Penn Cove Water Festival, celebrating the local Native Americans. There were dances, canoe races, crafts and food. I spent the day with Mark, and we had a really good time, and the weather was just right, too!

Above, one of the newest dancers in the Tshimshain Haayuuk Dancers group - they start young! The dancers wear beautiful traditional button capes, cedar hats, and Ravenstail woven aprons and pouches, and fantastical masks. The singer announces each song and describes what is happening, so it is very interesting.

 The last song featured spectators from audience to come and dance along.

 The Eagle dancer.

A lovely example of a Cedar Bark hat, and beautiful abalone buttons on her cape.

There were several races with different sized canoes: 3-man, 6-man, and 11-man. Of course they also had women crews, too. Above is the 6-man men's race: 3 canoes vying for first place, and the last canoe just rounding the buoy marker. These racing canoes are wooden, with no keel.

This was a fibreglas version of a family canoe, being paddled by 4 or 5 women, again with the lovely hats.

 Here's my afternoon - crawling around underneath a house. Thank GOODNESS it was dry and pest-free. Just not very much headroom, but the homeowner was having a blast. Those are his feet. I didn't last very long, and after these shots, I climbed out while he continued to explore and document the construction. He just bought this house, which had been built without a permit. So my job is to create drawings showing what is there, and also add all the details and information needed to bring it up to the current code. Even the homeowner agreed: the job from Hell!

 The first blooms ever from this white lilac - it came as a twig that we planted, and it has taken many years to get to this point. It is lovely, with a delicate scent. There is one more branch with a bloom on it - hoping for more next year!

 Bottoms up! A pair of mallards were foraging at Earth Sanctuary in the fen. Pink blossoms are the hardhack, spiraea douglasii.

 A hole in the duckweed is all that's left of a frog leaping from shore as I approached, accompanied by a hearty croak! Might be a bullfrog - I didn't get much of a look at it.

The goose was also majestically swimming around looking for snacks - another beautiful spring day!

 The pollen covers the pond's waters each spring. Sometimes it's almost iridescent,  today not so much. The breeze is just enough to move it around on the surface, creating swirls and patterns, above. Below, the far end is cleared by the wind.

On the shore, the large carpet of False Lily of the Valley is beginning to bloom - sweetly scented, as well!

 Tookers likes to play in the tall grass - maybe he thinks he is 'Hidden Tiger!'

Happy Mother's Day to all! I had a quiet, sunny day, puttered around and had a nice long chat with my son and my mother on the phone, and a big hug from my other son. Love. 

Well, here it is - my next adventure. Cody is coming to do a two-week cross-country bike ride, and I have the crazy idea I will accompany him for a day or so. So, I pulled Barbara's bike out of the shop, and Jon and Cory lubricated and pumped air into it, and I tried it out. Pedaling around the level yard for a few minutes was enough!! I REALLY need more exercise! Yikes! Anyway, it will be fun to learn how to manage a 15-speed, and get my muscles back in shape. Ha!