I blew it!

    I remembered to take the camera to the family party, but totally forgot to take it out of my bag and use it!! Wasted opportunity. But wait, it gets better!


    I completely forgot to take it to the parade too. I walked, and about halfway there, I remembered the camera. I wasn't about to turn around and walk all the way back to the house just to get the camera. Especially since I had to stop to catch my breath about three times on the way there.


    The good news is that the parade was good this year! All the usual stuff in it, and even something new! This year we had a woman on stilts marching too. She was very good, obviously had a lot of experience. She walked like it was natural. She even did some dance steps, and leaned way over to high five some of the little kids.


    The better news is that the parade was shorter this year too! I was home by 11:30! I just wish I had remembered to bring the camera!

My Frankenstorm Report

    Well, it seems that the worst of this hurricane has passed us. We were actually very very lucky. We only lost power very briefly, and just the once. Although Hubs tells me that his alarm clock was flashing again at 4 a.m., so that means it must have gone out again.


    It seems we have no horrendous damage. The creek in the back yard, that flooded so high with Irene, is hardly running hard. No flooding at all. It could be because we didn't have so much rain with this storm, as we did with Irene. This storm was mostly very high winds. I have seen photos of the riverfront in Poughkeepsie, where there was some flooding.


    None of our trees, or the trees in the wooded lot next door, are damaged. I consider that a blessing. I had left my deflated (and water puddled) pool mattress float in the yard; it didn't even blow away! However, Hubs had a hunting blind set up between the wooded lot and the pool fence, and it's nowhere to be found.  He set it up to air it out before he used it, and didn't take it down. It was staked to the ground with six stakes, he thought it would be safe enough. It seems he was wrong.


    Now I'm wondering if the supermarket is open, we need a couple of things. Maybe I'll go take a ride and see what damage there is around town. I am totally amazed that we still have power! We are usually the first ones to lose it.


    From the Weather Channel maps, it looks like the worst of it is over for us, the storm is south of us, and has moved further inland. I hope all my friends and blog readers in its path stay safe.


   

The Parade, Then and Now.

     Back when my daughter was in high school, she was in the marching band. So of course, she got to be in the parades. I remember driving down Rte 9, and the ungodly hour of 7:30 or 8:00, and even at that hour, people had chairs out already, marking their territory of where they were going to sit.


   It is still like that now! I no longer have to drop anyone off at the drive-in for the parade line up, but my two friends who do have remarked to me that this is still the case. And Jan even said, "Only in Hyde Park could people put their chairs out without fear of them being taken!" I agree, Jan!


   My poor daughter in the marching band had to wear this god-awful heavy wool uniform, even in July, and those stupid looking tall wool hats too. She would arrive home after the parade, practically fainting from heat stroke. She was furious that shortly after she graduated, the powers that be changed the marching band uniform to black pants and a white T shirt! I remember that she wanted nothing better than to burn that awful heavy uniform!


    This years parade was pretty good. I took a few photos, we were sitting on the east side of Rte 9, here are our views looking south, then north.

     Of course, the parade hadn't started yet. Even after it starts, we are near the end of it, so it takes forever for it to get this far!

    This nice family were also at the Memorial Day parade, when they were the hit of the street! They brought a duck, on a leash, with them. Everyone wanted to go say Hi to the duck!

     And of course, they can't have a parade without old military vehicles. Here is an old Jeep.

   
    And here is my fantasy boyfriend. I do like a man with a shed over his tools.  I don't want me no skinny men with bones sticking out. They hurt.

      And lastly, the highlight of the parade for me, a purple tractor! Gotta have a purple tractor, it sure is different!

 
                                   HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYBODY!