I just love my small town. There’s no place like Richmond VT on a beautiful  .. (if not cold and rainy) 4th of july.. We got up ‘early’ in time to make the 10:30 parade.. We dumped the car at Gary and Jean’s then strolled up and down  Main street. Absolutely the whole town was there. Tons of families , new babies (most vermonters calf in late winter or spring), kids everywhere.. THere are folks we saw today that we only see once a year.. and that in a town of just 4000 folks.

The parade began with the mile run. Freinds macx and lincoln were out cheering for neighbor Joe..

It was great having max in town for the forth. He was sportign a Jonesville T-shirt.. (Jonesville is our 300 person ‘suburb’ of Richmond)

The parade was wonderful as ever.. the grand marshal was our neighbor Brittany K.. Miss Tenn vermont.. Our local celebrity.

My mom caught this shot of 3 generation of cohns.

Wouldn’t be the 4th without bagpipes..

… and firetrucks

The floats were simple.. but spirited this year.. I

think the theme was ‘history’.. but they looked the same as last

year…  ..

We sat next to our friends John and Lorraine.. I havne’t talked to the much recently. John helped me fix the weathervane on our house in 2000. He likes talkign to my dad about their navy experiences.

These reninactment guys kept firing their rifles.. pretty cool

Here’s neighbor Louie and his tractor..

Lots of horse

and dogs

Soem old town fueds are acted out year after year… here are the sloans attacking the bressors with water guns.. while they are getting pelted with water baloons.. Richmond is a dangerous place

They’re already advirtising for the New Years celibration

Here’s the boat that worked as our ferry across the winooski as the bride was gettign reparied. .. It got a standing ovation !

No tractor was too small..

or too big….

Here are the local sports stars

We had pigmy ponies (straight out of frank zappa)

and dragons…

and lazy horses…

Hannah was there with her Sam pin (what beautiful smiles they both have.. )

Here’s hannah and her sister (remember that movie ?)  Two beautiful smiles.

And the fez guys… wouldn’t be the 4th without them..

There was a little bit of politics… from both sides…

and some social activism …

And fritz on his homemade electric motorcycle…

Every parade has to end with the ‘Wild Boomers’ They have been in this parade for nearly 30 years.. .. They play these weird broomstick instruments.. with drums, horns. cymbols.. Someday I wonder if I’ll be a wild boomer..

THen our grand anti marshal.. Marshal P.. taking the caboose of the parade as always..

After the parade the rain started in earnest.. we huddled under the trees waiting for it to let up… Finally it did.. As soon as it let up, we headed over to the green. I ran into Jay in his Sam shirt.. The 4th was one of Sam’s favorite holidays.. I’ve been thinking of him all day…

The green was hopping.. maybe a bit subdued because of the weather.. there was the dunking booth ..

and the dog agility show..

The richmond band played american fav’s

But the rain finally drove us home..   We’d invited folks over.. and by 2:30 we had a housefull. Here’s RJ tossing a pizza for Diane.

Max and his buds went down the Huntington on inner tubes.. It was even wilder than yesterday when I did it.    He came back and serenaded us. He’s a monster guitar player now..

I think the defining moment for the day was when diane decided to fight the chill by lighting a fire in the wood stove to make smores.. I love vt summers.. at least if it doesn’t get any warmer than this.. .

OK.. we’re heading back to the green later to see the fireworks.. A quintescential vt mid summer day.. I love it..

OK.. folks.. more later.. bye for now.. love you sam.. I’ll think of you during the fireworks
-me