
Pour over pasta (we had orzo). Add the stewed beef, salt, pine nuts.

Recipes from other web pages:

*Verdolagas | Purslane Recipe with Mushrooms, Potatoes in a Salsa Verde

Verdolagas: Purslane in Salsa Verde

*PORK MEAT WITH VERDOLAGAS
https://www.food.com/recipe/pork-meat-with-verdolagas-394089

*Scrambled Eggs with Purslane Recipe (Huevos con Verdolagas)
https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/cooking-with-purslane-recipe-huevos-con-verdolagas/

*Healthy Breakfast with Purslane & Scrambled Eggs

DragonflyHill Pool Regimen

Photo by Emma Rosenthal and DragonflyHill Studios

Facebook groups all over the Coachella Valley are asking about “those little bugs” in the pool, by the millions. They’re harmless and ubiquitous in the summer in Coachella Valley pools, but they can be combatted, and if not eliminated, there is much that can be done to prevent a large infestation. No matter what you do, they will be gone in a few weeks but keeping them from breeding in your pool and keeping their numbers down is not that hard to acheive. Here’s how we maintain our pool and keep it healthy for humans. Polenators and birds also stop to drink the water. In the winter we get migrating ducks.

They fall from the sky. If you have algae in your pool they will be able to reproduce. Otherwise you’ll see a few dead bugs but not the huge infestations. We had a bad infestation last year that lasted months. This year they are showing up dead.

We use a very simple system:

We have chlorine tablets in floating dispensers. When the tablets disolve fully, we apply more. Our pool is 50,000 gallons so we have 2 dispensers with 3 tabliets and 1 dispenser in the spa with 1 tablet.

We shock every 7-10 days

We apply Leslie’s Perfect when we shock

We put Pool RX in our skimmer basket (You need 1 every season.)

We scrub, skim and vacuum 1-2 x a week:

21 ft. Telescoping Pool Cleaning Pole

Poolmaster 33450 Heavy Duty In-Ground Pool Vacuum Hose With Swivel Cuff for In-Ground Pools, 1-1/2-Inch by 50-Feet, Blue

Milliard Pool and Spa Vacuum Head / 13” Wide/Safe for Inground, Above Ground and Vinyl Pools

We don’t use any toxins.
Our pol water is sparkling clean.

Pool Brush Heavy Duty, Premium Nylon Bristle Pool Brushes for Cleaning Pool Walls & Steps, Professional Pool Brush Head for Inground Pools with Integrated Aluminum Structure of Handle & Back

Professional Pool Skimmer Net, Heavy Duty Swimming Leaf Rake Cleaning Tool with Deep Fine Nylon Mesh Net Bag – Fast Cleaning,Easy Scoop Edge,Debris Pickup Removal

Our water is crystal clean with no toxins.

Photo by Emma Rosenthal and DragonflyHill Studios

Some of the links are Amazon affiliate links from which we receive a small commission on each sale at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for the support. 

Migrating Ducks Return to DragonflyHill

Since we’ve been here and maybe even before that, we’ve had a pair of migrating ducks nest in our pool during the end of winter, beginning of spring. We’re pretty sure they’re the same pair of wild ducks. They’ve become used to us over the years and find our pool with its enclosure, a safe space for their brood. Last year they had 6 babies and the year before, 9. The year before that they laid one egg and it fell into the pool and broke and the year before that they hung out but didn’t lay any eggs.

It’s very exciting.

The pool is still a bit cold for people but it’s been warm the last few days so we’ll see how ducks and people co-mingle.

Photos by Emma Rosenthal and DragonflyHill Studios

Pandemic Update and Masking Requisites and Protocols at DragonflyHill

So many people are in a rush “back to normal” with pithy comments like “As long as you’re not immunocompromised and you’re vaccinated, if you get covid you’re going to be just fine.”

Well that’s great, if you happen to not be immunocompromised, but for all the people who are, with the dropping of prevention protocols including masking, social distancing, outdoor events, online and hybrid event options; access to society becomes bleaker and bleaker and full participation in society becomes more and more transparently superfluous.

Here at DragonflyHill we are going to continue social distancing and mask wearing in common, especially enclosed areas for two reasons:
1. It’s our home first and foremost and the health and safety of the people who live and work here is primary. We are a home first and a business second. None of our income streams are extremely profitable and we remain more committed to community, connection and service over raking in the big bucks. Many of the people who live and work here have health conditions that make contracting covid extremely dangerous. So the precautions will be maintained and guests who would rather not mask and don’t feel any responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of others, should opt to patronize other venues and not use ours.
2. We also in addition to providing a safe home and workplace for the people committed to DragonflyHill, want to provide one of the few spaces that will continue to be a safe gathering space for people who are immunocompromised and need a place where their needs can be appreciated and their health and limitations respected. Inclusion is a core value here and by continuing precautions, we create a safe and welcoming space.

We do have 2 exceptions to the masking requirements: 1. people who legitimately cannot wear a mask and 2. People who are deaf and need to see mouths so they can lipread. If either of these scenarios pertain to you, please discuss your accommodations with us so we can include you without putting others at risk, and be especially conscious of social distancing in lieu of mask wearing. All the more reason for those who can wear masks to wear them.

Some resources for staying safe as covid moves from pandemic to endemic and the risks become greater for those most vulnerable:

• “The most vulnerable people have been thrown under the bus”
  Long COVID sufferer in Florida denounces the abandonment of all pandemic response
  https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/03/31/inqu-m31.html
• “If you’re in charge of an event, a workplace or an institution, please include common-sense COVID precautions. Ask folks to be masked, especially indoors. Make sure there’s great air circulation, or even better, hold your event outdoors. Ask folks to test before they show up. You won’t just be making it more accessible for folks like me — you’ll be making it safer for everyone.”
  https://12ft.io/proxy?
  Just because some people can pretend COVID is over, doesn’t mean it actually is
  q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fopinion%2Fopenforum%2Farticle%2FCOVID-coronavirus-pandemic-17355893.php%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3H9YpSJKNIbo-Tq09qpLzqvMtf74DsPslvyaamk_jD1brGuOk0nXxORP0%23&fbclid=IwAR26C20UBDhDSt5KHr0izSLkkDN_A33cIAnveHaQAhjISbUKGtYSzJDPfHc
• A letter to my loved ones about COVID-19: You’ve moved on, but I’m still here
  https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2023/03/19/covid-pandemic-not-over-high-risk/11472097002/
• Know Plan Go: Prepare ahead in case COVID-19 strikes.
  https://www.knowplango.com/#plan
• Are there places you should still mask in, forever? Three experts weigh in
  https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/1155516547/are-there-places-you-should-still-mask-in-forever-three-experts-weigh-in
• For Older Americans, the Pandemic Is Not Over
  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/health/covid-pandemic-seniors.html

Our updated Covid Rules

CORONAVIRUS RULES & Protocols
For Guests, Lodgers and Residents of DragonflyHill

Even as the rest of the world goes “back to normal” there remain those who are still very vulnerable and need to continue to take precautions. DragonflyHill remains a  safe and welcoming place for people who may be immunocompromised so we still require social distancing, mask wearing in common areas.

1. Safety first: All guests/lodgers must follow the host’s instructions and be flexible as conditions may change and rules may need to be altered. Our hosting priority is the safety of everyone at DragonflyHill. Amenities are secondary.

2. All team members and people providing cleaning and other services inside the Main House, the Vardo, The Cottage and common areas must be vaccinated.

3. More than ever, it is important for people to display and practice social responsibility. Masks are required in all common outdoor spaces, and must be worn inside the portapotty, and social distancing should be maintained with all people who are not part of one’s family, travel party or pod. (This applies to outdoor spaces.) For an extra fee, and enough advanced notice, we can provide a private portapotty for guests who want their own portapotty (This applies mostly to campers). 

4. We will continue the Covid 19 cleaning protocols as well as provide cleaning and disinfecting products for guests to use in common spaces. The portapotty is cleaned professionally, weekly and disinfectant is also provided for guests to use prior and after use.  

5. Guests/lodgers who use common areas will need to clean and disinfect areas and equipment before use and must clean up after themselves.  Materials are provided by the Dragonfly Team.

6. There will be no access to the Main House during the CoronaVirus pandemic unless quarantine protocols have been determined and agreed upon.

7.  If you don’t think the pandemic is real or serious and is part of an elaborate hoax to get you to cover the lower half of your face and consider the rights, safety and needs of other people, please choose to stay elsewhere. This is not the space for you.

DRAGONFLYHILL ORCHARD CAMPAIGN

PLEASE CONSIDER BUYING A TREE FOR DRAGONFLYHILL DESERT FARM AND WILDLIFE HABITAT
WE WELCOME YOU TO BECOME A PART OF OUR EMERGING FARM

This is the year we put our orchard into existence and we’re asking friends of DragonflyHill to pitch in (If you’re in the area and want to actually help out, learn organic farming methods and be a part of what we’re building here, let us know!)

Please consider a $72 donation for a whole tree or any multiple of $18*

Photography by Emma Rosenthal

FOR YOUR GIFT:

• You’ll  get a plaque on your tree (or if you are making a partial payment of $18, you’ll share the plaque with other donors)
• And an annual  fruit basket of our harvest (once we have one), sent anywhere within the continental U.S. (Occupied Amerika), or have your annual harvest donated to a local food bank or family.  
• Regular photos and updates on your tree’s progress.
• Discount  rates on camping and day use of DragonflyHill. 
• 10% discount on any DragonflyHill merchandise or services.
  

Please choose your tree:

Please provide a 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice to account for availability:

TREE		FIRST CHOICE	SECOND CHOICE	THIRD CHOICE
LOQUAT
FIG
PALO VERDE
MULBERRY
AVOCADO
PEACH
SAPOTE
OLIVE
POMEGRANATE
MESQUITE
PERSIMMON
MANGO
PLUM
ELDERBERRY
NECTARINE
APRICOT
LYCHEE
STARFRUIT
BLOOD ORANGE
KUMQUAT
GRAPEFRUIT
LIME
LEMON
TANGERINE
TREE OF  DRAGONFLYHILL FARM’S CHOICE

YOUR NAME_______________________________ PHONE___________________

NAME ON PAYMENT METHOD OR ACCOUNT NAME

 ____________________________________

EMAIL__________________________  NOTES________________________

NAME ON TREE PLAQUE(PLAQUES CAN BE MADE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S NAME,TO COMMEMORATE A BIRTH, MARRIAGE, GRADUATION, LIFE EVENT

OR IN THE MEMORY OF A LIFE WELL LIVED.

______________________________________________________________

PAYMENT CAN BE MADE BY PAYPAL, VENMO, ZELLE, TO:

Paypal:  paypal.me/dragonfly345

Venmo: dragonflyhill345@gmail.com 

Zelle: dragonflyhill345@gmail.com

OR BY CREDIT CARD BY GOING TO THE INTERFACE AT THE FOOT OF THIS WEB PAGE:

*The number 18 signifies “Chai” or “Life in Hebrew numerology

Rainy Days at DragonflyHill and in the Coachella Valley

Text and photography by Emma Rosenthal

It hardly ever rains here, but when it does nature can put on quite a storm. There are indoor activities for entertainment and specific precautions for safety, because going out in Southern California rain can be surprisingly treacherous. And when it rains in the valleys it often snows in the mountains.

DragonflyHill is in a specific micro climate that gets less rain and both cooler highs and warmer lows than both Palm Springs (to the South) and Desert Hot Springs to the North, so there’s a good chance, if you are staying with us when rain is forecast, it may not hit us as hard.

That said, we do get torrential rainstorms and people coming to the area when rain is forecast should be prepared.

Safety First

• Avoid mountain regions when it’s raining unless you and your car are outfitted for snow and steep mountain passes. Mountain roads often wash out in the heavy rains and driving in snow and ice can be especially difficult.
• Be aware that there is a wash between the northern parts of the Coachella Valley (Desert Edge, North Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, etc.) And often the roads from the northern valley to the southern valley can be impassable and are often closed.
  There’s even a facebook group dedicated to the road closures going into Palm Springs:
  Indian Canyon Dr. & Surrounding Roads Status Group
  It’s a public group so you can access this information without joining. It’s very helpful during high winds and rain.
• Don’t play in the wash. Water moves very fast and every year people die because they were too near a wash during a downpour.
• For more information the Coachella Valley Water District has provided this information:
  Stormwater Protection & Flood Control

Accommodations

We offer our sheltered patio by the main house if guests want to get out of the rain, especially tent campers. We may be able to set up outdoor heaters. We can provide an electric tea kettle and tea, coffee and hot chocolate. The patio also has a toaster oven and a microwave. You’re safe, you’re warm and you’re home.

Things To Do

It can be especially demoralizing to come to the desert for a vacation and end up spending it during those very few days when we get rain. But there are many activities you can do inside while you are here.

• Trip Advisor: Best Activities for a Rainy Day in Greater Palm Springs
• Desert Sun: Raining on your vacation? Things to do in the valley despite bad weather
• Trip Buzz: Indoor Activities in Palm Springs, CA

Naturelore: The Desert Rains

The petrichor of the desert is especially earthy and refreshing. Notice the bush sized plants that grow in an almost uniformed patter on vacant land. This prolific plant is a local native called Creosote bush or Greesewood or Larrea tridentata. It has been used for its healing properties and sends off a distinct aroma during the rain.

Rain Shadow Effect:
Forecasting Precipitation in the Coachella Valley

Take some time to look at the desert plants and our crops after a rain. They love the rain and know the difference between precipitation and irrigation.

DragonflyHill Guest Camper Laundry Facilities

GUIDELINES:

• Schedule your use of the laundry room with DragonflyHill 
• Pay for use of laundry facilities ($5.00 per load)
• Move washer outside onto laundry platform
• Use garden hose to fill the washer 
• Follow directions on video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/pHspoqKiPn4
• Use DragonflyHill fragrance free laundry products*
  (7th Generation detergent, All Oxygen bleach, vinegar for fabric softening, Puracy stain remover.)*
• Do not use too much product or you will have to rinse extensively * (See below)
• Drain directly into the sand
• Hang clothes up, inside the laundry room on the racks and clotheslines provided 
• Rinse out washer dryer and drain thoroughly
• Wipe down dryer using cleaning cloths
• Place used cleaning cloths in hamper provided
• Move dryer back inside the laundry room
• Close door to the laundry room
• Return to pick up your clothes when they are dry
• Return all items (hampers, etc) to their original place as you found it
• Do not hang clothes outside. Use racks inside for hanging clothes.
• Advise DragonflyHill that you are finished using the laundry facility
  

DO NOT

• Do not use your own laundry products.
• Do not put iron into plastic bins or bags until it has cooled (You can leave this for DragonflyHill to take care of.)
  

*QUANTITIES OF PRODUCT PER WASH

IF you use too much you will have to rinse repeatedly

• 7th Generation Laundry Detergent: 1 Tablespoon (small scoop)
• All Oxi Booster: 1 Tablespoon (small scoop)
• Vinegar (fabric softener): 1/4 cup (Add to rinse cycle) (blue scoop)

Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front

Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front
by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion — put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie easy in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn’t go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

“Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” from The Country of Marriage, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. 1973. Also published by Counterpoint Press in The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry, 1999; The Mad Farmer Poems, 2008; New Collected Poems, 2012.
https://cals.arizona.edu/~steidl/Liberation.html

Featuring DragonflyHill’s Desert Tree Bath

Blog post, poetry and photography by Emma Rosenthal

Desert Tree Bath

Sit among the palms
bathe among the trees
in the cool embrace
inhale the rising petrichor
the larrea tridentata on the distant hills
the chime of the wind song
the call of the morning doves
the beckon of the crows
the trill of the roadrunner
let the air wash over you
dip your feed in the waves of sand
in this moment
all is well in the world
for just this moment
hold the peace in you belly
wait
wait

History of the Tree Bath: Scandinavian and Japanese Traditions

Three bathing or forest bathing are significant traditions in both Japan and Scandinavia. The term Tree or Forest bathing is fairly recent, emerging in the mid 20th century. The concept holds that going into the forest, nature is like a bath, taking in all of the life force of the woods in meditation and contemplation.

Inside Our Tree Bath:
Video: (Turn on the volume for the full effect)


Gallery:

Links on Tree and Forest Bathing:

• The secret to mindful travel? A walk in the woods: Visit these five destinations to practice the Japanese art of forest bathing.
  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health
  
• How to Start Forest Bathing
  https://www.forestryengland.uk/blog/forest-bathing
  
• The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19568835/
  
• The Art and Science of Forest Bathing with Dr Qing Li
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12CCjoixpkA
  
• Swedish Forest Walk – Vrinneviskogen, Norrköping – Relaxing Forest Bathing
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gpl_vnjiSQ
  
• Friluftsliv…Shinrin-yoku…Forest Bathing: The Language of Getting Out in Nature
  https://pittsburghparks.org/friluftslivshinrin-yokuforest-bathing-the-language-of-getting-out-in-nature/
  
• FRILUFTSLIV: the Norwegian love for the outdoors
  https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/friluftsliv/
  
• Immerse yourself in the Swedish forest
  https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/nature-outdoors/forest-bathing/
  
• 50 Ways to Uplevel Your Forest Bathing Experience
  https://forestbathingcentral.com/tag/shinrin-yoku-exercises/

Welcome Message to Guests

When we get a booking from our guests on hipcamp or other platforms, we send them the following message on the platform: By asking this information we can give guests individualized directions and can make sure that we have a spot that will work best for them. We can warn them of possible issues, like camping in a tent in the wind, or limited electricity for the larger RVs. We also make sure they’re ready for check in and we have all the necessary information so that their arrival is as smooth as possible:

Welcome to DragonflyHIll.

THANK YOU for choosing to stay with us.

Please read the following message carefully and provide us with the requested information in a separate message

so we can process your registration.

If this message is truncated, go to the Hipcamp platform and access your messages via their website message system.

(This is not a fillable form. You may cut and paste if you wish) .

REVIEW our house rules and listing description on Hipcamp https://www.hipcamp.com/california/dragonflyhill-desert-farm/under-desert-skies-rv-camper-tents so you are familiar with our space and what we offer and do not offer, and please SHARE this information with the other people traveling with you. Each Hipcamp host is autonomous and the listing descriptions are specific to that host. Please assure that we’re the right space for you.

Providing this information helps us guarantee you the best possible experience while staying here. If you have any questions or need additional information please ask us.

My full name is:________________________ (Name of person on the account. We do not accept 3rd party bookings.The person booking the reservation must be one of the guests)

The full names of the people I’m traveling with: _______________________________________________

(List everyone traveling with you including children. Infants count as children. We cannot provide free lodging for infants or children.)

I have ___ Animals traveling with me. (See our rules for pet and support/service animal policies.)

I will check in at____________. (Earliest check in time is 4 PM on the day of your reservation. Please provide a 2 hour window.)

I will be traveling to DragonflyHill Desert Farm and Wildlife Habitat from _____________ (point of origin, day of travel)

via:

___ car

___ Taxi or ride share (Uber or Lyft)

___train

___airplane: Name of airport you arrive at___________________ Arrival time__________

___other: _______________________________

I have my own ____camper _____RV _____Tent. (Tent campers should be experienced campers. Tent camping is difficult during our frequent high winds, extreme summer heat and occasional powerful rains. This is a wilderness area, despite being in a residential neighborhood near freeways and local cities.)

______I have READ house rules and our listing description on Hipcamp https://www.hipcamp.com/california/dragonflyhill-desert-farm/under-desert-skies-rv-camper-tents and have SHARED this information with the other people traveling with me.

____We agree to follow all social distancing protocols, wear a mask and remain 6 feet from people outside of our household in outdoor common areas, in response to the corona virus pandemic. We understand that traveling during a pandemic may require extra flexibility and austerity.

____I UNDERSTAND the importance of ongoing communication and agree to check and respond to messages on the Hipcamp platform and assure that my contact information is up to date.

___ I understand that I am traveling during a pandemic where conditions and protocols are constantly changing and that priority at DragonflyHill will always place the safety and wellbeing of the community as the primary priority and that stated amenities may not be available either due to staffing, health precautions or supply chain issues. 

______I/we affirm that my camper/RV/van/vehicle is in good operating condition and that I/we have the equipment required to vacate the premises at the agreed date and time. (This is especially relevant that guests with trailers, also have an operational towing vehicle.)