Pledge to the flag.

A celebration in Salta.

Salta City, Argentina

June 20th, 2026

The Flag Day parade.

Dear Reader,

In my rush to leave La Arcadia for Salta on Wednesday I accidentally picked up my husband’s computer. When I realized this the next morning, I tried every password I thought he might have used.

None of them worked.

And because my husband had embarked on a trip to the mountains to round up cattle with our foreman in Gualfin, he had no phone service. He wouldn’t be back for 48 hours. When he finally got back to the ranch house on Friday night he told me the password, and I logged in.

So here I am.

He also recounted his terrible puna - altitude sickness - which left him mostly incapable in participating in the activities of the round up. The place he went to is at an elevation of about 10,000 feet.

“I was so out of breath that I had to lie down.”, he said. “The guys were really sweet. They brought me herbs and garlic which are supposed to help with the puna. But I was in a bad way.”.

This morning I walked with Ramona down to the main police headquarters of Salta to see a desfile - parade - in which our housekeeper’s daughter, a young police woman, would be participating. Today is Flag Day, and the event was called Juramento a nuestra Bandera - Pledge to our Flag.

We got there right at 11am and found a spot to stand in the doorway of a motorcycle shop. There was a step we could use to get a better view. There were lots of people, the families and friends of the police officers.

The ceremony started. Musicians dressed in gaucho attire played a rousing opening number. The hundreds of police men and women sang along. Then a priest said a prayer, and a speech was made. Parading and marching took place.

After about 45 minutes, the ceremony concluded and I went to find our housekeeper and her husband who’d driven all the way from La Arcadia for the event.

I found them and greeted them. Their daughter came up to join us, and we took photos.

I wished them a happy visit and walked off with Ramona.

Tonight I’ve got a show at a small restaurant with a stage at the back. The repertoire consists of American standards like Our Love Is Here To Stay by the Gershwins, Cole Porter’s I Love Paris, French classics such as Edith Piaf’s Hymne A L’amour and Michel Legrand’s Chanson De Delphine, and of course the bolero Besame Mucho.

More to come.

Abrazos,

Mariah

Me and Jamila, following the desfilé.