2018 Pow Wow

FIAH POWWOW: MARCH 25, 2017

This was my first Powwow (Thanks to Cathy who drove me there!)..  and I loved it!  There were venders selling Indian apparel and leathers, feathers and so many wonderful things!  The dancing was outstanding and always done to a group of men on the drums.

If you have never seen a Powwow I hope the photo’s below give you some idea of what goes on at one.  

Enjoy. (I did!)

 

(sometimes, dancing is a family affair!)

My Favorite Dancer…

I want you to meet Xander, one of my absolute favorite dancers! (he made my mind talk to me and I knew that if I were young, I would like to dance like he does)  You will find some “blurry shots” as he moved so fast, but I find I still see what his costume looks like in  motion.  Oh, by the way.. this favorite dancer of mine is but 15 years old ! Only one word to describe him: Phenomenal !!

 

 

 

He had so much energy and put it to use in his Fantastic Dancing!

Christmas with Kessy

Christmas morning in Vero Beach… is already to hot to open the door for fresh air. ..  Such is life in southern Florida.

This is Kessy Kitty;s “first” Christmas. 

So… picture one, so neat and nice, is the “before shot”… (I want to say that 2 gifts for me aren’t shown here.  One is my gorgeous Hobbit poster from Kelly and my beautiful English Calendar from Cath and another gift came over the email as a Amazon gift card from my friend Michelle.. With lots of love, I thank you all so very much!)

 

Kessy got nosey early on… and checked out the wrapped gifts.   I need to mention that the wrapped gifts are from my dear friend in California, Kris Walsh.  (if ever I want something that no one can hack into I will let Kris wrap it for me! *snort*)

The first box I opened was for moi… and wow! Kris remembers my love of Indian “trinkets” !! You do know how to surprise me!  (love. love. love!!)

Kris also sent me an Amazon gift card… She obviously really knows her friends well! (danke.danke.danke) And she topped it off with a box of Truffles! Candy! really Kris? I can’t afford the next size of clothes! lol lol

Then “we” opened a gift from “Aunt Kris” for Kessy.. at first she wasn’t sure if the gift was the paper or that silly looking monkey!

She quickly decided it was the silly Monkey!

She also figured out real quick that “this is for me!”  She loved he colorful tinfoil balls and played with them right away but all the shots I tried to take of her were blurred.. she just wouldn’t stay still!

Then she rested with her monkey by her side..

..and decided the silly monkey was actually a pretty cute monkey!

  

Thank you Aunt Kris for my first ever Christmas presents!!!  Mom and I both love you!!

And last… the “after shot”…

One Last Day

We awoke In Mississippi and got through Alabama and into Georgia.  I was beginning to feel a little down that the trip was nearly over but Cathy had yet another surprise stop off, and it was called Stone Mountain.

 

Some History about Stone Mountain:

The Confederate Memorial Carving on Stone Mountain, Ga., depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in relief. The Confederate Memorial Carving on Stone Mountain, Ga., depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in relief.

In 1822, the area that now makes up the city of Stone Mountain was made a part of the newly formed DeKalb County. A post office was created in 1834 on the old Augusta Road, and Andrew Johnson built a hotel along the road in 1836. At around the same time, Aaron Cloud built an observation tower at the summit of the mountain. Visitors to the mountain would travel to the area by rail and road, and then hike up the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) mountaintop trail to the top, where Cloud also had a restaurant and club.

By 1839, a general store was added, and a village was established under the name New Gibraltar. The name was officially changed to Stone Mountain by the Georgia legislature in 1847. The town is named for nearby Stone Mountain. During the Civil War, Stone Mountain village was destroyed by men under the command of General James B. McPherson on July 19, 1864.

 

My hip wouldn’t let me walk up so we took the easy way to the top.

Once at the top you walk all over the Stone Mountain.

Cathy, taking in the view..

How thoughtful.. they put a fence up so you don’t go a bit too far!

The scenery seems to go on forever.

How wondrous that trees can grow right out of a stone!

Back down off of the Rock…. we took a train ride! Circling Stone Mountain and through some wonderful trees!

 

 

**************************************************

 

We topped our last day of our trip on a  high note when we went to dinner at Bahama Breeze. 

Great company, great food (Cathy had Paella and I had Jamacian Jerk Chicken Pasta) … and we toasted our great Adventure with a Margarita!!

Our adventure lasted 12 days and we went through 13 states!

Florida .. Alabama.. Mississippi..Louisiana..  Texas.. New Mexico.. Arizona.. Utah..Colorado..  Oklahoma..  Arkansas..  Tennessee..  Georgia

12 days that I won’t forget any time soon!  I don’t even know how to begin to thank Cathy for taking me along.  For the memories she helped make for me.  And for the friendship she has given me……

 

“It truly was an unexpected journey!”

A Drizzling Travel Day…

After leaving Oklahoma (another new state to me), we headed for Arkansas where we proceeded to pig-out at Chili’s for lunch.  Having no big plans to take side trips we made good progress through Arkansas , Memphis Tennessee  and into Mississippi.

We did make one stop at an Indian Trading Post. (a souvenir shop)

 

They had some really beautiful things inside.

Yikes! I had this tractor when I was a kid!

 

I love the painting below… just gorgeous!

 

The animals, outside, were as interesting as the “stuff” inside!!

(“Don-key-o-tee?”)

A Llama? (looking up photo’s of a Llama this is a “long haired Llama)   Seriously?!

Old tractors everywhere!

 

Somewhere near Carlisle Arkansas there was a bad truck accident, on the opposite side of the highway. (Thank goodness!) I didn’t have my camera out to snap the actual accident but I did snap some (and I do mean “some”) of the backup from it.  Cathy guessed the back up was 10 miles long..

 

…..as far as the eye could see!

All I know is I never thought it would end!

Once we passed all the back up we wondered why truckers weren’t letting those that would come up on the back up to turn off (if possible)… we couldn’t imagine how long it became or how long before anyone could move again.

 

In case you hadn’t noticed, Cathy did all the driving. I finally found out how she could drive so many hours and still enjoy it…

(Do you believe that?!  lol )

Then we touched upon Memphis Tennessee and back into Mississippi to rest for the night.

(thought it was funny having the truck under the “no trucks” on the sign…) The next post will be the last for the vacation.  I am sure everyone will be glad the photo’s stop! lol.. and I promise you… all of these posts didn’t make up 1/4 of the photo’s taken! So be nice or I’ll put up even more! lol lol.

Get Your Kicks.. On Route 66…

 Classic Route 66………….  Rt. 66 is in a time-warp!

U.S. Route 66 (US 66 or Route 66), also known as the Will Rogers Highway and also known as the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways within the U.S. Highway System. US 66 was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year.[4] The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in America, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending at Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).[5] It was recognized in popular culture by both the hit song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s.

 

These old trucks and cars are all over the parts of Route 66 that we drove on.

Check out those gas prices!

If you want reminders of “the olden days”… you must travel on Route 66!

 

Amarillo Texas

 

 

 

The Cadillac Ranch: a classic landmark beside Route 66 in Amarillo, TX; consisting of ten Cadillac cars which are half buried nose-down in the ground in a single file. This public art is the work of the Ant Farm and was created in 1974.

10 cars are buried in a single file.
East to West, they are aligned with an east to west orientation.
Cadillacs, all cars are Cadillac models, from a 1948 to a 1963 (some say 1964) model.
Relocated, the cars were relocated 2 miles west of their original position in 1997.

 

We left Cadillac Ranch only to pass another sort of Ranch!

Hay!

Then we came upon the leaning water tower.  (not by mistake Cathy looked for it!)

…and then, and then… (along came Jones..)  we were on the road again!…………..

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks NM

Our next stop was:  Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks NM .  Here’s a little information on them…

 

The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a remarkable outdoor laboratory, offering an opportunity to observe, study, and experience the geologic processes that shape natural landscapes.  The National Monument, on the Pajarito Plateau in north-central New Mexico, includes a national recreation trail and ranges from 5,570 feet to 6,760 feet above sea level.  It is for foot travel only, and contains two segments that provide opportunities for hiking, bird watching, geologic observation, and plant identification.

The cone-shaped tent rock formations are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago and left pumice, ash, and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick.  Tremendous explosions from the Jemez volcanic field spewed pyroclasts (rock fragments), while searing hot gases blasted down slopes in an incandescent avalanche called a “pyroclastic flow.”

Precariously perched on many of the tapering hoodoos are boulder caps that protect the softer pumice and tuff below.  Some tents have lost their hard, resistant caprocks, and are disintegrating.  While fairly uniform in shape, the tent rock formations vary in height from a few feet up to 90 feet.

 

It is amazing to see rock formations looking like Indian Tents!

 

 

 

Leaving the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks and on our way to Old Town.

I don’t think I’d want this long horned steer chasing me!

 

Old Town Albuquerque NM .. A place to easily spend money! lol.

(Recognize anyone?!)

These two played for tips and were selling their CD, Pahaukume, Chasing Dreams.. which I bought.

After a day at Tent Rocks and shopping in Old Town Cathy drove to Moriarty, New Mexico where we spent the night, where we spent the night .