Parade: Highs & Low

Let's get the crap out of the way first thing: these four teenage girls. Yes, these girls standing in the street, where normally only small children looking for candy stand. I took this picture from where I was standing, which was the side of the street. You know, where adults stand during a parade. Kevin, my dad, Harry, and I arrived about 20 minutes before the parade was due to start and found a nice spot where Harry would be able to see. I had my back to the street before the parade so I could talk to my dad, and when I turned around a few minutes later, these four girls had made camp directly in front of me. Once the parade started, they all jumped up, moved several yards into the street, and actually collected the candy, stickers, etc. that were intended for children. I was not the only parent to be a little irritated by this, but my favorite comment had to be this: "What, you didn't get enough candy at Halloween?"

Onto more fun. . .

The Rudolph balloon, which Harry hardly even noticed. I can't decide if the deflated ear happened at a previous parade and our parade rented a "discount" balloon or if this is something that occurred earlier on the parade route. There were an awful lot of telephone lines and street lights. . .

And Kevin, Dad, and Harry. Doesn't Dad look a little bit like a weird stranger poking his head into my photo? Harry did a great job, other than refusing to sit in his stroller. His favorites were probably the dogs from the ASPCA and, of course, the fire truck. My highlight of the day is when Kevin asked a police officer how to best avoid the parade when driving home, and she said, "You know, I really have no idea."