It Came from Palm Springs

Leggy vision

I admit that leaving the Moorten Botanical Garden on Sunday, we were in a bit of a hurry …  it was 115º and we were more than ready to be somewhere else. Hightailing it out of Palm Springs in air-conditioned comfort, we were almost at the freeway when we caught sight of a possible heat-induced nightmare: an gargantuan desert tarantula! Suddenly, the need to get outta PS wasn’t so great because I had to get a closer look. Paul made a quick U-turn …

Classic profile

Unfortunately there was a huge metal gate preventing me from getting into Hole in the Wall Welding, whose shop entrance the behemoth was guarding. With spiked legs made of large pipes, and a vintage VW bug body and fanged head (the headlights making perfectly beady arachnid peepers), this spider was a clever bit of roadside folk art. A sign proclaimed that this was the place for people who liked BIG things, so naturally I tried the intercom. No answer. Tried three more times, still no response. Finally, after I resorting to yelling over the gate, and just as we were about to pull away, Paul noticed someone in the shop’s doorway. Coming over, he said the owner was out but would return soon … maybe we’d like to have lunch and come back? Because there were so many interesting BIG things inside the grounds,  I thought it sounded like a plan. Heat mostly forgotten now, we headed back into downtown Palm Springs for lunch.

Guardian at the gate

Later, after lunch and window shopping at a favorite vintage emporium (next post), we returned to Hole in the Wall. But, this time neither intercom or yelling brought anyone from the shop’s depths … I snapped a few more pictures from the Jack-in-the-Box parking lot next door and we took off. We’ll be back at another (cooler) time and try to get in again. I know there’s good stuff inside — BIG stuff — and I’m determined to see it.