the "Ups" are winning.......

The day began at a "Barn Dance."

Two amazing teachers and 50 AMAZING kids worked very hard to pull off a well rehearsed play written by one of the teachers at Garden Creek School today. I attended the first show of the morning surrounded by a bunch of other "Creeker" families.......moms and dads and grampies and grammies........ and the other Creeker kids from the classes.

4 City Folk end up stranded "in the country" without any of their relied upon amenities.....cellphones don't work, no internet, laptops etc. They are blown away by their surroundings. The country folk welcome them with open arms and teach them big life lessons just by being kind and accepting.

Celebratory fun spread throughout the gym.......the kids were so into it. I loved their enthusiasm throughout and then the looks on their faces at the end when they took their bows like pros....... such a sense of accomplishment. I just wanted to hang out there all day. In my next life, I will have my own school and fill it with teachers like these two who see their life work as a true calling. It shows in spades........!!

The Barn Dance Band........ their were riggin' and jiggin' and loving it.

Later in the morning, I hit the road for a meeting in Saint John. One should never get cocky about one's sense of direction. And if one does, one should acknowledge the lesson relearned and stop along the way to take pics. I ended up so twisted around in Saint John that I somehow ended up at the Yacht Club. Since I was so late at this point..........I pulled over to take in the scenery......

Great name for a boat?

This was the end of the road......it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you've taken a wrong turn when the road simply ends........

Saint John is a made up of 4 sections all around different harbours and bodies of water. I think I managed to land myself in 3 of them!! I saw the infamous Reversing Falls 3 times today (as impressive as Magnetic Hill, I'm afraid) MAN! The stink from the pulp and paper mill nearby just about choked me. I stopped three times to ask for directions and not one person was able to tell me the names of streets in their descriptions........as much as they wanted to help.......

"Go past the Sobeys and then turn right by the green house........then follow the road up past the rifle range......I think it's on the right........then..........ahhhhhh...........you'll see a Superstore where the road jigs to the right........go past the Subway and the road's just after that." THREE versions of these directions..........and I finally made it to the meeting. I almost gave up, but was determined......I had a mission!!!!

I was so late it was funny. Fortunately, I wasn't the only dough brain trying to make it there.....others got lost too. Great meeting..........lots of talk of planning a conference........and getting to know one another on the committee. And, I met two beautiful women with spark and energy who live and work in Fredericton...... I have a feeling our paths will now cross more often. I have a feeling that this conference may be a whole lot of FUN!!!

On the way out of town...................I took this shot while sitting in traffic. Not bad for a windshield shot. One day, I will head down to Saint John to take lots of pics. The place is full of character and stories and charm.................and it's a little rough around the edges just like a port city should be.

Today..........was full of "Ups" and a few frustrations in the middle. Along the way.......the music was always excellent.