Happy Fourth of July!

... one day late ...

Thursday night we watched fireworks in a parking lot with several dozen people ... and flag boy (at least that’s what we ended up nicknaming him). Every once in awhile we saw a him racing through the aisles holding a waving flag high above him. Very cool. Lots of fun to see the kids get so excited by the fireworks as well.

Friday morning, we returned some videos and picked up new ones, including more Dead Zone, The Day the Earth Stood Still and First Men in the Moon based on a book by H.G. Wells (with special effects by Ray Harryhausen).

Mel and Joe started their wait for the new baby around noon time. Shannon and Bob were married on July 4, too.

The annual Cookout on the Common was pretty good with $1.50-$2.00 for hotdogs and $1 for drinks (including humungous bottles of water). The runners in the Firecracker 5K were amazing to watch; I can’t believe they ran in the 90 degree heat! We found out about Norwood Day on September 15 (sounds like it’ll be fun -- including Juliet the Cow), and the parade was awesome! Norwood residents lined the streets along along the route, with families in tow. (In fact Norwood’s annual Independence Day parade is the largest one around, or so they say, and just about the whole town comes out to watch the procession.) As in previous years the Cycling Murrays (of Cambridge & VT) and the Ancient Mariners of CT (aka the pirates) were in the parade. The parade itself lasted at least two hours and had both local and international acts. Besides the procession of police, fireman, military and veterans, there was a steel band and marching bands, complete with color guard, from Ontario, Canada (including a Phillipine heritage group). The Colonial pipers and bagpipers were cool, along with the historical recreation people and the Minuteman. The Krazy Clown band was funny, and we loved the costumes of Norwood’s Folclorico group (Portuguese folklore dancers), but we still haven’t seen them dance! We’ll have to position ourselves better next year. Oh! and Rex Trailer made a return appearance -- always a treat because of the way he rides along the route, in costume and on horseback.

As it was last year the parade took place not only on the main street in town but above it as well. In between the marchers planes flew overhead. First, one of those skywriting planes made several passes. Later came the two fighter planes, passing low above us, side by side. Michele really liked them (she said they were Harrier jets), and I really wished I’d had my camcorder with me. *ahem*

We were too tired to listen to the concert in the bandstand when it was over and headed home instead. All in all a good day. We intended to end it with the Pops (on TV), but Dark Shadows was requested, so that DVD was played instead.