Rio Grande Valley Music Festival

This just seems like a good day to get another posting out.  It is windy and overcast, and a bit chilly.  Thank goodness, however, that down here in the valley we can always count on the weather turning around for the better in another day or so!  John and I have certainly taken on a different life style in the past months since we have arrived here.  There are many social activities in the valley available for Winter Texans.  I joined a swimming aerobics class here in the park, and both John and I have joined a biking club.  I have mentioned before that we joined the Texas Chorus.  We had rehearsals and performances to attend for that in the past month.  We had our last concert, with the Winter Texas Orchestra, last evening here in the park.  I am sorry that it has come to an end.  Speaking of making music, we attended the Rio Grande Valley Music Festival yesterday.  Our sister-in-law Mary Jo has been attending many rehearsals for that.  Her Dulcimer Group had a couple of performances for the festival.  In that group there are about 22 mountain and hammer dulcimer players.  Their concert was very well done with some good toe-tapping music!    In the picture below Mary Jo can be seen on seen on the stage, she is the woman on the right with a bright pink blouse.

It was a two day festival and there was a small admission charge.  All the performers donated their time for the performances.  Money raised from the festival was given to local school groups for their music programs.

Pictured above are a couple of dancers from the Folkloric dance troupe, from Edinberg, Texas.  They receive grants from the festival to pay for their costumes and other expenses.  There were also other dance groups performing at the festival.  I was surprised to see a Mexican May Pole dance, as I thought that custom was totally European.

 One final sad note here.  Our cat KC passed on Wednesday.  He had not been eating as per his usual, and also sleeping a lot.  His back legs were giving out on him.  Strangely enough, with those weak legs of his, he had been recently attempting to slip out the door when we had it open.  He had not shown any interest toward doing that in a long time!  Also, on the last day of his life he walked toward the door again, as if he wanted to get out.  He probably wanted to die in some place other than his home.  Just before he died he dragged his body to his litter box, and I wondered why he did that, as weak as he was during his last hours.  His dying gasps were in the litter box, strangely enough.  John found a spot in the park's storage lot to bury him.  We thought of taking his ashes back with us to Missouri where KC was born, but here in the valley he will have many sunny days.  He always liked to take his naps where the sun would be shining the brightest in our home.  It will take a long time for me to get use to not having our wonderful cat around!