The Parade

Ah, the Brooklin parade celebrated it's 101st year, and I think only 3 of those years it hasn't rained.  Yesterday was no different, except for the odd tornado that had appeared to have touched down the night before, and the temperature that had been a balmy 30 degrees at the beginning of the week had now dropped to a bone chilling, teeth chattering, almost but not quite snowing level of cold.  Luckily my sister was prepared, the coffee was hot,   the champagne chilled and the bagels fresh.  My brother-in-law had gamely climbed to the top of a ladder to affix large tarps across the deck to keep the impending monsoon at bay. My husband ever helpful, had aided in this exercise by trying to knock my brother-in-law off the ladder by poking him with the handle of a broomstick.  I think it is pretty obvious to all concerned that when my children do stupid things, they get that trait from their father.

My son and youngest daughter have always loved the parade, ever since they realised that people throw candies (sweets) at them, and yes I do mean "at them" and not "to them", there is a difference. This year was no different and after they had gorged themselves on a multitude of donuts, they washed it down with the sugary crap launched at them from the floats.  My daughter and two of her friends also attended, however they distanced themselves from the little kids, huddled together to keep warm. Most people who walked alongside the floats come over and handed things to the bunch of cute little children (only one was mine), and bypassed the teens, all that is except the teenage boys who bulldozed through the little kids and made a beeline for the older girls. 

My favourites in the parade are the bagpipe bands, yes really ! Yesterday there were two. Usually they stop playing by the time they reach my sister's house but this year we were in luck and both bands continued playing as they marched by. I am also partial to the baton twirlers, the somewhat bedraggled baton twirlers yesterday. In this case I have to admit to a bit of a mean steak, I watch in fascination because there is always at least one twirler that gets conked on the head with a wayward baton. Tres amusement !  We also have the Shriners in their little mini cars - perfect targets for my son with his super soaker, he wasn't going to let the cooler weather prevail. One old geezer was boogieing along trying to get the audience to join in. My husband was in full swing before he realised the old guy's attention wasn't directed at the adults but instead to the girls in front of us, who predictably reacted with equal parts horror and embarrassment.

The theme this year was "Barnyard Mardi Gras", so lots of animals in the parade; horses, donkeys, llamas and even a camel. Each float with an animal was followed by some poor sap with a bin and a shovel. What did a person have to do to get stuck with that job ?  Does someone actually volunteer for that ? Or does the float committee pick on some hapless participant that nobody likes ?  There must always be some know-it-all that pisses everyone else off  (in my house that would be me), so they get assigned to poop patrol. That is the reason you won't catch me taking part in a parade.


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