Aftermath

Sometimes after the show is over it's fun to watch the people disperse and head back to their lives. We did just that with Papa sitting on the stoop.

I'll take that

Unannounced and unvited this slithering puppet took a sneak lick of my lollipop. The more I see these puppets, the less I trust them.

Pet or Carpet?

What kind of an ugly creature was this? It looked like a mix between a pug and a rug.

Pecked

Darius was not impressed by this surprise feathery attack and managed to hide behind Daddy who got the brunt of the beak.

On your marks,

Sets get, Go! Soren got the head start but Papa is right on his heels. Darius had a turtle start but may just sneak by in the end.

Come get me!

Any of you - puppet, man, child, animal! I can take you.

Interlude

Before the actual puppets got going, Papa was using little Darius as his very own puppet. Trouble is he had very little control of his movements.

Street Story

There was some crazy lady on main street telling stories. I guess during the puppet festival that was allowed and accepted. Any other day and the reception might not have been so warm.

Parade Prep

We got our front row seats for the upcoming puppet parade. While Soren is looking on in anticipation, Darius is a little bit upset that we forgot the chairs.

Keeping it real

The 2nd annual trip to the Almonte Puppet festival brought a surprise encounter with a local celebrity. Clearly Darius thought the puppet was the celeb!

I'm outta here

Cousin Abigail decides that if that young girl wants to teeter totter with my cousin Darius she can do so without me around.

Wow, a real machine!

After all those years in Cuba, imagine my fascination with construction machines. They just didn't exist in Cuba.

Kid's Paradise

Tucked away in the swallows of Kanata Lakes is a very hip and cool kid's water park. Not in the mode of La Grande Splash, but nonetheless has some attractive features. It's not all about the water though as evidenced by this teetering totter.

Struttin'

How could you not after being named the youngest child ever to jump the bridge at Ferguson Lake?

Triumph

The after effects seem to have taken a toll on the mini kamikaze, but the look of pride on the face of his manager is enough to seal the feat and make it worthwhile. The crowd was still breathless in wonderment.

Emerged

The crowd's helpless anticipation was quelled with the quiet emergence of the mini-maestro as he emerged from submergence to a deafening roar of approval. And heart-stopping relief for his mother.

What the???

In a flash of disbelief, the crowd suddenly grasps the idea that this little Herc is serious and he's jumping in regardless of the cautious crowd. There's no turning back now.

Mental Preparation

Surely that little boy is only looking down at his big brother, gasps the crowd. He is not mentally prepared for such a monumental feat.

Approaching the platform edge

The crowd is murmuring in curious bewilderment. That little Hercules is not old enough to be out on the platform. He's not seriously planning to jump from the bridge is he?

Testing the Waters

I didn't jump in, but I had to go in first to make sure the water was okay for Darius.

The Bridge

So this is what the cool kids do up at the lake. To become really cool, you have to jump off the bridge. What do I say? I'm so cool with my puffy suit that I don't need to jump off the bridge.

Stress free livin'

It's not so bad up in the country. This Canada that we've heard so much about is a pretty nice place.

Jemma's Gem

Just in case you thought Soren lost his charm in Cuba, you're wrong. It seems the latin life has rubbed off on him. He seems to have got Jemma on his good side.

Canadian rules

Well Daddy, we're back in Canada. The first thing that means is that there are rules and secondly that people follow rules. So let's put on the life jacket just in case.

Canadian Summer

Well, that's it. The Cuban experiment is over. But, before we move on to Santo Domingo, let's enjoy the Canadian summer, starting with a dip in the lake at Calabogie.

No pictures please

Excuse me. Can I get some soap and shampoo over here? I'm trying to break out into hives. That water was not pretty!

Mission accomplished

Now we can move on to our next posting.

Who's the man?

He may be a wet, and dirty and smelly man, but for a very short period of time, he was the man.

Sharks beware

There's a Canadian jumping into the ocean in Havana. He's doing the most local thing you can do - the Malecon jump!

Wave to the crowd

Now he appears to be acknowledging the crowd. But why? Well, it seems a crowd of Canadians have gathered to see if Daddy is really going to do what he says.

The Locals

It seems that Daddy is trying to make some friends. What's he up to talking to these Cubans who appear to be looking down at the water.

Malecon Jump

This was a fitting way to conclude our 3 years in Cuba. Daddy, (yes that guy with no shirt or shoes) was walking along the Malecon (the sea wall of Havana). But what was he up to?

Moving Forward

The rest of us spent the time thinking forward to the new opportunities in lands of plenty. Would toblerone ever be as appreciated as our time in Cuba where it was available?

End of a Revolution

On the eve of our last night in Cuba, we had a raid the freezer and fridge party with some of our closest friends. And a few final moments to reflect on the successes and failures of a revolution, Cuban style.

We're moving!

Finally! And it was worth wait, even if just for a little breeze.

Ho hum!

Still not yet leaving. Hey ducks! Good to see you again.

Bittersweet

Have to pass the time somehow. Eating Cuban cherries is as good as anything. It's like being on a cool train that doesn't move - Bittersweet!

No TGV

I heard train travel was supposed to be fast and efficient. Maybe only in Europe. This train has been sitting in this heat for 30 minutes.

Train travel

Did you know that Cuba was the first place in the Americas that had trains?

And amazingly, they painted them blue and pink.

Bats!!!

Okay, I will you show the bats. Time to get outta here!

Caving

On our last trip to Varadero, we finally took time out from the beach to visit the caves. Pretty scary and I'm not showing you the bats.

Customary taste test

This has become our tradition for birthday cakes. Sticking the finger in to make sure it's good enough to eat. This one is justified though as we made the cake with Daddy. It looks like a Daddy cake. Good substance with no fancy icing.

Wish time

Do you wish we were staying in the worker's paradise?

Mommy's Bday

You may have forgotten, but not us. Mommy's birthday in Cuba is always on a day with 40 degrees celsius. How old Mommy? only 4?

Happy Birthday to ...

You have to guess. Our blog is so far behind, I bet you can't guess whose birthday we are celebrating.

Invalids

While it was Mommy who sprained her ankle after trying to clean up Soren's thrown up lunch after he was car sick, it was the 2 monkeys who felt it necessary to try out the wheelchair. Not a lot of sympathy there.

Jammin

One of the last occasions to jam on our piano. I had the rasta twins over for one last regaton session. One of the things we may not miss about Cuba. The regaton!