A LOT of photos from Saturday (June 9)

The parade on Saturday ALWAYS starts with a kid's parade. Most of them are on decorated bikes. 

 This year, Carrie put out a tub of water for the dogs. We were open for a bit on Saturday so people could use the bathroom, go online, and get out of the heat for a bit. Our tongue in cheek motto is 'We are a full service library." (She and her staff also have some great dead body stories to share!)

 Pipes and Drums from the High School. A full generational band. Grandpa Pyle is on the far side there and his grandson is piping next to him.

 Steve drove the Mercury in the parade this year. He hopes to get the Toyota Land Cruiser running for next year. The Class of '56 from Athena is on the float behind the car. Larry C. thought it would be fun for the class to follow a 56 Mercury. I was so proud to see Dad's car finally in a parade! I'm sure he was looking down with a grin.

 I thought this was entirely clever. No way you'd lose any of your family in a crowd while they are wearing tie dyed matching shirts! Caledonian Days had a lower than usual turnout this year. If you look at the website, it suggests about 2000 people descend upon the town. Maybe 10 years ago, but it has dwindled over time. We estimated there may have been (including participants) about 400 people for about 40 minutes on Main Street Saturday. Many more were out doing yard sales!

 Part of the Pendleton Round Up court.

 VBS float!!!!!!!! Athena Christian Church is hosting the fun this week from 9-12. Mrs. Coppock is driving her beautiful International.

 Jon and Joe closing up the parade!

 In front of Athena's fire engine was a 'dog' from Helix's fire department.

 I had to take this photo. Jonathan's come a long way from white knuckling my Ford Escort through Portland.

On the way back from the park, Steve found a genuine horseshoe buried in the dirt of an alley. Good Luck? 

 We didn't have the Mercury in the car show on Saturday. Instead, we did projects around the house. The pond has needed cleaned for months.We have had this pond since Jon was in HS. It has changed over time from a pond with a  stream to only a pond. It gets full of berries and leaves and is often a mess, but it has never gotten scummy. This year, about April, the scum and oily water showed up. I decided it needed dealt with and it was MESSY!! I'm pretty sure the plant we pulled out was part of the problem. If it had been something other than an invasive pond weed, the plant probably would have died. It was root bound in the pot. A root bound plant cannot filter anything, nor can they absorb water. Pretty interesting what root bind can do to a plant and to the surrounding ecosystem (if it is a water plant). The bb's I dredged out with a magnet (thank you to my imaginative friend who came up with this idea!!!) probably didn't help, either! (Jon was shooting wasps over the pond....)

 Later, Steve showed off his punkins. He has SEVERAL and they are getting huge! He's opting to go for monster pumpkins this year. I hope we get time to carve them!

 One of the things I hope gets done this summer is the kitchen window. It tends to leak when the wind pushes the rain against it. Steve decided he was going to take this Saturday to look at it. He's so not impressed. Why on earth someone would put new cement siding on a house and not wrap it first, we'll never understand. The blown in insulation is in piles inside the walls (Steve is getting dirt out in this shot) and the house is COLD.  We also are not sure why the window frames were put on before the siding. There probably is a reason. It is going to make it easier to fix things, though. We won't have to take off siding. Hoping he won't have to remove the window! (there are also pics of this on FB in the house improving album)

 At the end of the day, I made watermelon/7-Up slushies. They were a perfect end to a busy day!

Moving on to the next adventures. Kristen is headed north next Saturday and Steve and Jon will be busy in Athena. Before then, however, Steve has a birthday!!!!!!