Eastport’s Sweltering 4th of July Parade, 2013

Another American Independence Day has come and gone, and that means I was down in Eastport, wandering around with my family, seeing the spattering of attractions, the kids wasting money on inflatable rides.  This year wasn’t as exciting as the last few years, and it was hot.  Not only was it in the 90’s, but the streets were all freshly paved, so it was an oven.

Now, the parade was also kind of lacking this year, but I’ll do my now traditional recap.  Here’s how it went:

We kicked things off this year with a long line of municipal and State vehicles—fire trucks, police cars, ambulances.

“Oh, gimme gimme gimme!”  Nothing says American Independence like plastic garlands made in China.

The honor guard comes marching along.

 Returning from the dark dungeons of Augusta are State Representative Joyce Maker and State Senator, Dave Burns; just to the right of Big Bird.

It’s Chris Gardner’s 1952 Chevy Styleline Deluxe, driven by the man, himself.  And who’s that in the passenger seat?  It’s former State Senator Kevin Raye!

 The first wave of bagpipers come along, from Oromocto, New Brunswick.

 

Then the “Wreaths Across America” folks come along.  They do a good thing, supplying free wreaths to veterans.

The coast guard boat came, but it wasn’t sporting the machinegun this year.  A shame.

And the little ford rambled right along...

"The Boss."

The Shriners' lobster boats chugged on by.

And behind them we had the second band of bagpipers.  Blow them bags, boys!

I’m not sure who this guy is, but he was walking along behind the bagpipers as if he were somebody important.

The Quoddy Bay Lobster float.

A steady flow of kid beauty queens came along, as always.

Barbara’s International School of Dance had a float, and a few dancers behind it, but they didn’t have nearly the showing of past years.

Shead High School—Eastport’s premiere institution of teen education.

These Canadian Air Cadets made an appearance, yet there were no Mounties to be seen.  Strange.  Maybe they couldn’t get past the border guards this year.  Seriously, I think it’s harder coming across our northern border these days than it is coming across from Mexico...

The Shriner trucks zigzagged their way down the line.

“Oh, my God!  Get it off, get it off!”

Saint Mary’s Band was playing “God Bless America” as they rolled on by.

The Colonel’s back in town.

More beauty pageant girls were paraded out for all the lecherous old men to gawk at.  Oh, am I cynical or what?

Oh, isn’t that clever.  The “knot” OK Corral.  Where’s Knotty (Naughty) Wyatt Earp?

A John Deere Dragster. You don’t see one of those every day.

Shriner Minibikes.  They were really zipping along.

It’s Bozzuto’s big rig!  It’s a parade beast, but would it kill them to paste a flag on the side of it, or even some nice bunting?

It’s the Inkas Wasi guy.  He plays some neat Paruvian pipe music, and has a bunch of CD’s you can buy.  From Baroque to modern Rock songs, he does pipe versions of it all!

Shead High School’s class of 1963.  Those were the days...

It’s the Robbinston Grange float.  I joined the Grange not so long ago, and I could have been on the float, but then who’d give you all a recap of the parade?  Besides, nobody called to remind me, or let me know what was going on.

The Shriners came along in their little old cars.  It’s Fez country!

Atlantic Clarion Steel Band clanging away, as usual.  You can count on them to show up for the 4th in Eastport!

More Shriners, screaming right along.

The First is my bank, and they did a clever “First Ladies” float.

Olson Auto advertising the Roaring 20’s Ball at the Eastport Arts Center.  That could be interesting, considering the book I’m currently writing takes place in the 1920s.  Who am I kidding?  I never go to anything...

The National Guard brought out a few vehicles.  Would it have killed them to mount a .50 cal on the flatbed?

“I hear you’re taking volunteers.”

Moose Island Trolley Tours, right on schedule.

Eastport+Gilligan’s Island.  Not sure I can see the parallels.

Cornerstone Baptist Church float.

When September rolls around, we’ll have the annual Pirate Festival.  I’ve never gone, but heard nothing but good things.

“Dude, I’m, like, the coolest pirate ever.”

Lusty pirate wenches!

And that brings us to the end of the parade.  There were a lot of things missing this year, one being that we didn’t have a Navy ship in port.  There was some kind of scheduling snafu, where work was being performed on the breakwater, and they couldn’t have things shipshape in-port on time.  So, we didn’t have the long parade of white uniforms on the route.  It was just an off year, I guess.  Let’s hope we see more in 2014!