Bourne on the 4th of July

I have fond memories of going to the July 4th Parade in Sandwich, 'back in the day'.  July 4th really isn't a big deal on the west coast, other than an excuse to drink heavily and light fireworks.  The holiday really means more on the east coast, especially in the 13 Colonies, since this was Ground Zero for the American Revolution.  

When I saw the "Bourne on the 4th of July Parade" banners across Main Street, I decided to go check it out.  We awoke that morning to pouring down rain.  My honey bunny decided to stay home and relax, so I went downtown to take some pics.  It was surprisingly crowded considering the weather.

This was what was promised:  Bourne - 10:00 am - Clowns, bands, floats, fire trucks, sirens, horses, costumes, scouts, veterans and lots of flags will be part of the Fourth of July scene once again along main Street in Buzzards Bay. The parade route will be the intersection of Academy Drive and Main Street to the Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Building.

The reality was something else, altogether ("the reality was something else").  Let's just say that Bourne didn't get the A List participants.  We didn't even get the B List participants.  Russell was smart to have stayed home and dry, while I got somewhat soaked, hoping that the parade would get better.  There were about 3 or 4 clowns, a few flags.  No marching bands at all.  Not even Bourne High School. No horses.  Maybe 4 floats. Can't recall seeing scouts or many veterans.  Mostly it was military vehicles, cop cars, fire trucks and then all the town vehicles, including the street sweeper.  There were 2 bagpipe bands.  I texted Russell that it would have been nice to see his truck in the parade because at least it would have added some colour.

I do love the old firetruck brushbreakers.

These pipers were pretty good but they didn't do my fave, "Scotland the Brave" till after they'd passed by me.

Cape League baseball team The Bourne Braves.

Jeep Club of Cape Cod.  This was when things really started to get lame.

Bourne Scenic Park is a seasonal trailer park near the Canal.

Really?

Were they paying these town guys time and half, plus fuel costs for this?

Then I thought, finally, here come the floats and stuff!

Did they really pluck the whale out of the garden at Barlow's Clam Shack for this?

At least Monument Beach had it together enough to do a float.

Best one in the parade.  I got 2 strands of beads!

Aleppo Shriner's Fire Brigade.

A few local businesses participated.

Farmers.

Because nothing says 'Bourne' like a mariachi band.

And that was just about it.  45 minutes long.  Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but to be honest:  Lamest. Parade. Ever. 

Happy 4th of July!!!

Have a safe and sane July 4th everyone!!!  No plans here because I can't leave the pups alone with all the fireworks.  While not as bad as Washington, last year people used enough firepower to sufficiently frighten Pepper the entire night, and now I've got 2 of them.  There is a parade in Buzzards Bay this morning that might be worth checking out if it's not too hot, or in the alternative, raining too hard.  We'll probably grill some food and just relax and enjoy being together, if he's not on the road which hopefully he won't be.

Help yourself to a delicious & patriotic berry treat!

And a belated Happy Canada Day to my friends north of the border!

Wheee!!! Another Award!!

I was just presented with another award!! Thank you Kathy over at The Giggling Trucker's Wife, whose blog is very entertaining and interesting, and has been helpful to me now that I am a trucker's "wife" too.  Now I have to share 5 fabulous moments in my life, 5 things I love, 5 things I hate and pass the award onto 5 more bloggers.

5 Fabulous Moments in My Life

1.  Russell finding me on Facebook.  The grin-face added to the wall post shows just how delighted I was that he remembered me.  I know this is hard to see but making it bigger cut it off. 

2.  Meeting Bob Weir & Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead in 1990.

3.  My AWESOME trip to Vancouver Island in 2007 (all trips were great but 07 was da bomb).

4.  Getting Sagan back.

5.  Getting to live on the west coast.

5 Things I Love

1.  The Canal/Coast.

2.  Craft supplies.

3.  Dogs.

4.  Rain.

5.  The Interwebs.

5 Things I Hate


1.  Weird food, esp. Indian & Thai (curry = BARF).
2.  Sun/heat/humidity.
3.  Traffic.
4.  Conflict/fighting.
5.  When my camera sensor needs to be cleaned.

5 Bloggers


1.  Cathy at Life on the Muskoka River.
2.  Ady at Crafty Ady.
3.  Mina at Some Dark Romantic.
4.  Dina at Dina Thanki.
5.  C.L. at The Curvy Lady.

7/2/11: Albany, NY to Cape Cod, MA

I was sooooo sad knowing this was the last day of our trip.  We left Albany fairly early, because it was the Saturday of July 4th weekend and we knew traffic going on the Cape was going to be insane.

I shed some tears seeing this.  I always said hell would freeze over if I ever moved back.  It was, however, a very hot and humid day.  lol

Stuck in traffic for quite some time.

Got off in BBay to grab the key for our house.

I was so happy with this place when we pulled in the driveway.  It is the perfect little home for us!

While my sweet Bear was off moving the bed out of storage to the house and setting up the a/c units, I drove over the Sagamore Bridge to stay with my mom that first night back.  It was more than a surreal experience, having my personal car with Washington license plates in her yard for the first time ever.  My car was a bit of a novelty around here till I got it registered.  Not too many PNW area vehicles make it to Massachusetts.

Day 7:  approximately 214 miles.  An amazing honeymoon-like journey that I will never forget, and a great way to kick off our lives together.

Most memorable moments:  Crying when we entered MA, getting stuck in massive traffic edging towards the Cape, stopping in BBay to see the house and being unable to find the key that got washed under the deck, unloading the car, trying to jump start his pick up truck at the Park N Ride Lot in Sagamore to no avail and having to arrange for a tow and temporary vehicle, pulling into mom's yard and bringing Pepper into her house.

Epilogue:  July 7, 2011, when the POD with all my earthly belongings is delivered.  I had officially arrived.

I could never have done this without Russell's unwavering love and support, or without the support of my friends & family.  He made it real easy to break away from my life on the west coast, and though I miss the PNW, it's great to be back.  I want to thank the realtor who assisted us with the rental home from long distance, and a thank you is in order to our landlords who are awesome. Finally, thank you to everyone for believing in me and pulling me through so that I could become the person I am today.  I couldn't have done it without all of you!!!! 

7/1/11: Westlake OH to Albany, NY

Went down to the beach on Lake Erie, near our hotel in Westlake.  My squeeze had never seen a Great Lake before.  

Looking east toward Cleveland.

Cleveland.

Not much to take pics of this part of the country.  It's all farmland.  Went through a sliver of Pennsylvania.

And this is when I really started to get sad that our trip was nearly over.  The bulk of the country was behind me.  I was on east coast time now.  

First sign for Massachusetts.

Day 6:  approximately 511 miles

Most memorable moments:  Checking out Lake Erie, 'Oh crap we have to walk back up all those stairs?', going through Cleveland, really running out of things to take pictures of except the grape vines in Northern NY, staying our last night at an Extended Stay hotel just like when we started in Washington, delicious pizza delivery to the hotel, no ice machine in the hotel.