Water Girl...40º

Thinking about Cienna's water polo game last night and knowing that Bobi will post photos if any are available, I looked through some photos of Ci and water...She is a happy girl when in or near the water...Comfortable from the time she wore a swim diaper (no photo) to now when she wears head gear and a zip in suit to play water polo...Swimming is a life skill as well as a life long sport...Hugs To Cienna...OWAV:)

Incognito with Uncle Rusty in Cancun

Hawaii

Sprinkler at Oma's and Papa's

Wallowa Lake

One of her first races

On the ocean in Thailand

In almost over her head

Up to her knees

Flying high

Helping her team!

Missed the Eclipse...34º

Not much of a sky watcher normally but last night about dark I started looking for the moon and the eclipse...Pam had invited me to go with her to Iwetemlaykin park and participate in the moon watch but I declined, thinking darkness, gopher holes, crowds...Even though I peered into the sky, no moon was in sight before I went to bed...Woke up at 2:30, moon was high in the sky, all done with the eclipse...Some very nice photos on facebook this morning by professional photographers.

Another sunfilled day on Barton Heights, Herb is doing pork roast on the traeger and I need to come up with side dishes to accompany it...Yesterday we had beef tenderloin with potato salad, fresh cooked carrots, corn, cucumbers and tomatoes...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Broken Record...45º

Reading back over blogs from last year, I sound like a broken record, photos, gardening, cooking, computering, weather, family and friends...The almost full harvest moon flooded our bedroom at 3am...Without looking at a clock I thought it must be at least 5am so crawled out of bed...Now at 6:30 the sun is making an appearance and I need to finish this post and then get moving, on with my day...Enjoy your day and the full moon tonight with a full lunar eclipse...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Herb just put the flag out.

Carrot harvest 2015

Yesterdays dinner.

Major Tree Trimming...45º

It has been many years since we had anything major done to our trees, in the way of trimming...Herb along with John and Rustys help, have cut several down because they had outgrown our yard...Mother nature took care of others sending wind storms our way....Not the best way to prune but we had no choice...I called one of the local tree trimmers about a year ago, but he didn't show...So yesterday I called the newest business in the county, left a message, he returned my call, was at our house in less then 6 hours, gave us a bid and put us on his busy schedule for mid October...Three trees will be trimmed, debris cleaned up and chipped and the trees will look much better next spring, when they leaf out and hopefully our flowers will like the additional sunshine and bloom more profusely...Already I'm looking forward to spring but am enjoying our beautiful Indian Summer and the fall flowers...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Autumn Joy

Fall Crocus

Black Eyed Susans

Peaceful Morning...45º

Up early, quiet all around...Only the ringing in my ears is louder than most other sounds...I've learned to block it out for the most part but it is always there...Most times just a distant ringing, other times a rumble and roaring...I wonder if a deaf person can hear the ringing in their ears?

I had a lazy day yesterday, Herb fixed us a late breakfast of ham, eggs and toast because I planned to play cards at noon...That got both of us through the day, until about 5pm when I arrived home and made popcorn...Not the most nutrious day but good for a change.

Card playing was fun, only one table, not the 2 tables/8 ladies that was hoped for but nicer in a way I thought, as I can concentrate and learn more without continual chatter...Diane served an interesting dessert...Wafer thin sugar cookies and grape ice-cream that she makes using Welches frozen grape juice...It was light and refreshing...Her lovely home sits lakeside, quiet, peaceful, a flock of ducks for entertainment...I forgot about the ringing in my ears...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lake View

Ducks

Photo Blog...45º

Click on Bobi to see the shared photos from Cienna's first league water polo match of the season...So much fun for us to see snippets of the action as she participates in a sport she loves.

I have photos taken yesterday of our dinner...Thinking salad: Leftover chicken (locally raised) along with hard boiled eggs (also local) and fresh garden produce (cherry tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini and carrots) Costco cheeses both asiago and jarlsburg, put it all together add homemade blue cheese dressing, a few onion slices and a sprinkle of crispy bacon...Voilà it comes out Cobb Salad...Mine wasn't as pretty as the photos on the internet but it was very tasty!...I looked for a quick bread to go with our salad and found "Hush Puppies," opted not to deep fat fry them, instead made thick, dollar size pancakes...Warm off the griddle, drizzled with honey, they made the perfect addition to our salad...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cobb Salad (lettuce is underneath)

My version of hush puppies.

Grasses and Flowerbeds

Normally I try to rid the flowerbeds of grass, it is invasive, doesn't bloom, but wants to be the star of the show...Yesterday Herb and I took a little journey to a cabin in the woods at the head of Wallowa Lake...Ornamental grasses grow there and we had permission to gather starts...I still felt like an interloper and found myself looking around, thinking a voice was going to say, "What the hell do you people think you are doing?" I snapped a few photos before we left, the sun was just making its appearance, such a peaceful spot.

Back home checking out our own yard we soon had holes dug, grasses planted and watered in...They will have time to get their root system started before winter comes and we have high hopes of a new crop of ornamental grass adding color, texture and even a little bloom come next fall.

Before leaving the house I started dough for flatbread, then back home I finished mixing and fried 10 flatbreads, 2 for dinner and the rest went in the freezer...Fresh homemade sauerkraut simmered with sausages...Didn't take us long to devour our new creation of sauerkraut/sausages in a flatbread wrap.

Another sunny fall day on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Sugar maple turned red

Learn to bloom where unplanted...:)

Cozy little nook

Dinner

Fall Days...45º

These beautiful fall days stack one on top of the other like leaves from the maple trees...Herb continues to water our lawn and gardens until we get more natural moisture from the heavens.

We just facetimed with Pat and Brian, they on a Viking Cruise ship in the Mediterranean, us in our recliners here in Joseph...The connection was a bit choppy but fun to hear about their experiences first hand.

I did my last docent stint at the Josephy Center yesterday and will move on to other things to fill my days...I start back in water therapy on Oct 1st, 2 days a week, lasts all winter...More fall cleanup to do today, transplanting, digging, planting...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Food from the Heavens...45º

Herb did another perfect chicken from the treager yesterday...Seasoned to perfection before grilling for about an hour and resting for a 1/2 hour...In the meantime I gathered a hill of potatoes from the garden, sliced them thin while Herb sliced an onion, dumped into a foil pan, seasoned and drizzled with butter and added to the grill for the last half hour..Also I sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and baby zucchini, 1/2 ear of corn was also added to each plate...The chicken was succulent, potatoes creamy and rich, fresh from the garden...You will have to use your imagination because with all the smells and wonderful flavors I forgot the photos!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

New Potatoes

 Herb spotted this praying mantis on the deck hanging upside down from the step, then turned him rightside up before he was gently lifted to a nearby tree so we wouldn't step on him.

Upside down Praying Mantis

Right side up.

Crazy, Funny, Bizarre...40º

A Venus Fly Trap turns into a blood/flesh craving monster..."The Little Shop of Horrors" played it to the hilt yesterday at the Elgin Opera House...What started out as an innocent little plant "Audrey ll" soon grows to gigantic proportions, drains Seymour of his precious blood and then turns into a man eating monster...The cast and crew did an incredible job bringing this production to life...The crowd was small but enthusiastic as Audrey ll grew larger and larger with every change of scenery...Small children sat watching with rapt attention and couldn't wait to flood the stage for a closer look and feel this life-like character...I for one was glad to be in the far reaches of the balcony away from the monster jaws!

It took a soft ice cream and 50 miles of winding road along the peacful Wallowa River to still my pounding heart...I had little idea what this play was about and it exceeded all expectations...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Audrey ll

Beautiful, sunny, fall day...40º

Can't think of anything to write this morning so decided to look back at a year ago today...I was getting ready to help with a preserving class at Joseph Charter School, teaching new canners how to make pickles...I was also roasting the last batch of tomatoes and Herb and I were picking apples....After a banner year for fruit last year it is far and few between this year, thanks to early frosts that took all the apples, apricots and plums...Also I seem to be scaling down with the canning, doing fewer pickles, roasting less tomatoes and waiting to do more jam until we eat more of it off of the cellar shelves.

In the next month I will be canning meat, mostly a mix of ground elk/deer and pork...That makes a tasty combination and is good in tacos, enchiladas as well as many casseroles...As I write this morning Bobi and Ci are headed to the Oregon Coast to buy tuna and we will have a canning frensy at our "Thanksmas Celebration" in November.

Cienna embarks on her newest journey as Monday moring she will resume her education combining high school/college in one....Bobi will be blogging about this next week i'm sure so I will say no more!..Only want to wish Ci success and "safe travels" as she continues the scary art of driving in Portland!

Pat check in this morning as their ship docked in Italy and they were leaving for a tour and wine tasting in Tuscany...OH MY!

The "Litte Shop of Horors" is on my agenda today, sounds like a fun show and as usual I'm sure the music, dancing, sets and costumes will be wonderful...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Productive day...38º

The lamb is cut up and in the freezer...We had ribs for dinner and declare then delicious...The cutting and wrapping went quite well for a couple of amateurs (no formal training,) but we have to date cut up many animals and with the help of a book with diagrams and the internet we do okay...Cutting and wrapping is expensive and we have the tools(sharp knives, a good meat saw) and the time to do it ourselves...Herb does all of the sawing and I do the trimming.

I have a day out tomorrow..."Little Shop of Horrors" is playing at the Elgin Opera House...We have our tickets in the balcony, front row of the "cheap seats." Looking forward to a fun day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lamb ribs

Rain Overnight...39º

Lovely, lovely rain...looking outside, our world is fresh, clean and green looking...More rain in the forecast, clearing to warm and sunny by Saturday...Perfect fall weather.

Herb has a fire going this morning in the wood stove and is working on the never ending laundry, which he will hang in the basement and get dry from the heat of the wood stove...We have a clothes dryer that is thirty years old, still works because it has gotten little use over the years as we prefer line dried everything...It saves on electricity and our clothes, sheets, towels etc, last longer when not "processed" in the extra hot dryers of todays world.

We had an interesting Write People yesterday and a lovely potluck lunch at the Scully cabin that sits along the West shore of Wallowa Lake...A peaceful spot with lively conversation.

The sun just popped out for a few minutes and is making all the raindrops sparkle on leaves grass and everywhere!...Beautiful sight here on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Disappointment...54º

And the ride goes on...Cycle Oregon announced last spring that Wallowa County would be included in their 28th annual September ride...Plans started immediately to host this group for the 5th time...Schools and civic organizations in Wallowa County jumped on the band wagon to offer their help, knowing that they will profit in the end...Cycle Oregon pumps dollars into the local area when they stay for a night or two and also later on when they donate back to the county for specific projects...Months of planning have taken place in our county, everyone primed and ready.

I remember the first overnight stay in Wallowa County in 1995...May 95 I turned in my resignation at the Joseph Schools, ending my 17 year career as a cafeteria worker/manager because of illness...Plans started in May to host Cycle Oregon and the Joseph School would be biker central...All food would be served from the cafeteria, the football field would become a campground, covered with multi colored tents....Showers and other ammenities would also be available...I was leaving and would have no part in the actual event but assured the organizers that the Joseph kitchen, with good planning and organization could feed 1000 people dinner and breakfast...September 1995 was the 8th annual Cycle Oregon.

This event is now in its 27th year and has grown to 2200 bikers, with there own support staff along with portable showers, kitchens with well known chefs, sag wagons, mechanics, but they still rely on local people for serving meals, garbage detail and a miriad of other duties doled out to schools and civic organizations.

Wallowa Lake Campground has become the home for Cycle Oregon in 2003 and 2008, the sorority I belonged to at the time worked both of these events serving either a dinner or breakfast and gladly accepting the $250.00 for our services...It was a fun event and easy money to add to our treasury.

This year after the August/September fires calmed down, when rain storms dampened our county, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the biker route over the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road would be open and a safe route...Much to my dismay, this morning the following headline greated me when I opened my FaceBook account...From the Wallowa County Chieftain came these words:

Forest fire near Halfway forces bike tour to ditch Wallowa County leg of route

Growth of the Dry Gulch Fire near Halfway has forced Cycle Oregon to change the route of its Hell on Wheels tour already in progress, apparently eliminating the leg that would have brought the cyclists into Wallowa County this week.

Cycle Oregon announced the change on its Facebook page Monday night.

“Due to the growing Dry Gulch wildfire in and around Halfway, Oregon, we will not be able to continue on the route as planned. While we’re sad we will not see this beautiful part of the state, our hearts are with the Halfway community and the firefighters working to keep everyone safe,” the post stated.

“All riders will stay in Cambridge, Idaho tonight and tomorrow night, which is completely free of fire danger and a completely safe area. There will be an optional ride into Hells Canyon tomorrow, and tomorrow night we’ll have an update on the rest of the ride.”

On Monday evening, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported the Dry Gulch Fire had grown to approximately 15,500 acres.

So the ride goes on, but it will be rerouted and Wallowa County is left out of the loop...What a disappointment for not only the bikers to miss our wonderful scenery and hospitality, but for all of  Wallowa County and its months of preparation for this event...Wallowa County is known for its resilience, it will bounce back and somehow I'm sure will turn this around and make it a win/win situation...Years will pass and another "Cycle Oregon" will find its way back to Wallowa County...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Clouds/Sun...45º

Up early this morning to be ready for delivery of a lamb (just slaughtered) and ready to hang in our garage...Now to get it properly cooled out and aged before we cut and wrap for the freezer...A cooler day with cloudy skies will help.

Yesterday was spent with more fall cleanup and today must be spent on inside cleanup!..Those never ending jobs...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cleaning up...54º

Planting is usually more satisfing than the fall cleanup, but yesterday it felt good to rip out one of the zucchini plants, making more room for the cherry tomatoes...The pole beans growing on a fence panel was hauled out to the back fence and left for the deer to eat...I gleaned beans and zucchini, pulled the beets and all the while I'm doing this, next years garden is playing in my head, like a worn out record..."Leave more room between plants and rows, so things are less crowded."...Hard to do because our garden plot is small and I want to grow a variety of vegetables...This year I resorted to growing a turban squash in a flowerbed, it is doing well and so far the deer have left it alone...Maybe the frost will stay away and it will mature...This morning, more of the same is in store, cleaning up flowerbeds or veggie gardens, a good feeling comes from knowing that for a few months we can eat healthy, fresh foods and enjoy the abundant blooms surrounding us.

Herb is back on the watering schedule as our extremely dry summer makes it even more important to keep everything well watered until the fall rains arrive...(we hope)...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Running errands...51º

Not my favorite thing to do but since I had my newly repaired car to drive I made a list and headed out the door...Bills to pay, groceries to buy and perennial starts to deliver...Oh, and a couple of yardsales to visit...Herb was doing laundry and smoking/cooking our last lamb shoulder roast.

I found myself very aware of parking at yardsales and watching how other people parked...It seems that parking rules do not apply at YS...You may park diagonal, parallel, wrong side of the road, anything goes...The important thing is to arrive early, get as close as possible and race to the tables, laden with bargains...Yesterday I found no bargains but maybe I was distracted, thinking about possible dents in my car or it could have been that my "partner in crime" was unable to accompany me on this day...She was busy with haircuts, pedicures, last minute errands before leaving for three weeks to cruise the Mediterranean.

Back home, groceries put away and a strange car pulled into our driveway...An older couple looking for the "Homer Hayes" house on Barton Heights...This just happens to be our house now and we welcomed them in to revisit a house of her childhood, where she first visited her grandfather, John Hayes, then her uncle Homer Hayes...She in her 80's now, was very pleased to renew memories.

After that I tried to dirty most of the bowls in the kitchen making a lemon pudding cake for us and to share with Becky and John...The lamb roast came out perfect, both in presentation and flavor...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Yummy lamb roast.

Easy Day...50º

Worked outside for awhile yesterday, digging/transplanting and dumping some of the annuals from the deck...Ate an early lunch and played cards all afternoon...I even had a couple of good hands, took the bid and added to our score...It was a fun afternoon.

Arrived home just in time to go to the Gazebo for the weekly concert series and also pick up my car as the repairs were finished...Marimba band was livey, good, beautiful evening...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Days Work...50º

A days work used to mean 7/8 hours of getting wood, shoveling and digging, cleaning house or when I had a real job, it was cooking, cleaning, Etc...Now moving on in years, retired or sometimes just tired, a days work means 3 hours of drinking coffee, doing scrabble games, checking on Facebook and then maybe 2 or 3 hours of cleaning house, working in the gardens, yard saling, Etc...When noon rolls around it is time to sit on the deck and gaze at the mountains, thinking about how hard I used to work!!!A beautiful sunny day here on Barton Heights, a bit of housework this morning, card playing in the afternoon, music at the gazebo tonight...That's my work for today....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Flatbread/Softwrap...45º

Always looking for an easier sandwich bread, (homemade buns fall apart while eating, sliced homemade bread sometimes dry,) I couldn't wait to try a new flatbread recipe with novel techniques...A recipe from King Arthur Flour has you partially cooking the flour by pouring boiling water over two cups of flour, leave it to cool, add instant yeast, salt, oil, potato flakes, the rest of the flour and knead...My first batch on Saturday turned out okay and was used for mini pizzas...Wanting to improve, I made another batch on Sunday, messed up the recipe and threw out the entire batch...Not one to give up I did another batch on Monday and it was edible but a bit doughy (shared it with John and Becky,) and we had BLT's for dinner using the wrap and put the rest of the rounds in the freezer...Not sure if I will try it again.

Yesterday with the cool mornings I was still in the mood to bake...I mixed (help from the cuisinart) a large batch of pie crust, made an apple pie, using what few gravenstiens we have this year and a few galas that Herb found on the ground...Not the best pie as the galas didn't soften but didn't stop us from eating it...We have half a pie left for breakfast, the sun is shining and the out of doors is calling me...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

BLT Wrap

Bloom Where Planted...32º

I've always liked this saying and believe that yes we can bloom where ever...It might not be our choice but sometimes we just have to make the best of life and reach for the light..."Sermon for the day."

About a month ago as I searched for the first cucumber of the year, this little flower caught my eye...The bloom of a Golden Glow was destined for a life in the shadow of the fence...Not being happy with that the little stem kept reaching for the light and wiggled its way through a tiny crack in the board, there it brightened my day with its cheery little bloom...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Snow on the mountain top...34º

While the rain pounded down and the temps stayed in the 50's I had fun making soup and flat bread...Decided to skip the Juniper Jam, Pam and Nancy came for lunch and we visited the afternoon away in our toasty warm house on Barton Hgts...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Flat bread in the cast iron skillet

Cooling on a rack

All veggies from the garden

Big pot of soup.

Mini pizza, roasted tomatoes and cheese

 ready to cook.

We "Got" Rain!..40º

Yard saling was sunny, lots of bargains as Pat works at stocking a new, back east kitchen and I trying to buy only useful things...While I was away last weekend and Pat was yardsaling with visitors, her car was backed into while at the Farmers Market in Joseph...So now we both have a banged/dented car...Mine is in the shop and hers is scheduled...These days we not only find ourselves looking, acting and dressing alike but she couldn't stand it that my car was getting all the attention, so she parked right behind an suv and begged it to please, back up!..Just kidding...:)

Early morning I did some much needed house cleaning and left Herb to do the vacuming...We have a reprieve from our watering schedule today as it poured rain late afternoon and into the night...Today is more showers, not so good for the Juniper Jam, held at the fairgrounds from 1to 10pm.

For dinner yesterday we had ravioli with roasted red pepper sauce (Bobi's recipe) and salad, followed by sliced peaches and slightly warmed cinnamon rolls, fresh from the freezer...Herb built a fire in the wood stove, our house is toasty warm...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cooling Trend...32º

Late afternoon yesterday, after picking, we covered the cucumber and tomato plants with old sheets, frost in the forecast...We might get a few more pickles by doing this, time will tell.

Eye appointments had us on the road again early Thursday morning...We saw elk on Hurricane Creek Road, barley missed a deer as she litterily kicked it into high gear, running in front of us to cross the road...That was all within the first 10 miles...Arrived early for eye exams and were done and shopping before 9am...We met Sue for lunch and a visit...She is in her 2nd month of retirement and working her way through the stacks of fabric accumulated over the years.

I have photos of Wednesdays dinner with more bounty from the garden, as summer winds down...Yard saling is on the agenda for today, our valley is smoke free, fire camps have dismantled...I think we have snow on the mountain tops...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

So sweet!

A nice slender zucchini, seeds removed.

Home jarred turkey mixed with white sauce, 3 cheeses, onions,

garlic, salt/pepper to taste.

Ready for the oven.

Ready for the table.

Ready to eat, even Herb went back for seconds!

A Quick Post...46º

Up early yesterday to start roasting more tomatoes...Three pans in the oven and laundry started before Herb and I left to drop my car off at the bodyshop in Enterprise...Write People was next and Herb took care of the tomatoes between hanging out clothes and watering lawns and flowerbeds...Back home Pat and I had a catchup visit on the deck, finally winding down she returned to her cabin and I did another batch of tomatoes...Mid afternoon Herb and I sat down to one of our favorite dinners this time of year...BLT's on homemade bread, with corn on the cob, green beans, sliced cucumbers and sweet onions on the side.

Early to bed I slept almost 10 hours and now the last of the tomatoes are ready to roast...I've had my usual 2 cups of coffee, done all the scrabble games, caught up on Facebook and now must get moving...Rain showers are predicted and the daytime temps are much cooler for the next few days...Fall has arrived...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

On the Go...47º

An early 6am start on Friday had us in Central Oregon by 1pm...No the Subaru hasn't sprouted wings but it does get out and go...Looking for the least smoky route, we opted for the "middle road." I think this is my favorite way to go and the road is much improved...Our gas tank was almost full so other than a potty stop we made it all the way to Mt Vernon, OR before we had to gas up the car and fill our tummies...Herb drove the winding road, that runs along side a mountain stream...It is so peacful that I immediately feel my body relax and unwind from the tension of the raging fires close to our town and making sure everything is done before we leave the house...I can't even describe the feeling I get, other than total peace, as if the world isn't crazy and that awful things don't happen...That is a really good way to start on a road trip...I sent out a "triple text" that we were on the road.

While we waited for our breakfast in Mt. Vernon, I placed a call to Rusty to let him know that we could stop in Powell Butte for an hour or so...For many years now, he has talked about "The Fishers," Herbie and Dave and they now live in Powell Butte and we could meet them and see the new place. (This is another story for another time.) So after a very good breakfast, again we were on the road...I put in a CD, Herb tuned in his hearing aids and to the strains of "Glen Campbell" we sailed through another 2 1/2 hours...We text with the "Girls" a couple of times as they were on their way from Portland to meet us in Redmond, where Cienna's water polo jamboree was being held for the next 3 days.

We had a good visit with Herbie and Dave before arriving at the aquatic center in Redmond and the first match at 4pm...Rusty joined us (Bobi, another mother and friend Sue, Herb and I) at the Hub Motel for snacks of home made cookies, crackers and cheese, and veggies, before we watched one more match and called it a night, because we had a 7:30am match on Saturday morning...A whirlwind of activity on Saturday, as Bobi kept close track of the Polo schedule and we sandwiched in shopping at the thrift store, grabbing a bite to eat, watching for yard sale signs, toured several areas of Redmond and snagged a few bargains...We cheered our way through about 8 matches before "bleacher butt" said I've have had enough, got one more wet hug from Ci on Sunday morning and headed to Bend.

In Bend we braved the Sunday crowds at Costco for a few items before arriving at Rusty's house where we would spend the afternoon and night...Haven't been to Rusy house for a few years (he claims the last visit was pre Cienna, not quite right but close...)We had dinner, visited and were all ready for an early bedtime.

Leaving Bend before 8am, took the same route home and arrived at our valley, clear of smoke, fires a long way from being contained but after a bad day on Saturday, the winds have died down and it has cooled off, with a little rain, maybe the firefighters can work toward containment...I doubt that fire season will be over until the snow flies...That's our trip in a nutshell and again there is no place like home, a good nights sleep and we are back to life on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...Everything moves really fast at a water polo jamboree, so you have to snap photo's while everything is on the go and at a distance and between teams of half naked bodies parading by...Twelve teams of boys ( in skimpy speedo's and girls in tight form fitting (some not modest) suits as they are on deck, in the water, a quick change of ends of the pool, then another two teams are lined up to jump in...It is all very crazy, refs waving their arms, blowing whistles, noise and confusion reigns!..My head spins the entire time.

a quick selfie

Cienna waiting

Cienna (middle top) and teammates

Ci going by in a flash

Waiting for the starting whistle

No 3 ready to play

Another selfie after the wet hug.