parade on the 4th

We moved to Burleson in 1986, and the kids were probably about 7 and 13.  One of the draws was the small town atmosphere.  The population then may have been in the 12,000-15,000 range, and the "old town" section was where they held parades.  Within a couple of years we had met up with the Carvers, good friends who had horses.  We had a couple ourselves, and there were several years that Robert and Reggie rode in the parade along with Sam, Janet, Debra, and Kristie. A few more years went by, and Reggie and Robert were involved in the Briaroaks Volunteer Fire Department.  They still rode in the parade, but by then it was on the fire truck. 

I had hoped at this point to insert pictures from those early years, but couldn't get my scanner to work.  Sigh.

Things haven't changed a whole lot over the years.  In the parade today, there were still the bands, emergency vehicles, politicians, military vehicles, and horses.  The population has grown quite a bit, maybe 40,000?  But the parade still travels through "old town", and while there's not as much candy thrown from the participants to the kids on the curb, Rhett and Ashlynn still managed to snag some.

Here are a few pics from today. 

Briaroaks Fire Trucks









Some of the old military vehicles

This truck has no particular meaning to me other than I've always liked the style.  If I had mechanical skills and abilities, I'd love to have an old truck like this one.  I wouldn't even mind if it was orange!

I always like to see the kids who have decorated their bikes or wagons and walk in the parade.  I told Angela that I think it would be fun for Rhett and Ashlynn next year to give it a try. 

The kids had a good time, and a front row seat on the curb.

And of course a parade isn't complete without the horses.  They were the last ones to come through, but always fun to see.

A nice way to observe Independence Day. 

(Next post I hope to get a picture of my latest quilt project.  Stay tuned!)