Parading

Oh, the delays, the procrastinations, and the putting-offs!

Do you know how many blog posts I've written in my head over the past weeks?

Since my last post about going up Alander, I have walked, hiked, trespassed, sat in front of a waterfall, eaten more wild berries, made granola, taken more pictures of flowers, and taught three poetry classes.

I also got to experience a Great Barrington parade in honor of the town's 250th anniversary! And what a parade it was.

My pictures don't quite capture the full spirit of the event―how it felt to walk slowly down Main Street, floats and tractors and clubs of all shapes and sizes, and run into people I know (as much a part of parading as the parade itself). A year ago, it wouldn't have been so. Stopping here to talk to Joan. Stopping there to sit on a stoop with Sarah and watch the gymnasts front-walkover by. I got my first real sunburn of the season. Had a cold drink.

Good old-fashioned summer fun. (And all out right outside my door.)

Boys with rhythm:



Women with rhythm, and really pretty dresses:



A big man in a tiny car.(Who are the Shriners, anyway? And why do they drive around in miniature autos?)



A cool video of a cool-ass bike. Some kind of antique bike club...

s.

The most rockin' float of the parade by our local samba enclave:



And, of course, you can't have a parade w/out Smoky:



So that was Great Barrington on July 10.

To come: More pictures of flowers. Because I can't stop.