Yesterday I went over to the Community Center early (7 AM) to help set up for our parade. Already it was a scene of complete chaos! The folks in charge had already pulled a couple of all-nighters and were relying on a constant stream of coffee and donuts to keep moving. Bless their wired and stressed-out hearts.

This gentleman belonged to our town’s most prestigious citizen. She was there for the flag raising as I suppose she is every year.

While a group of elderly vets struggled to raise the flag, I watched a girl in a tree next to the flag pole.

“Look at me person!” she said. And then she disappeared. Or did she?

Can you see her? She’s almost as high as the top of the flag post (upper right).

If I zoom in you can see her now. Wood Nymph! That’s what she was. Once up there, she would not come down. Unlike the flag. The vets got it up once, poised for photos and then wandered off in search of the pancake breakfast provided by the Cub Scouts. Next thing we knew, it crashed to the ground. Luckily the Search and Rescue team had a booth nearby.

Here are some other snaps of the actual parade.

A group called The “Funeral Band,” I think. It was hard to hear the announcements over the din of the crowd. Plus, the announcer himself must have been 200 years old.

Also part of the Funeral Band.

This young lady knew how to dress for the occasion.

As does she!

Hopefully this was not the Funeral Band!

“Okay. I’ll pose. But only because this is so boring.”

Poor old Lady Liberty teetering on stilts. Bless her heart. Bless all our hearts.