INDEPENDENCE DAY 2018

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream that is proud to be America-made)

Happy Independence Day, Everybody!!!

Hope you had a wonderful day of

celebrating America's independence.

Parades, fireworks,

ice cream, hot dogs, watermelon...

just to name a few traditions of this special day.

Dave said that his family went to Granddaddy Harris'

pond in Bernice, LA.  They always had a picnic, and it

was always very hot.  Sometimes their cousins from

Arkansas would join them.  Dave remembers eating

fried chicken, potato salad, hot dogs, potato chips, watermelon,

and desserts out the wazoo.

Vannie said that her family would cook in her backyard

in Bernice.  Her daddy would always fry chicken

and her mom would make a gallon of potato salad.  Her 

grandmother, Mama Green, would sit in her rocking chair.

Relatives would show up invited or not.

Always plenty of food...all the ones Dave named

plus black-eyed peas and cornbread.

Vannie said one of her favorite activities of the day

was sitting on top of the old ice cream freezer while

someone turned the crank.  That helped cool her off,

because the day was as hot as blue blazes.

Funny how no one seemed to mind the heat.

We all just kept on celebrating...having fun...just happy to be together.

Vannie and Dave usually celebrate the 4th throwing beads 

and candy at the Red River, NM parade.

Today they retired from that job

and decided to experience the Arroyo Seco, NM 4th parade.

They pulled out their red, white, and blue t-shirts

(compliments of son-in-law, Roy Salvagio...South Austin Baseball)

and headed down Hwy 522...turned left at Arroyo Hondo...

and parked south of the cemetery in Arroyo Seco. 

Arroyo Seco is just the cutest little mountain hamlet you have ever experienced.

V and D that they couldn't imagine having a parade in such a small space.

When they arrived, they noticed that the place was hoppin'.

The radio station was all set up and blaring.

Banners were blowing in the cool breeze...

yes, I said cool...compared to Texas and Louisiana, for sure.

America was represented on every corner.

Abe's Cantina was serving snow cones.

FYI...Abe's has the best breakfast burrito in northern NM.

A potter was doing demos...These kids were spellbound.

Vannie said she heard the potter ask the kids what shape they would like for him to make.

One kid screamed out "diamond".  She said she wished she had stuck around

to see how he handled that one.  Hee Hee

Arroyo Seco's Holy Trinity Church is tucked away on a back street.

Looks like it is just waiting for the parade to get under way.

Here we go...let the festivities begin.

Lots of Firestrucks...This one is from Seco.

...and this one is from down the road in Hondo.

Dave said this truck was spraying the crowd with water.

Lot of squealing going on...

...old trucks

...old cars

...and made up contraptions.

Vannie said this guy had a huge watergun that he

was filling up with water from that white bucket.

More squealing...

...old tractors

Taos Children's Theatre Group

They will be performing Midsummer Night's Dream

next weekend.  Vannie is all a-dither.  She taught Shakepeare

for years at Broadmoor and Prairie Elementary in Lafayette, LA.

Huge Oberon and Titania statues...

V loved this float the best.

The judges did, too...winner of the $200 top prize.

Way to go, kids.!!!

Women March for Equal Rights

Way to go, Gals

Rainbow Coalition

The stature of Liberty was actually picking up trash.

Now, that's America, Folks.!!!

Des Montes Folk Art Gallery

Dave thinks this gallery is cool as cucumbers.

The artist at Des Montes creates the best sculptures out of bailing wire.

If you look closely you can see one on the float.

This is also a part of the Des Monte entry.

Fresh Produce???  V and D will be heading over there soon.

Check this one out.

Poetry

in

Motion

Poetry

Leap into Words

Feelings, Loving, Living

A story worth your time...everytime

Beauty

Folk Band

Last but not least...

Pretty girls on donkeys

...and horses

V and D's motto...

Never break from tradition...

Eat the hotdog...even if the bun is not gluten-free...

and the wiener is made out of pig hooves.

DELICIOUS