Don't rain on my parade!

After the parade, the Royal Court doesn't look very happy do they? They want someone to help them take off those hot clothes. It was hot, and the humidity was about 99%... Later they all got casual in shorts and the King was very hungry!





Since I moved back to Floresville I have been going to the Peanut Festival Parade here. When I was little I loved the parade every October. I even wrote a story about that is in my book, Rainy Days and Starry Nights. But since I have grown up and gotten "old", I don't like parades much. But I love the marching band music and also people watching. So I go when I am in town.
This morning I signed up to work for the Historical Society to give tours in the Jail House Museum which is next to the courthouse downtown. I had to be there at 9:00. The parade started at 10:00. The downtown area was swarming with people. Some had been there before the sun came up, to get a good spot. They staked out their places with chairs and little canopies or tents.
There was a sense of excitement in the air.
I talked to a man sitting in his chair with an umbrella. He was very comfortable. His son was on the Floresville Tigers football squad, and their float had not come yet. All I remember was his name was Erickson. Wilson County has many trail riders' associations and there were lots of children riding horses. What fun for them. I remembered when my granddaughter Stephanie was in elementary school and she rode in the Lovelady Parade on a horse. She was sooo excited. Now she is 29 years old!!
The last picture is of Ralph Gerhardt who likes playing sheriff and giving tours at the jail, talking to a friend who was holding his granddaughter.
I saw our good friends, Eric and Karen Travieso and their kiddos (he is Pastor Jeanette and Pastor Benny's son who is the Chaplain for Nurses in Touch.) And I saw several other friends. But I didn't get a funnel cake! A tradition of mine. Next year maybe.
Julie, who does not like parades at all, never did, informed me last night she was going to the parade this morning! I asked why in the world would she want to go now! She said, because she loved being with Rocha family (her caregiver and children). So I told Rocia this morning, I hoped she knew what she was in for. She nodded yes.
Well, the parade started at 10 and I didn't see them anywhere. I had told them where to park and where do find me (Julie was going to be in her wheelchair). I told Rocia to get there early, because even an hour before the parader, I had to park a block away, and pay $5 in the American Legion Halls parking lot.
But everyone know what it is to get Julie to hurry. I found out later they arrived 20 minutes late for the parade, had to park 3 blocks away in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church, and then got there too late to get a good place, they couldn't see, they were on a back row, somewhere, and then Julie fell asleep during the parade! And they left the parade for home, after staying only 45 minutes, they missed half of the parade. When I got home about 12Pm, Julie was asleep, taking a nap. I had to say, "I told you!"

But I had fun talking to people and taking pictures of people parade watching and of interesting people going by. It is so fun to people watch. That is my parade.
And it didn't rain on my parade. There was a dark cloud when it was all over, and a few minutes ago, it came a hard rain shower. Supposed to get showers all today.

I don't want to spoil the rest of the day for the Peanut festival events and the carnival and the food booths, but I wouldn't care if it rained all afternoon, because I love rainy days and starry nights.