"The day I left Tuba City, on the 2nd of September, was a most memorable one indeed.  I left early, around 07:10.  I was especially excited because my good Hopi friend from the OR, Dahlia Tallsalt, RN, had invited me to a Hopi dance.  I felt so privileged just to be asked.  Now Folks, I couldn't exactly use my new GPS to find my way there, now could I?  I stopped at what looked liked a deserted trading post out on the Hopi reservation.  I got out of my little Tracker to look around.  I noticed an Indian man peering out at me from inside.  I explained to him that I was trying to find the Hopi dance, that my friend had invited me.  He looked at me and asked, "Who's your friend?"  I said "Del Tallsalt."  He broke out in a big grin and said, "She's my sister."  Needless to say I was greatly relieved because I didn't have a clue how to get where I was supposed to be.  He hopped in his truck and escorted me there."

"I arrived at the homestead of the Matriarch of the family, Mrs. Frederick.  Del came out and hugged me, smiling all the while.  Her mother greeted me warmly, an elderly, spry lady of 87 years, speaking in Hopi as well as some English.  I was invited to have breakfast with them.  There were many family members, an uncle, siblings, as well as some nephews.  It was such an honor to share a meal with them.  We had coffee, fresh melon, homemade yeast  bread, that Mrs. Frederick made herself, and real hominy with pork.  The reason I say real is that it was prepared and cooked fresh.  The only hominy I had ever had was out of a can.  No wonder I didn't like it.  Breakfast was wonderful and the company was even better.  Before breakfast, Del's brother took me into the family room where the TV was.  He showed me a beautiful painted picture of Del when she was only ten years old.  She was in full Indian dress for a dance.  It was a breathtaking picture.  I just couldn't help but stare at it.  I also was amused because her brother was eating a bowl of Fruit Loops.  What has our western civilization introduced into their culture?!!  Terrible junk food, huh?"

"After breakfast we heard the drums down in the village.  It was time for the first dance of the day.  I was so excited.  Del and I walked through the neighborhood.  I knew not to take my camera.  I was going to have to rely on my memory.  In the village was what appeared to be a town square area, all surrounded by housing and buildings.  There were many lawn chairs with lots of Indians all watching intently at the beautiful dance.  Del sat next to me for a short period of time, explaining things to me as well as answering my many questions.  All along the rooftops were many Hopis with their cameras and video recorders.  I wasn't as privileged, but that was ok.  I was privileged in another way, just to have been invited.  At the first dance there were eight Hopi Indians, four male, four female.  Each girl was dancing behind the one boy she had picked for the dance.  Del explained that it was kind of like ball room dancing.  He leads, she follows.  She mimicked what he did.  They were dancing to the chants of the men in the village along with the drums.  It was so spectacular.  I couldn't take my eyes off them.  The colors were brilliant, their dress, everything about them was just unbelievable.  Del left to go back to her mother's home for a while.  Her daughter would be dancing in the afternoon."

"I waited an hour for the second dance to begin.  From behind the village area the drums and chants began again.  I prayed that GOD would so ingrain in my memory all that I was about to see and hear.  I knew I had to remember every detail as much as possible to be able to journal.  Ordinarily I journal within 24 hours, but that was impossible with my completely dead laptop.  Now it's been a month since the dance." 

"This time there were twelve dancers, six boys, six girls.  I really am not sure of their ages.  The boys all had long black hair but with it cut really short across part of the forehead.  They had feathers in their hair.  Their bodies were painted with pale shades of red, green and yellow.  They had on what looked like short white skirts with wide red strips of color hanging down around the skirt.  They carried and shook rattles in their hands.  There were bands of jingle type bells around their knees.  They were barefoot.  The girls were beautiful.  They had large headdresses with anywhere from eight to twelve feathers sticking out around their heads, like the rays from a sun.  There were bright colors of turquoise, red and yellow on their dresses.  At the small of their backs was a colorful replica of the sun.  They carried a feather in one hand and a rattle in the other.  They, too, were barefoot.  The dance was full of passion and life.  Then something interesting happened.  Family members of the boys brought out baskets and tubs of gifts.  Things like dry goods, towels, blankets, house wares, food, homemade pies, etc.  The gifts were placed behind and in front of the girls.  Then the girls' families picked up the gifts and brought them to the areas where their families were.  Some were also taken into the housing.  Next the same thing happened again except this time the gifts were from the girls' families.  Those items were placed in and around the boy dancers.  And of course, the boys' families brought the gifts into the family areas and into some of the housing."

"Each dance lasted about thirty minutes.  After the dance, all of the participants plus the village drummers and chanters went back up into the area behind the village.  I'm not sure how many dances took place that day.  I had to go, it was time to head to Albuquerque.  I walked back to Del's family home.  It was hard parting with her.  She was my most favorite person at Tuba Regional.  She's such a good RN, caring so much for the Hopi and Navajo patients.  I learned a lot from her.  We hugged goodbye.  As I walked toward my Tracker, I turned around to see her one last time.  We held our hands up in the air toward each other.  With tears in my eyes I said, "Del, you know we'll never see each other again."  Pointing toward heaven she replied, "We will someday up there."  I cried all the way out of her village." 

"You know, GOD has been so very good to me.  I'm so blessed to be able to travel with my work.  HE has placed so many wonderful people in my path.  Who am I to deserve such great blessings?"