Canadian Summer Memories

Birthday Parties, Family Reunions, Folks Festivals, Sculpture Gardens and Rainbows

A Fairy Princess, Halloween 2009

Fairy Princess at Winnipeg Folk Fest

Project Orion - Rocketman

Swimming on Father's Day

Evan gets used to the water. Can you tell I'm a bit cold!

Maya models poolside with new orange waterwings!

Now I'm getting the hang of this!

But can I get out now, I am freezing my little tushie off!

Hey, don't I look like a little angel with these water wings!!!

Yes I was enjoying myself but do the paparrazzi need to be snapping while I'm completely in the buff!

A moment of quiet contemplation while the sun sets deckside!

Happy Mothers Day

Feliz Diaz de las Madres y Happy Mothers Day from the Princess of Pensacola, Maya Sophia, baby Evan Alexander and father Ray to our mama, Melissa, baba Sylvia in Canada and Abuelita Elizabeth in Miami! Have a great wonderful day and make sure everyone else cooks you dinner - at least for today!

Magical Mysteries of Mardi Gras on the Gulf

Pensacola's Mardi Gras festivities and traditions capture myths and archetypes kept alive through four centures on the Gulf of Mexico's Shores. The Cajuns say for this period each year 'laisser les bon temps roulee' - Mardi Gras Kings and Voodoo Queens, suped out harleys, Dolphin floats, mystic societies and magic hatters,

Traces of Greek and Roman Gods and Mississippi Delta bluesmen, vestal virgins with white winged horses. Is the pirate and conquistador legacy still very alive on the Gulf Coast? Gladiators, mystic symbols and conquering armies. Magic beads, gypsies, jazz musicians - fertility rituals anticipating Spring's approach on the Gulf of Mexico.

King and Queen of Spain Visit Pensacola

Melissa dressed Evan Alexander and Maya Sophia in Royal Blue to welcome the King and Queen of Spain to Pensacola.

The King and Queen of Spain were coming to visit on February 19th. It was the city's 450th anniversary since its original Spanish Settlement.

It was a beautiful sunny February day in Seville Square, Downtown Pensacola with the Princess and Evan and Melissa waiting and dressed to see the King and Queen.

The Spanish setttled Pensacola 450 years ago, Pensacola being the first European settlement in the continental US. Early exploration was carried out by Ponce de Leon (1513), Panfilo de Narvaez (1528) and Hernando de Soto (1539). Pensacola is named the city of five flags as five governments few flags over its history (Spain, France, Great Britain, The Confederacy and finally the United States)

The Spanish king gave a speech from the balcony of the Wentworth museum onto historic Seville Square with his greek wife Queen Sophia at his side. By 1559 in Pensacola over 1400 people had settled here arriving from Vera Cruz Mexico and led by Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano.

The Spanish King Juan Carlos was accompanied by Florida's governor, Charley Christ and US Senator Mel Martinez.



Princess of Pensacola, prepare to meet the Spanish King and Queen. Make sure you do your part as part of your heritage originally stems from la patria!

Secret Garden in Mobile

As if by magic we stumbled on a secret garden in Mobile before the Mardi Gras parade.

I stood silent in front of a fountain, sunlight, the fountain, the trees, strange shade.

My brother lay asleep next to my mother. I stood next to her.

My father's friend had come to visit and had also found a place with us.

A magic day, magic park on Mardi Gras in Mobile, a secret garden.

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Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum

Don't worry Maya, daddy hasn't joined the USO yet!



Incredible how it all begins Maya simply with a model for a plane called Kittyhawk and two enthusiastic Ohio brothers!

Still smiling and almost holding two children! Who is that pretty mamma next to that aircraft carrier.

With that expression, you'd think our friend Dave is going to give Maya a final kiss, climb into the cockpit and fly that big grey baby behind him out of there!

Another side to the power and the glory, Maya.

Daddy and Maya enjoy a quick handshake before helping the navy Fokker navigate yellow lines.

They really do pack a lot of air power into this place, Maya!

Dave Runs the Pensacola Marathon

Daddy's friend Dave came all the way from Toronto to run the Pensacola Marathon!

We all got up very early in the morning to drive Dave to the waterfront. I took my new rainjacket and umbrella to model before the race.

Go, Davee, Go!!!! Daddy and Mommy and Evan and I all cheered Dave on!

The runners ran all the way around Pensacola (twice!) starting near the water!

Four hours later we cheered Dave at the finish line! Go, Dave Go. You are almost there!!!

We all went to the finish line to cheer Dave on!

The sweeet taste of victory with Daddy, Maya and Dave drinking champagne in the winners circle!

That's me at the bottom right! Hmmm, maybe next year I'll run the marathon! I can't believe Evan slept through the whole thing!

Pan, the Gulf, the Moon and Melissa

The magic moon of the Gulf's barrier islands with Melissa, Maya Sophia and Ray exploring the Emerald coast at dusk with mythic image allusians to previous Pagan elements:

Maenads, a Spanish conquistador's map, the Dionysian Greek God Pan, a red harvest moon, gulf tidal waves, butterfly satyr, historical Spanish Pensacola engraving, ancient Greek mosaic, dreaming baby, Maya with dress blown by Hesperus, gulf coast moons.

Evan and Maya Take the Stage - Envelope, Please!

For the past two and a half years, Maya has been our Pensacola Nouvelle Vague Princess. Posing, singing dancing, laughing, crying, melting down and up and just being well - Maya in all her sparkling glory! Well, make room Maya! Act two now begins with the newest Uzwyshyn addition, and entrance of the strong silent up-and-coming star, Evan Alexander, now featured in his first blog role, the return of the king!

Differences in personality are clearly evident even from three months!

Evan in his Rocky Balboa two boxing mittens with matching pacifier pose. Does Maya's glance foreshadow a realization of impending displacement?

Evan shot with ocean blue eyes, matching pjs and socks against his bedroom pillows !

I wish to thank the producer and from the bottom of my heart, mama for bringing those first, second and third bottles of milk! Thank you and thank you again, mama - I really couldn't have done it without you!

Dreams Let the Magic Gulf Coast Ride

Well, the last five years of our lives have been a real adventure - to say the least!!! At first, I thought I'd pull together our picture highlights and make some kind of sense here but after a few attempts I'm simply letting the magic ride with a Gulf Coast Stones cover and a few places we'd like to visit next.

The cast and usual suspects here so far:

Ray, Maya, Evan, Melissa, Pensacola Beach, New York, Miami, Melissa's Sexy Kimono Dress, Technology Conference Travel, Innovation, Plaza De Luna, Adventures with the Grandparents, Mayan Riviera explorations, Tulum, New York, The Met, Libraries, Art Galleries, Pensacola beach Architecture, Maya on the Sand, St. Augustine, Haitian Veves, Disneyworld at Night, Fishing with the Thrownet, Art Attempts, Miami/ Honduras Latin American Connections, A beach and pier with sleeping baby, sexy wives, proud grandmothers!

Maya Chronicles – The Guantanamera Years (Redux)

Yo soy un hombre sincero,
de donde crecen las palmas,
y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma,
Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera
Maya, Guajira Guantanamera!

The people have spoken - so there's now a full version of the previous 30 second trailers for “The Maya Chronicles – The Guantanamera Years”!

Three years on the Gulf - the Canadians, the Latinos, Miami Honduran connections, the Ukrainos, the new Americans - Maya and Evan - and a lingering Cuban melody played for the benefit of my old Miami compadres!

Yes, the waters are also blue here. I still haven't mastered how to fish with the thrownet yet – letting Melissa watches the babies onshore. I keep bringing home those books to read - Hemingway now for Melissa – the Old man and the Sea - now it’s the Maya and I on Emerald Coasts.

Guantanamera, Maya!

The Candy Man

Gulf Coast Delta Blues with Pensacola's very own Blind Willie Johnson on harmonica with the Seville Square Blues Explosion – As May West would say, “I just couldn’t help it!

Historically, the Deep South Mississipi Delta guitar picking Gulf Coast Blues originate around here with Maya, Rimbaud, Richard Feynmann, and my latin American honey Melissa and her aunty Miraat Fort Walton Beach thrown in for good measure.

Shout out to the fire engine Red Flyer 4 wheeler and Melissa for being a good sport and putting on the Golden Little Bo Peep Outfit for our New Orleans Mississippi Delta Riverboat Queen Foray.

Gulf of Mexico Dreaming

Friday, I'm in Love - Mayan Reggae Gulf of Mexico Version

Coming Soon To Theatres Near You

Trailer #1: The Maya Chronicles: The Gulf of Mexico Years: Part I

Trailer #2: The Maya Chronicles - Remix with Daddy and Bumblebee Costume

Special thanks goes out to to Maya Sophia Uzwyshyn and Tijuana Flats for his Guantanamera Cover!

Day of the Condor

For the new year, we took Maya and baby Evan to the zoo to visit with the zoo animals. Among the many animals was an Andean Condor of whom we got a picture next to Melissa (below). That bird has been on my mind lately.

Melissa later recalled a Peruvian Inca song, “el Condor Pasa” whose melody is well known in English. We found several examples of this haunting melody with images and video of this stoic, majestic and somewhat mysterious bird.



Andean condors are one of the largest flying birds. Adults can weigh over 30 pounds, stand over four feet tall and possess wingspans of up to 12 feet. The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and plays an important role in the folklores and mythologies of many of South and Central American indigenous cultures.




The condor is also a vulture and member of the raptor family. It is speculated by crypto-zoologists as the mythological “Thunderbird”. The vulture family feeds exclusively on carrion and performs the function in nature of monitoring and disposing of potential sources of disease.



Various Indian cultures saw the vulture as a purification sign. The Greeks considered this bird symbolic of transformation. As old decayed flesh is removed, new life emerges. Condors are vital for the well being of other life forms. Their trust in the creative force to provide for them is unshakeable. In various Latin American indigenous cultures, the vulture is symbolic of death and rebirth, a mother symbol which also represents purification.



Condors ride chaotic winds and easily master the Andes wild mountainous gusts. King vultures were also popular in the Mayan codices and are regularly drawn and mentioned just as frequently as the eagle would be in North America. Mayan astronomical calendars also make mention of a meeting period of the the North's Eagle with the South's majestic and mysterious Andean Condor.

Playing at the Park With Baba and Didi

Don't push so hard, baba! I'm supposed to be enjoying this!

One rung at at time Maya, one hand forward and then one rung at a time!

Baba goes up the slide with Maya on a beautiful sunny day at the park!

Baba safely catches Maya on the way down!

No driving until your at least 16 Maya and definitely no keys to daddy's car! We can already see the type of driver you'll be!

First put your feet into the yellow rocking horse stirrups, smile and quit checking out that other two year old boy!

Plaza De Luna, January 2009

Marital bliss regained or couple with sleeping baby!

This definitely beats cruising in those boats!

Four perspectives on three pigeons.

Prairie sailors and babies! Those floating docks look solid but what happens during those hurricanes again?

This has been the Spanish district for the past five hundred years, you have a Latino wife and you dont' even know the meaning of Calle Hermosa!

At least someone's taking advantage of the sunny weather. Who was supposed to be watching Evan again?

Can I drive those boats daddy! Plaza De Luna yacht launch.

Shallow pool high diving possibility or Ray and Maya and the giant fountain sprayer.






We are all sunburnt and tired so this Thai buffet better be good!