Our First Oregon Parade

Lining up for Parade

I overslept. Yes, I've had to get up early for the last twenty years to go to a day job (prior to that I worked nights), but unless an alarm wakes me, I sleep to 8AM naturally. Oversleeping doesn't make for a calm, stress-free morning. So at 8:10 we uncovered the car and Nina backed it out. (She lost the coin toss) Actually, she offered to drive when she learned the participants in the parade had to sign waivers not to sue us if we accidentally ran them down like a bowling ball against a full rack of pins.

We picked up our parents at their apartment and, with very little grinding, set off for town to grab a donut and a cup of coffee, then lined up for the parade. Earlier Nina had agreed to take a dignitary, but they assigned us someone much better than a politician. They assigned us a princess.

Angela Hammond and Ralph Sherman

We got to transport Angela Hammond, Mrs. Clackamas County 2011. This turned out to be really fun. Not only is she a very sweet, very classy woman, but as we drove by some little girls, they pointed and said, "Look at the princess," and waved. I waved back, sure they meant me.

The parade was pretty long. Lots of participants. Unfortunately few spectators. If you look way down the street on the left, you can see someone watching the parade.

Nina driving in the parade

I don't know why, but they put us between some fire trucks. It may have been because they had heard we were afraid we'd burn up the clutch, but Nina did an excellent job driving. If you look at the below picture you'll see a couple out walking their dog. They weren't there to watch the parade, but we waved to them anyway until they waved back to be polite.

Behind us some sort of fire truck and behind that a little electric car and an old 1930s garbage truck

Very few people turned out to watch the parade, but who cares when you get to see the bagpipers and ride with a princess?