Independence Day*

 Hope all y'all had a great Independence Day celebration.  I took Sarah Hoyt up on her challenge this morning over my pre-church coffee.  I read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety.  I've read parts of it before and probably read the entire document in school at some point, but this time, in this day, it seemed to ring home a bit more than before.  

I urge you to do the same.

But, that got the day started, then there was church.  The closing hymn was "God Bless America".  I do like that song.  I was blinking quite quickly at the end. Then, because Mrs J and I were riding with DIL to church, she got to decide on brunch.  Went to a nice little place and had a Brisket Breakfast Burrito that kept getting bigger the more of it I ate.  At that point, we went home changed clothes and drove back to town.

Why?  Beans, I thought you'd never ask.

The powers that be in the City and County, I think, recognized that the public was pretty much fed up with WuFlu and its effects on life in a free country.  Meetings of the two entities have been getting more commentary lately delivered in a more clearly understandable demeanor.  If you know what I mean. So, they went ahead and scheduled the first parade down Main St since the hoopla started in October 2019. Normally, there are 3 per year.  Independence Day, County Fair day and a night parade, which is generally the first Friday in December to start the Christmas celebration. They've cancelled 4 of them.  This will be the first in ~15 months.

Since it's after 6 on Sunday and I'm normally finished with my usual Monday post long before now, the post is going to be a bit more audio visual than verbal.

We arrived about noon for the 1 o'clock start (the powers that be took attendance at Sunday Church into account), parked a couple of blocks away as all the parking on Main Street had been taken.  Fortunately this isn't our first rodeo parade and we had positioned my truck in our usual parade watching area the night before. Arrived, dropped the tailgate, set up the umbrella and camp chairs and waited for the festivities to begin.  

DIL and Mrs J hamming it up a bit.  Mrs J and I picked matching Tees for the occasion.

I noticed one of my former colleagues nearby, so went and said hello and chatted a bit.  Came back and saw that the spot next to us had opened up.  About this time, I noticed a guy driving down the street slowly.  Pointed at the spot and waved him in.

He parked got out of the car and introduced himself.  Said he and his fiancé were on vacation and now driving home.  I asked where home was, he said "Right now, San Francisco." 

Beans, I was polite.

I asked him about "Right Now?"

He said he was the last remaining Conservative in the city and was traveling to look at places to move to.

I laughed and we got on great.  They'd been down Bean's way and up to Tennessee and now in Texas.  

About then, the parade started.

With a flyover of course.

Since the parade started at the other end of town, it took a while to get to our position.  Yes, Beans, it was hot and humid and Mr Polka Dot is consuming a cool adult recreational beverage.  This is a German Town, it's permitted. 

The first parade vehicle (behind the pilot car schussing people out of the way) was festooned as it should be on this day.

A docent from the National Museum of the Pacific War was driving

Then came Uncle Sam (of course)

Then another vehicle from the Museum loaded with Veterans.

Finally realized that if I turned my phone sideways...

The requisite would-be beauty queens were well represented.

As were some vehicles from when Sarge and OldNFO started driving.

Sarge

OldNFO's Stanley Steamer

All in all, the parade shut down US 87 and US290 for about an hour.  And this young lady waved the flag for the entire time. My kind of America.

 T-Storms this evening will probably not allow us to watch fireworks.  MBD recorded the following of her in-law's back porch on the third.

*No Beans, not the movie, although we did watch it on the 3rd.