Saturday was sunny and warm – perfect parade-goin’ weather! Â We staked out a spot on the sidewalk of downtown Garfield (I use the word “downtown” very loosely, with a town population of 350!) and settled in for Juliette’s first parade.
The festivities began with some old dudes carrying flags and the singing of the National Anthem – at this point, Juliette had yet to be sold on the whole ordeal.
And then…candy started flying out the windows of the trucks and tractors that passed us by. Â Now this kid was on board!
Shane’s special treat? Â Gin and tonics from the pub conveniently located just behind us. Â I mean, gotta stay hydrated, right?
Hey…I know that face!
27 tractors and 10 pounds of candy later, we threw our loot in the car and drove over to Lake Latoka to cool off in the water.
All those years of visiting Minnesota of the dead of winter…I had no idea what we were missing out on!
“I’m kicking, Mama! Â I’m kicking so much!”
After a post-swim PB&J and a round of frisbee, we packed it up. Â Reluctantly. Â I coulda hung out in the shade of that tree all day, but naptime beckoned.
In the evening we gathered at Denny’s shop for his 60th birthday bash.  One pickup after another rolled up as half the town turned out to wish him well.  I was thankful for a few familiar faces and thrilled by the chance to catch up with Shane’s Aunt Val, as she and I go waaaay back.  Almost 20 years ago, she hired me as a baby-sitter.  I fell in love with her family, then really fell in love with her foxy Minnesotan nephew when he moved in with them for a summer internship in Turlock (Doug and Val should get a match-making medal!).  I was initially bummed when the Schnells left California for Washington, but when I landed a job in Seattle a couple of years later, Val took me under her wing, giving me a place to stay while I looked for an apartment.  She was there when I signed my first post-college lease and pushed the cart on my subsequent Bed Bath & Beyond shopping spree.  The countless meals I ate at their table did so much to ease my loneliness as I eagerly waited for Shane to move up to Seattle.  Doug and Val left Washington a few years ago and I realized Saturday night how dearly I’ve missed them.
Hey, Birthday Boy!
There was eating (so. much. pork!) and drinking and merriment…
A few hugs for Grandpa’s tractor…
A round of rides on the Gator…
A pepper-hunt in Grandpa’s garden…
And then, the sure-fire signs of a storm on the horizon. Â That sky.
The threat of rain wasn’t gonna get this crew down, though – there was still partying to do!
I’m not entirely sure who this girl is or how her family knows Denny and Pat, but whatever – I turned around and Jules had a new best buddy!
Eventually the skies completely opened up and everyone took refuge indoors while it poured and poured.  We let Jules run for a few minutes in the warm summer rain and then called a day.  Sun, sugar, swimming, Schnells…these are a few of her favorite things.
