July 4

Our most sacred holiday

July 4, 2024 is our first holiday in Mt Washington. (perfect location, huh ?) Linda & I just moved here a month ago. This area feels like Bolivar Heights to me above Harpers Ferry. Very hilly with old homes and new. This was our first home grown local Independence Day parade to attend in years.

It was pretty loose. Start time was billed as 10 AM. At 10:20 folks were still milling around.

I met Dave who has participated in all 25 years of the parade with his Mercedes Float, now decorated by his grandson. We told the boy Macy’s or the Rose Parade may be in his future.

The next fellow I met had a vintage Ferrari…not too shabby…and this was his backup parade car. His Lotus had crapped out a few blocks away.

As I searched for water and lemonade (provided free) I met the band…Ally this is for you.

The parade set off around 11:40…but according to the locals, this is pretty standard. In Hagerstown, we started parades on time. I was the drum major in the Jr High band…and had a whistle. So the BoyScouts led off with their Color Guard after the singing of FS Keys famous poem written about 10 miles away in 1814.

There were drummers, more cars…the Cobra sounded like 12 Harley’s revving up at once….(I want one) and circus acts.

The highlight was every kid in the neighborhood on their bikes. It felt like the beginning of the Tour du France…

There were only a few even remotely political things of any kind…and no waving politicians in convertibles.

His T-shirt says “I love Jane Fonda”. I told him that I had interviewed Ted Turner once when they were still married. The marchers…(that’s a very loose term) headed off through the neighborhood.

The tail of the parade were 2 of Baltimore’s mounted Police on huge Percheron’s.

( Pimlico is close by ).

There was also a red Miata, a lot like ours. Maybe next year Linda & I will enter the parade and put our granddaughter Amelia in the car with a tierra to do “the wave”.

This was a wonderful day. We love the neighborhood…it felt like the 70’s and for an hour, there was no politics…no division…we were Americans waving the same flag and just having a good time together.

Happy Independence Day weekend. Peace to all.