I love a parade

We attended the local parade on Independence Day, well most of us. I let the oldest two be party poopers, but happily my husband came along when I was mentally prepared to go without him and almost left him for spite when we sat in the car for ten minutes waiting for him to come... but I digress.

I do love parades, probably because I marched in a few when I was in high school, even though they were somewhat tortuous, they were also fun; and because of that feeling of nostalgia, I took way too many pictures.

I took this one, because I wish it was my family vehicle, at least for getting to church and back.

Fire engines, increasing in size and modernity:

This truck had a band playing in back.

This is how Dexter looked during most of the parade.

These two were happy!

This float sounded delicious.

Cable cars are awesome.

The kids loved the Trader Joe's float, especially the super huge Joe's O's, a staple in our house.

Random red mohawk wig guy with a dog:

This was the first high school band we saw sitting in the flatbed of a big rig.  We thought they were a very lazy marching band.  Sorry you can't hear the music.

Awesomely decorated bicycle riders:

I think these were the first horses we saw.

Cool three-wheel three-person bike, the person in the middle doesn't get to peddle.

Couldn't decide whether to take a picture of the Coast Guard boat until it was almost too late.

Another lazy marching band, they even have music stands! Whatever happened to memorizing music for parades?

Amazing balloon octopus:

People really cheered whenever any military went past:

Float of the tomb of the unknowns:

Here are lots of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts on bikes:

Not a great picture of a kid on stilts:

Unicorn man pulling a rickshaw:

What are these silly kids looking at?

This awesome helicopter, of course! It circled around a few times. 

Cool 'do on this horse's mane:

My favorite were the horses that can dance to the music of the salsa band they were following.

(I didn't get a picture of them, but people also cheered for the manure scoopers that were following the horses.)

This is the biggest wagon I've ever seen. It looks like no one is steering it.

Another lazy marching band with music stands: (However they did play well.)

I love the Taiko drums!

My favorite kind of car that I'll never own: 

The most awesome grocery shopping cart I've ever seen:

Cute little car:

There were a bunch of these old-fashioned bike riders together. It was hard to get a picture of them.

That's my brother with his baby and dogs in the back of that truck! His wife and three-year-old were hoofing it on the other side where we couldn't see them.

The end.

This is the only picture I got of my hubby and Geneva.

They were there, too!

'Course I didn't get a picture of myself. That's o.k. I was in an earlier post this year.

I'm so thankful to live in this country at this time and profoundly grateful to all those who have worked and served and given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.