Day 281 - Nothin' Like A Good Ol' Thunderstorm!

Another relatively uneventful day... Wake up, check messages, have breakfast, sit outside & read for a bit... Not too enthralling.

I had been up late last night helping Mom rescue one of her hard drives & this morning I took it to her first thing. She seemed quite ungrateful that I'd helped her out - not sure where her head space was at. But then later, all was revealed. She wants to give away Oceana. 

Yeah, I'm pretty much devastated. She hasn't even had her for 3 months & she's already trying to pawn her off. Worst of all on some fellow from her past that treated her like junk... What's he going to do to the dog??? Over my dead body will she give poor Oceana to him!

So, now it looks like I've got 2 dogs. I haven't done any training with Oceana because she's Mom's dog & I didn't want to interfere. I dug out my 51 Puppy Tricks book & the training will commence tomorrow. I get so frustrated with my Mother sometimes. I feel like she tries to 'fix' an area of her life, but gets confused at which one is the most important! The saddest part of all is poor Oceana! She is very submissive & has latched onto Mom like no dog I've ever seen. Mom can't go anywhere without Oceana hot on her heels. 

I'll start taking a list of anyone who wants to dog sit while I'm visiting Jaco this winter! :o) 

I joked with a friend of mine today that I'm sure Mom would have pawned my brother & I off had she been given the chance... Now that I think of it, I do have that one girlfriend who looks A LOT like Mom & she's a few years older... Hmm...

Needless to say, I wanted out of the house, so I put the girls' matching raincoats on & went down to EVIC. The thunder started to roll half way there & we arrived just in time for it to start pouring. We sat inside & observed the flashes while Joe counted the time between lightning & thunder. Some of them were pretty close!

I waited awhile before I walked back home in the rain. The girls didn't really like their raincoats. At one point, I felt like I was dragging both of them, instead of them walking on their own. I turned around & sure enough, I was dragging them! Their hoods had fallen down over their eyes & they couldn't see a thing! All I could see was a red or pink coat with a little black nose poking out the front end & a tail out the back! 

They were both caked in mud & dirt by the time we arrived home, so I carried them straight to the tub. A quick rinse & towel dry & they were good as new. They had a blast ripping around the house playing & drying off. One excited wiener dog is fun, never mind two of them!

I decided to bake something this evening. I found a recipe for banana bread in my Caribbean cookbook (Thanks Winners!) that sounded good. Of course, I don't use the regular ingredients & well, I think I'll have to bake it a few times to perfect it. I used raw sugar instead of light brown sugar, coconut flour instead of self-rising flour, almond milk instead of milk... The flour made things pretty dry. I added more milk & an extra egg. Additionally, it said to grease the tin, so I put olive oil on it. Then added the parchment paper. I'm not sure how it happened, but the bottom of the bread is oily & there was a bunch of water & oil in the bottom of the tin. Let's just say it's edible, but heavy. Next time, I'll cut out some flour & perhaps use butter instead of olive oil?

Seriously, someone needs to invent Culinary Bootcamp for people like me. I could be a Fruigivore like my husband. He'll eat oranges, I'll eat cherries & berries. Lord help us come winter! :o)

In any case, I decided to make myself a routine last night. It works for kids & dogs, so why not me? As I type this entry, I'm about 2 hours behind schedule, but I'll see what I can do to catch up! :o) Part of my schedule includes meal planning for the following day. I liked the look of a lot of the recipes in the Caribbean cookbook, so I'll see what I can find that's yummy! (& healthy!)

I finally hooked up my Magic Jack, after giving my husband grief about not having his set up! :o) I'm pretty excited about it! If you leave me a message, it emails me the message & I can listen to it in my email program! How cool is that? I love Magic Jack! (Did I mention you pay $20/yr for long distance anywhere in Canada & the USA?) And you can take it anywhere in the world & call Canada/USA for that same $20/yr??? What a great invention! **It costs $40 for the Jack, $20/yr or $70 for 5 yrs, plus $10 for a Canadian number** See website for details. Okay, my infomercial is done! :o)

I caught up with a girlfriend from Saskatchewan last night. I haven't spoken to her in awhile & it was great to hear her voice. She has two adorable boys, Buster & Huxley. She has caught a lot of flack for naming her first son, Buster. Agreed, it's not a common name, but it TOTALLY suits him! Last night we Wikipedia'd 'Buster' & there are a lot of famous 'Buster's' out there. Even I was impressed! One from South Africa & one from the UK who was involved in the early developments in IVF! Crazy! I hope her mind is at ease, knowing her son has a unique & meaningful name.

Our conversation was cut short when the lightning returned & every flash I saw made a click on the phone! Okay! Time to go! I fell asleep to the sound of the rain hammering down outside my window.

Have a great Sunday everyone! xxxx

Maria, Valentina & Oceana

Matching jackets for the sisters.

Please, Mama, play with me?

Tangled up!

I've got it!

Tug o' war!

Day 281 - Wolves & Coyotes

So I am quite possibly one of the world's worst sleepers. I can NOT sleep straight through the night. On average, I'm up about 3x to use the little girls room. Last night was no exception, except... when I woke up at 0500 to pee, I heard a noise. Not just any noise. Wolves. Not just one. Several. At least three. Howling. Bone chilling. Soul stirring. Pure, raw & certainly savage. It was one of the most exciting things I've ever experienced. I managed to grab my SLR & record the audio. I have about one minute of good solid footage of them howling. I LOVE it! 


When I was a little girl, I loved lambs. Then I swapped to wolves. Talk about opposites. I suppose it was similar to my taste in music. I went from the Emeralds - Bird Dance to Crystal Gayle, you know, the country chick with her hair to her ANKLES. Then it was on to Cyndi Lauper. Anyhow, I have yet to see a wolf in the wild, but hearing them is certainly amusing! 


I decided to go outside & see if I couldn't film the moon, the trees AND catch the wolves howling. All I managed to do was get both dogs barking, frighten my mother & when I did finally set foot outside, all I could hear was the river across the highway! It did smell incredibly fresh though! I went back inside (where it was warm) & recorded a few more clips. I heard Mom getting a drink, so I went out to tell her what I heard. She told me to wake her up next time I hear them. I have this sinking feeling if I do, the conversation will go a little something like this:
"Mom! Wake up! The wolves are howling."
"Whaaaah-t?"
"The wolves are howling."
"Oh."
"Are you coming to listen?"
"What time is it?"
"It's four thirty."
"Oh. I have to get up in two hours."
"Yeah. Are you coming or what?"
"No. Just shut my door when you go."


And she'll remember half of the conversation come morning. But I'll wake her up anyways!


I could hardly fall back asleep I was so excited about the magnificent howling I had just heard. I posted an update on Facebook & went back to sleep. 


When I did get up for the day, I didn't accomplish a lot. I ordered some baby things for my girlfriends due this month. I have an incredible girlfriend, Janis, who has created an eco-baby goods business with her sister. Check them out (Little Tree Hugger) if you need any baby things! I still have one more order to place with Taslie & then I'm set for baby gifts! I helped Mom with a bit of book keeping, visited EVIC, ran to town for water & the mail, and visited with my brother's friend, Hayley. I had heard about her before, but she was a delightful young lady! She is tall & gorgeous & so pleasant to visit with. I'm not sure what my brother is thinking... She's a catch! Oh well, as they do...


After Hayley left (she'd stopped to pick up a few day planners from Mom), I heard Oceana at the door. She was whimpering. Valentina was already in the house. What was that other noise? It sounded like a dog barking. But I didn't recognize the bark! It wasn't Oceana. Was there a dog lost from the campground? I went out on the deck & poor Oceana came streaking inside. 


Sure enough, I could hear barking in the clump of trees closest to the gate. I whistled at the dog. It barked back. Again & again & again. I finally decided it's bark wasn't quite a dog bark. It was a coyote. Be darned if the dirty dog wasn't trying to lure our dogs into the woods! I was horrified at the thought of little Valentina going to investigate & then being a cocktail wiener! I went inside to tell Mom to come out & when I went back outside, the coyote had moved places. His barks were coming from the bottom of the meadow. He was still out of sight, but he responded to my whistles. Pretty soon I saw him pop up on the other side of the meadow, where the power lines run. He stopped & looked at us & continued barking. Ooooh! I was so mad! Looks like the little dogs are going to have to be under strict supervision from now on! No wandering ANYWHERE!!! 


I found an old metal box tonight while I was looking for a computer cable. I had an 'epiphany' last night that it held all my old jewelry from high school. I could find the key, to I tried to 'pick' the lock with my Leatherman. Fat chance, but it worked! I could open it, but not close it. So I had a little trip down memory lane as I pilfered through my cheesy old jewelry. I will see if I can take apart some of it & use it for something 'new'. It was fun to find earrings & pendants & think to myself, 'Really? Did I really wear that? And I thought I was cool, too!' Fun times!


Anyhow, another quiet weekend shaping up... Everyone is out enjoying the long weekend & gorgeous weather... Make the most of it - Summer is flying by!
xxxxx
Maria & Valentina

Oceana snoozes in the sun.

Our new watchdog.

Getting a better look.

Mom & Hayley

Turn up your volume & pardon the 'clicks'!

Day 280 - The Jameses Leave. :o(

Wah. Boo. I'm sad! I didn't want the Jameses to go. I kept hoping they'd decide to stay another day. But, sadly, they had to make there way to BC today. We had a simple breakfast & they were off on their way. Sniff, sniff...


My spirits were rejuvenated from the wonderful visit, but my body was telling me another story. The 0500 bone pain was leaving me feeling like an 80 year old! I had to do my 2nd shot at noon again today & I took another Tylenol right after & did my best to chill out for the afternoon. 


Of course, this was after I helped Mom unload 45 boxes of day planners out of the back of her truck! Minor detail! Good thing we did, as shortly after the rain started pouring down! I decided right then it would be a great day to laze on the couch & watch a movie. I watched It's Complicated, which was quite complicated! It was al-right. I certainly wouldn't zip out & pay to rent it, but it was cute. Both dogs cuddled with me on the couch while the movie played. 


When it was over, I decided to go to bed. At 1900! My earliest yet, I think! Okay, so I laid in bed for a few hours & chatted with my dear friend, Sarah. We hadn't had a long visit for a LONG time, so we were well overdue! She is such a clever girl! Whatever I need to learn more about, I can call Sarah. She is a wealth of information! Perhaps her most exciting information is her upcoming wedding! She's getting married this coming April & I am tickled pink for her! She has her fingers in many pies, but one of her creations is the Vancouver Artists Collective. If you're in the area, check it out!


After I finished chatting with Sarah, I read a few pages in my current book & then it was lights out! Okay, so I only fell asleep around midnight, but hey, even that's early for me! 


See you tomorrow!
xxxxx
Maria & Valentina

The sunrise at 0500 when bone pain kicks in.

The girls & I watching It's Complicated. 

Day 279 - The Jameses Arrive!

Wheeeeee! I haven't been this excited to see somebody in, well, I can't remember when!!!! The Jameses arrived around 1300 & they were as handsome as ever! I was giddy to have them here! Finally!!! I hadn't seen them for 53 weeks! It's about time!


Big James & I worked on a few ships together & spent my best & 2nd last contract sailing around Europe. He is one-in-a-million & I am so happy that he has found his one-in-a-million to spend the rest of his days with! Little James is an incredible Dancer & actually calls Grand Prairie home! He is one of those people that you feel like you've known them forever from the first time you meet them. 


Additionally, Big James' Dad, who is also named James (!), was the Pastor at our wedding in South Africa! I met Jim when he turned 60 & visited his son on the ship for our Egypt cruise. I know where Big James gets his wonderful personality & kind heartedness from! 


The Jameses are on the next leg of their honeymoon, as they just got married in Vancouver! I'm very happy that they will be in Canada more often - hopefully we'll have more get togethers! 


We visited for a bit in the house & then I took them down to Elbow Falls & Forget-Me-Not Pond. The weather was stunning, so it was great for taking a few snaps & showing off the beauty of Eastern Kananaskis. We sat on one of the benches at Forget-Me-Not & caught up on all the happenings in their life for the past year or so. 


One of my favourite things about working on ships is meeting up with people you are never quite sure exactly when you will see them again. It makes the times extra special. They have no idea what their stay means to me! Truly 2 of my most cherished friends. 


After our visit to the tourist attractions, we headed for town. I was treating them to ice cream. Of course, our drive to down was rather wet & cold! It hailed half way & POURED rain the other half of the drive! They were quite excited to see the ice cream choices & I'm pleased to say we all enjoyed a scoop of chocolate peanut butter, among other flavours. Big James is enjoying the truly Canadian flavour of Tiger. :o) Btw, if you're in Bragg Creek, the little ice cream shop on Whyte Ave gives the biggest & best scoops in town! 


We headed home to find Mom whipping up a storm for dinner. We were barbecuing some big ol' steaks, corn on the cob, greek salad, pear & blue cheese salad, mint potatoes, and of course, baked brie with pecans for an appetizer. Oooh & blueberry crisp for dessert! It was a feast! 


The Jameses & I walked down to the barn before dinner to bring the truck back, but as we were driving back, Jim (also a James & owner of the ranch) asked us to give him a hand with some panels to stop the cattle from the park crawling through the fence. We drove out to the field & loaded up the panels. Oh my word. The mosquitos are out in FULL FORCE! I haven't seen them this bad for a VERY LONG TIME! We were all swinging & swatting & itching like crazy! I think I had about 12 new bites in a matter of a few minutes! They are thirsty little critters! UGH! We were moving as quickly as we could! Jim commented on finding a dead calf the other day. I asked him what happened to the calf. Jim replied, 'He stopped living.' He's a funny guy for 86 years of age! I also admired his bailer twine suspenders! :o) Still practical after all these years!


We enjoyed a hearty meal & more wonderful visits. I was surprised to hear about Little James' Champion Mutton Buster & Steer Riding past! I guess I thought I was a rarity in working on ships with a 'western' background! I knew something was up when he was so prompt to get the gates & knew which way to swing it! 


They plan to work a while longer on ships, as Big James has recently been made Manager of the Photo Department. I'm so proud of him! It's difficult for the two of them to snag the same ship together, so say a little prayer they both end up on the same ship. I know what it's like to be away from the one you love & it's NOT FUN. 


Today was also my first Neupogen shot. I was feeling a little rusty, as it's been a month or more since all the fertility shots. But, I managed to get it all in my leg & didn't keel over. I took a Tylenol straight away to keep any bone pain at bay. I didn't feel anything until about 0500 the next morning. I felt like I'd been riding a Clydesdale all day. My hips & lower back ached like crazy! UGH. I hope it passes soon!


Anyhow, what a great day. I can't sing the Jameses praises enough... I love them to bits & can't wait until our next visit... Travel safe & enjoy what's left of you holidays... Sending you love & hugs...


OH! I forgot to mention... Big James' little brother is a professional Wrestler - Leo Kruger. He's just started in the US, but next season he'll be on the reality tv show, NXT. If you're into that scene, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for him!


Maria & Valentina
xxxxxxx

There were a bunch of artists painting at the falls today.

Always time for a touristy pic!

A James Sandwich

Forget-Me-Not Pond with Nihahi Ridge in the background. Apparently it's the ridge that Christopher Reeves flies over in Superman.

Forget-Me-Not's famous reflections

I'm so happy you guys made it here!

Uh-oh! Storm clouds are coming!

Oceana gets a lift!

Shufly & the Jameses.

The old truck in evening light.

Day 278 - Something to blog about...

So yesterday I was pretty much out of words, which is rare for me. I can talk about pretty much anything... (Guess I should dig out my Table Topics to play by myself!) But last night, I was empty. Little did I know that I would have such crazy dreams... I could give Tim Burton (not Tim Horton) a run for his money when in comes to creativity. If I could only control this creativity, I'm sure I could find a way to use it to my advantage. Before I tell you about the dream, don't get excited, it's nothing big, just crazy, I will reassure you that I am NOT on any drugs at the moment. I've always had lucid dreams for whatever reason. Additionally, they tend to jump from scene to scene, so it may be a little confusing to follow.


Okay, so the first part I can recollect was the 'High School Reunion' scene. I was back in Maple Creek & all the kids from school were there. We were chilling out in the pool & socializing - catching up on 13 (!!!!) years of life. Pretty much every girl I went to school with was expecting twins! Yup, Bree, Jolene, Tammy... Way too many twins!!! Jump to the next scene - still at the reunion - we're going into the gym for some ceremony or something. I'm wearing my afro wig & there's Clay - a little tipsy (some things don't change!) & he says, 'WOW! Great afro! Can I try it on?' and before I can stop him (or anyone else for that matter), he rips the wig off my head, exposing my very bald noggin. There was a simultaneous 'GASP!' moment as he realized what he'd done & felt foolish. 


Skip to the next scene - I'm on the ship traveling with Jaco & he has 'hired' me to help him in the office for a few hours a night to give the Nurses a bit of a break. I help from 6-8 each night. Only tonight I was late & the Nurse I was to be relieving was a bit upset! I ran down with my dinner plate in hand & settled in to doing, well, nothing really! I just chatted with whoever was there. Can't remember names or faces. 


Skip to the next scene - I'm visiting with a bunch of ladies - Granny, Mom, Mom2, & Dad's girlfriend. We don't really get along (in real life) & in my dream, I went off on her! I started yelling & screaming all the reasons why we don't get along & in the end, we hugged & everything was fine. Then Granny was getting a back massage from one of the other gals. 


Skip to the next scene - I'm at home in Maple Creek & these 'bad guys' have put up a three story house in the horse pasture (close to the house). They have a fire in their lower level, unbeknownst to them, & it's dry & windy. I'm worried the fire will spread & start our house on fire. I want to put it out, but myself & ???? (one other friend) only have 2 ice cream buckets! We sneak over to the fence corner, but they have snipers out on each corner of the balcony. We can't yell, because they'll hear just a noise & shoot us. We can't approach the house either, they'll shoot us! Oh the drama! 


Skip to the next scene - my Mom, Unka Jer, my brother & I are riding horses. We're galloping through a hilly pasture when Mom does a hard stop on Shufly. He slides nice. Mom says, 'Hey! Did you see that!? Pretty nice!' Jeff says, 'Oh yeah? Watch this!' He kicks his horse into a gallop & just as they reach top speed, he rides through a snow bank that is melting. His horse sinks straight into it & falls over. The horse breaks his leg & when he gets up, his entire back end is paralyzed. The bones from one leg came right out, so it's just the hide. The other leg is snapped in half. Jeff says, 'Oh well, guess that's the end of him.' I freak out & say, 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN? You just took his life! You ruined him! He will never experience life! He's done!' I was very upset. About this time I also realized that Jeff's horse looked more like an elk than a horse.


This is all I can remember for the time being. Perhaps this is why I'm so tired all the time! It's not chemo, it's just crazy dreams!!!


As for the actual day, I really didn't do too much. I visited Nathan & Shauna at EVIC, chatted with a few girlfriends, missed my husband (both on the phone & in my heart), and cleaned the house. I've decided I don't like clotheslines. I love the way bedding smells when it's been on the line, but as for drying clothes... I know, it's green. BUT! I hang up one load & it takes all day to dry. We don't have a big enough line, nor enough clothespins. Half of my clothes fall on the ground every time a breeze comes along, so they end up dirty & still wet by the end of the day! Argh! NO MORE CLOTHESLINES!!!!


I prepared the house for the Jameses arrival tomorrow. I'm so excited to see them!!! It's been a year & I can't wait to hear how they've been! And they just got married, so I'm happy for their hearts as well!!! 


I cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed, mopped, dusted, tidied, reorganized & gosh darn it... I'm beat! Thank goodness I didn't have to cook! I think I'll need Culinary Bootcamp before Jaco & I go too much further!!! 


Lastly... I'm super excited for Step Up 3D to come out in a week (yes, I'm 31 & I STILL love the cheesy teen dance flicks) & even MORE excited for EAT, PRAY, LOVE to come out!!! If you haven't read the book, DO IT!!!!!! I can't wait to see Julia Roberts! I haven't had a repeat theatre experience since Titanic... I could be due! :o)


Have a great night & see you tomorra!
Maria & Valentina
xxxxxx

Do you think she's trying to tell me she wants to go camping?

Mom asked me to help with dishes, but I was busy, so she asked Oceana instead.

Mom & her 'other kids'

Oceana hitches a ride to the house.

Day 277 - Errands.

Wow. I'm realizing that today is day 277 - it's nearly a year since I started this blog! Where does the time go? I mean, July is pretty much done! Life is whizzing by at an incredible pace... No wonder I get dizzy!


Today was low key, compared to the action & vibrancy of yesterday! I muddled around most of the day at home. I'm not too sure what I did, but it took me most of the day! I left for town at 1600 & went to Calgary to get some groceries. I picked up a toy for Valentina. It was a cute crocodile. With a squeaker. It didn't last long. Poor fella. Even after I picked up the pieces, she still whiled obsessively & contemplated a way to climb up the table legs! 


It poured rain in town tonight, but it was nice & warm. I was at Costco in the northeast when it rained & they have a bunch of cedar shavings in the parking lot. They were wet (obviously) & they smelled wonderful! 


While I was checking out at Costco, the clerk was grabbing for a hair she felt stuck to her lips. I commented & said I don't have that problem anymore. She said she never thought of it that way, but maybe she'd give it a try (shaving her head). I told her I was going to lose mine anyways, so I might as well shave it off. I explained that I had cancer. She then says, 'Well, I suppose, it could be worse.' Um, pardon my ignorance & maybe it very well could be, but isn't the more 'worse' than cancer death? Before I had time to contemplate it any more, I hear the clerk behind me getting yelled at by some guy 'with a funny accent' who tried to sign with his wife's credit card. His wife was standing right beside him. Why couldn't she sign for it? Oh these cultural differences really get to me... Especially when they put down women... But I need to sleep, so I won't get started on that! :o)


Tomorrow is a cleaning day, as James & James are coming to visit! I'm very excited to see them! They are ship mates & have been traveling around western Canada these past few months, so I'm grateful I get included as a stop! 


Okay, I'm wiped & I'm am flat out of things to say... Lekker slaap & see you tomorrow! Oh, Jaco comes in 17 days... FINALLY!!!! It feels like I haven't seem him for 12 months, not 2! 


xxxx
Maria & Valentina

Terrorizing the croc

The croc gets a breather

He looks happy, but...

Some vital anatomy is missing!

Day 276 - Pow Wow

Hooray! Today I finally felt up to snuff. Well, pretty much. I'd say I'm back to 98% of my ornery ol' self. I new it was going to be another hot one when I woke up at 0700 & it was bright & sunny & hot already. I laid in bed until Mom informed me that Jenn had called & they were wanting to go to the Pow Wow. I called her back & told her I'd leave in an hour. 


TWO hours later, I finally left! My personal time zone, what can I say?!? I was excited to check out the Pow Wow, as I haven't been to one for hmm, about 9 years! It was awesome! The costumes, the colours, the intricacy, the dancing, the music, the singing... It's a sensory overload. Call me a sap, but whenever I'm around live drumming, it does something to me. I'm always a gulp away from bursting into tears. Today was no exception. 


I found the Burnett's sitting in the bleachers & I was just in time to see the Grand Entry. I quickly got my camera ready & ran off to shoot whatever I could find. It was a bit of a challenge, as the dancing ring was indoors, which left me with low light & some fast moving subjects. I think I got a few good shots, but I'll have to sit down & have a better look! 


I don't know much about the First Nations culture, but I couldn't help but want to learn more about it. It was fascinating to see how much pride they took in their costumes & their dancing. Their culture is so different from what I know. The people seem so much 'quieter'. They don't talk unnecessarily & they are okay with silence. I could go on & on, but I'll stop there... I've got some learning to do! 


I was also impressed to hear there were dancers from as far away as New Mexico! I had no idea the Pow Wow was such a big draw from so far away! The little children were especially entertaining. They just don't care who is watching or what anyone thinks. They dance their little hearts out. 


The intricate bead work that must take hours upon hours to do, the energy to dance song after song... If you've never been, do a quick search & see if you can find one near you... It's something to experience, that's for sure!


A quick visit to EVIC before they closed & it was back home. I was supposed to stop for groceries, but Bragg Creek on a sunny Sunday afternoon is a rat race. The traffic at the main 4-way was back up past the crest of the hill! It must have been a chain of 25-30 cars! Ridiculous! 


I found both dogs at home & Valentina moving suspiciously slow. I thought something was wrong, but as the night wore on, she was back to her usual old self. Her nose is right out of joint, as I've just bathed her, clipped her nails & put coconut oil on her belly. I think she got a rash from the grass last week. Her belly is a sight for sore eyes! I've been putting aloe gel on it, but tonight I put coconut oil on it. I couldn't put it on fast enough! She licked it off as quickly as I put it on!!! Guess it tastes good! So she's sleeping in her 'tent' instead of next to me. She's not impressed! 


Alrighty... Sweet dreams & see you soon! xxxx Maria & Valentina

Mom wanted to take a photo of me in my dress.

The Elders

I'm surprised this little guy was standing still... He danced his heart out!

Crazy moves & electric energy!

Cutie Puh-tootie!

The drummers & singers - well, some of them!

The 2 best dressed... in my opinion!

Amazing costumes!

Each one is unique!

Wow.

Beautiful little girl.

This little guy was quite the show off... He was adorable!

Talented bunch!

Colours!

Rhythm!

Incredible!

The look.

All ages participated.

I'm pretty sure this is the guy who danced past me & felt my head!

The next generation learning.

Getting ready to go.

Femininity.

The jingle dress in action.

Jingle dress.

Amazing sounds.

More jingle dress.

You gotta go!

Three girls.

Cutie Puh-tootie again!

Waiting patiently.

Can you guess who was my favourite for the day?

Wow. What a Pow Wow.