7/4/08 Franklin County Dairy Club

This was my favorite entrant in the whole parade. I've been to many "community" parades and seen the local celebrities participate in the parade. I've seen the creative things community members can do when they get together for an event like a parade. But I've never seen anyone walking their cow in a parade, much less, their cow dressed up like a pirate! Not all members of the Franklin County Dairy Club stayed with the pirate theme, but check out the eye patches, the pirate hats, and my favorite: the swashbuckling pirate sash . . . usually with cow and human wearing matching sashes. Oh, and lest we be exclusive, this dairy club also has goats in addition to cows. And one of the goats is dressed in overalls!

7/4/08 I know these people!

The New Sharon Yankees is a Little League team coached by my friend Beth (the one waving at me). Her son is on the team (he's the one with the water gun pointed right at me).

These bicyclists are a brother and sister team that go to my church! I actually substituted in one of their Sunday School classes one Sunday.

7/4/08 More Pirates

This float was from a medical group here in town and won first place (from what I read in the paper). It's definitely got the pirate theme going.

More pirate-wanna-be's. I'm not sure if this was another Vacation Bible School group or not.

Who knew a dune buggy could double as a pirate ship?

7/4/08 Variety of Entrants

We have the local DAR chapter celebrating their 100th anniversary, a Girl Scout troop, a vacation Bible school group, a drag race car, a pair of bagpipers (grandfather and grandson), and a tractor. How's that for variety?

7/4/08 Animals on Parade

Hmmmm, they're not pirates and they didn't seem to be affiliated with any float, but here they are, two animals in the parade.

And this is the Animal Shelter's float with that pirate theme. If you look real closely at the back of the float, you can see a man dressed as a pirate seated next to a bulldog dressed as a pirate. The bulldog sooo looked the part!

I'm not sure who these people were or why they were driving their truck in the parade, but their little dog was enjoying the ride in the passenger's seat!

7/4/08 Old Crow Indian Band

Perhaps it's politically incorrect now to call this group Old Crow Indian Band, but it's been around so long now and has such an interesting heritage, that I hope they don't change it. They're actually quite good and during the summers they play on Monday nights at "Meeting House Park" which is the park with the gazebo near my new apartment. I've actually been sitting on my verandah two Mondays in a row and heard them from there. This Monday, I hope to actually remember ahead of time and go to the concert up close!

7/4/08 The Parade!!

The police car leads the way! The parade has started! For reasons that no one could explain to me, the theme for this year's parade was pirates. Do pirates have anything to do with 4th of July? I don't think so, but in this parade, there were plenty of pirates.

The parade is sponsored by the local Rotary Club.

7/4/08 Independence Day Parade Anticipation

Happy Independence Day!! Happy 4th of July!

Farmington has a big parade today at 10:00am. I'm going to meet MRM at her favorite viewing location where she meets Kate and her kids every year. It's on the south end of campus near the end of the parade route, but there's a short stone wall that makes a great seat (don't have to bring your own chair) and it's in the shade. It's right near my office, so I know it's 8/10 of a mile. I figure it will take the same 20 minutes to walk to it that it takes to walk to my office, but alas, I am wrong. It takes much longer because there is so much foot traffic slowing down the sidewalks and so many obstacles blocking the sidewalks. It was a blast trying to get there.

This is in front of Pierce House, a retirement home on Main Street. They have a tent set up with chairs in it (it went up yesterday) that I thought was for the clients to have a good view of the parade. But in fact, it's for the annual strawberry shortcake sale by the local church. Proceeds this year are going towards the stained glass refurbishment project. I bet that is made with fresh local strawberries! (I intended to come back and have some but didn't make it.)

This couple brought their pets to watch the parade. That's a dog and a guinea pig! Look closely at the cage and you'll see the pet rodent in there.

I walked behind many strollers on my journey to the viewing location but this was my first triplet stroller. There are enough seats and sunshades in that thing for 3 babies to be seated comfortably!

7/2/08 something's up in the field . . . or down?

Hmmmmm, I came home today and noticed that something was different over in the far edge of the field across the highway.

7/1/08 Crestholm Ice Cream in Oxford, ME AND a petting zoo

My dad is the world's greatest ice cream-aholic. You may think it's your dad or maybe you even think it's you, but I'm telling you, it's my dad. In his honor, I'm already planning next year's Ice Cream Tour of Maine. I figure there's no better way to see Maine than to go to as many ice cream shoppes (usually only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day) as I possibly can. I'm going to gather the names of suggested places from students during the school year and then map 'em all out (maybe I'll make a Googlemap) and then GO! But it can't hurt to do some trial runs this year. According to Rodney, this is THE BEST ice cream in the state. It's in Oxford, ME. I must admit, the ice cream was quite delicious. He had the Maine staple: Grape Nut ice cream, I got Maine Tracks which is vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and a fudge swirl. Yummmmy.

Next to the farm stand (they also sold fresh vegetables and fruit in season and plants) was a petting zoo. Free entertainment while eating delicious ice cream is a tough combination to beat.

I love this sign:

It says: About spitting: Well behaved llamas will not spit at well-behaved humans. Spittting is rude, no matter who does it. Llamas only spit as a last means of communication with their herdmates. By the way, llamas rarely, if ever, bite or kick. Spitting usually of saliva or some food, indicates a) their place at feeding time, b) their displeasure with another llama's behavior, or c) their pregnancy status (Yes I am, mister, so bug off). No llama was ever harmed by spit -- just offended. Please DO NOT spit at, or harass, the llamas. Spitting is rude. unless you are another llama with a specific 'message', your attempt to get these two ladies to spit is useless, rude, and potentially harmful. Spitting spreads germs into their living space. Pleas respect their health, home, and dignity. Well-behaved llamas will not spit at well-behaved humans.

7/1/08 Smiling Moose

The day started in Paris Hill, the first County Seat of Oxford County, so how appropriate to have dinner in South Paris, the current County Seat. Rodney had been to this fun restaurant before. Good food, good drinks, and free wi-fi . . . you can't beat it!

I ordered a local beer from a local brewery. Those blueberries bounced up and down in that beer like raisins dancing in club soda. And they added great flavor to the beverage as well!

7/1/08 Photographer at Work

Rodney may have been without his iPhone camera, but he was not without camera all together. It was fun as well as fascinating to watch him at work.

7/1/08 Sunday River . . . the river

Patti who sings in the choir with me is a geologist. I've got to ask her to explain to me how so many different rocks can all be in the same river bed. I was fascinated. These pictures don't do them justice.