Memorial Day Parade

Yesterday we went to Vergennes, Vermont to see the Memorial Day parade. It's a favorite each year among the locals, including us.

My Dad had always called this day Decoration Day, and it was a time to decorate the graves of loved ones. In fact, that's what Memorial Day had first been officially called. It all started in Arlington National Cemetery a few years after the Civil War when thousands of people gathered to pay honor to soldiers who had died in battle. Memorial Day is now a day of remembrance nationwide each year, to recall the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service to our country.

Geo found a good spot for us on Main Street to view the parade. 

Near the beginning of the parade came the flag bearers.

I always enjoy seeing people who looked just like they stepped out of history and into our times.

Revolutionary and Civil War time periods. 





Governor Shumlin of Vermont was in the parade, as well as Senator Bernie Sanders and other politicians.



There were lots of tractors, but I saw only one Case tractor. (My Mom used to work for Case's in Wisconsin.)

I thought these kids were quite stylin'!

Many people brought their pets.

This sign was on back of one of the floats.

This is a popular license plate in Vermont (ever since the state was severely hit with destructive flooding after tropical storm Irene). This was on one of the military vehicles.

And after the parade it was time for lunch. We headed to 3 Squares Cafe.

Grilled chicken with bacon, avocado, bleu cheese, and tomato! A great meal after a wonderful parade.

It's a Short Season

The rain comes, the wind blows, and the flowering trees lose their blossoms.

I wanted to capture some Springtime beauty before it's on to another season.

Mother's Day Nature Hike

When Geo heard there would be a nature hike in one of our favorite local parks, he signed us up. Turned out to be a sunny Spring day - no rain.

We gathered at the lower wetlands area.

Everyone was eager to hit the trail.

It's so refreshing to see signs of Spring after our long winter.

We hiked along the Browns River. This is a great spot for Brook Trout.

Along the trail we looked for wildflowers. Most are not yet in bloom, but we did find a few, including a deep burgundy trillium.

There must have been a robin's nest nearby.

We checked out a beaver dam. (The beavers were not at home.)

These looked like the fiddlehead fern, very popular on Vermont Spring menus.

We had a great time. When we come again, we'll plan to bring a picnic lunch.

                                                                        

.On the way home, we spotted this!

A tasty finish to our hike. Yum!