There is nothing like a small town parade. Sunday was the 36th annual Ashland/Hanover Olde Time Holiday Parade. Ashland, who unashamedly refers to itself as the "Center of the Universe*", is a charming whistlestop college town just north of the Richmond metro area. Residents are so proud of their cherished small town atmosphere that their tenuous but ultimately unsuccessful fight to keep out big box stores like Walmart became a national story followed by PBS a few years ago.Sunday brought perfect parade weather, and SIL Jenny & I had unobstructed curb-side seats, where we chatted and knitted when there were lulls in the parade. Brother Pat and his three children were in the parade, walking with or riding their tribe's Indian Guides / Indian Princesses float along the parade route:
Pat is the adult walking & waving on the far left. My cutie-pie nephew Will is the boy on the float on the far right.
Nieces Emma & Sarah, the Indian Princesses, on that same float.
And it wouldn't be a parade without:
The Gospel Chickenhouse Band
Scottish Bagpipers
The Acca Temple mini-cars
What was even more amusing was the mini-car tow truck breaking down right in front of us and having to be pushed to the side of the road:
We must have been in the unlucky spot, because another antique car broke down in front of us later in the parade. Didn't get a picture of that, though.
My favorite car in the parade:
Jenny & I thought this looked like "Mr. Godsey's truck" from the Waltons, although this model is probably a little too early for that era.
Nephew Will's favorite is the Herbie car:
The kids got to watch the rest of the parade after their float got to the end:
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(* for another interesting view of the universe, go here.)
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