What will show up next?

 A towel?  Beads, moon pie, doubloon, a bra?  It will be a surprise.  

The cleanup crew for the parade route has been on duty full-time.   There was so much snow the night of our parade that as the snow slowly thaws, we are finding lots of leftover beads, moon pies and doubloons.  It was too cold for any bra throwing, but we do have a string of beads hanging on a branch of the vine maple by the driveway.  It's too high to reach so it will probably be there until next year unless the wind blows it down.

Hmmm.  It does kind of look like New Orleans.

After today's cleanup session we went for a walk up to get our newspapers.  The driveway is thawing out although we still need our yak tracs for the icy spots.

Cousin Adam stopped by to give us this beautiful planter that he carved out of a tree stump.  I can't wait to fill it with some of my hanging begonias.  

I started my peppers yesterday and Yes,  I did cut back.  I am only going to start 58 this year, which is ONE flat.  I now have geraniums, pansies, wave petunias, Red Robin tomatoes and begonias growing underneath my lights in the basement.  I have going to have to be careful or I will run out of room.

Women hold up half of the sky......

....some thoughts on International Women's Day.

I could never be as brave as Malala.  What an inspiration.  

And by the look of the photo below you would think that it was taken in Russia or one of those repressive countries in Europe.....but no, it was taken at the Virginia State Capitol, in 2012 as this young girl was standing up for reproductive rights.  

Thank you to Linda, and her facebook page, Women Hold Up Half of the Sky

We have a long way to go.  

Nurse Jackie

Yes, we had very cold temperatures, but no need to worry about frozen fingers and toes or brass instruments as we had medical staff on site.  Nurse Jackie came with a large syringe filled with Jim Beam.

Just in time!

There's always someone who refuses medical treatment.  Mike was having none of it!

His saxophone looks like it needs treatment more than he does!

And last, but certainly not least, Sarah with her beautiful horse, for the Grand Marshal of the parade!

Thank you to Bob for the great photos!

This was a snowy one.

It snowed all day and all night.

The brass guys had to thaw out their instruments on the hood of the truck.  The valves and slides were already frozen by the time they walked to the parade route.

Our 2014 Kind and Queen, Sus and Preston!  You will be able to see them in the next photo.

They are busy sorting out all of the throws.  Beads, moon pies, hats, doubloons.......

The paparazzi.

Lighting the flambeaus

Here we go!

The band and the second line are ready rock and roll.

They make they way along the parade route.

Then turn the corner and return.

The Grand Marshall and her awesome horse!

I am starting to get snowflakes on my lens, but I keep taking pictures anyway.

 The morning after.....even more snow.

Hmmm.  Time to get out the shovel and uncover some of those frozen moon pies.

You know, they really do wave at you.........

......I am talking about Wave Petunias.

Don't forget to wave back.   You can do that football wave kind of thing if you want.


My wave petunias are about the size of a pin head now, but in a couple of months they will look like this:
They are very happy under my grow lights in the bay window.