I am not a parade kind of guy.

I don’t really get the fun in waving to some Girl Scout troops I don’t know or watching some people ride comfortably in a classic car while I stand in the heat next to some crabby kid who just accidentally let go of his helium balloon.
 
Yet, we agreed to attend a Memorial Day parade yesterday and the thought of standing outside in 95 degree heat (not an exaggeration) with two young children sounded sweaty and exhausting at best. Couldn’t we just watch one on TV in air conditioning? I’ve been told “it’s not the same” so we gave it a go. You know what? It was a good time, with a great vibe and admittedly, it tugged a bit on the old heart strings:

The parade was in Bucks County, PA, specifically in:  

There were plenty of vehicles carrying our brave and heroic men and women:

Some animals were thrown in for shits (literally) and giggles:

Some dudes dressed up in old time garb and fired off shots that terrified every child under the age of 10 (and all of the parents would like to thank them for that):

A little not so subtle marketing:

Some serious weaponry (I had the kids in close touch while this dude walked by):

There was an overwhelming feeling of patriotism and just good old fashioned fun even though we all baked like mad in the sun (yes they were all covered in sun screen):

But honestly, the best part of the day may have been the walk to and from the parade. We parked a distance from the parade route and walked along the towpath of the Delaware River canal:

We had never been on this part of the canal and it was beautiful and loaded with wildlife:

We saw a few snakes in the water, a beaver busy at work on a dam and plenty of ducks, which the kids absolutely loved:

Unlike the towpath in our parts up in NJ, there were a bunch of homes right on the canal that were phenomenal:

It seemed like one big party could be had just hanging around the canal and maybe one day we’ll make our way there.

I also spotted some awesome entrances to some of the properties:

The funniest part of the walk was our interaction with all of the geese. They were the most brazen geese I’ve ever seen and were overly aggressive. While the kids panicked as the geese hissed at us, I found it hilarious as they chased after us even after we had passed by with no intention of ever messing with them:

Even the young guys and gals were ready to mix it up and I’ll share that video with you in the near future:

All in all, a great Memorial Day and one not to be forgotten.

Now back to the grind.

John