Small Town Americana

You just can’t beat a small town when it comes time to celebrate the 4th of July! Our traditions have changed over the years but we NEVER miss the parade!

Erin, our daughter-in-law, and Scott, our son (not married to Erin) waiting for the parade.

The calliope was a fun addition to the parade this year. Of course, there were the standard entries, also. Marching bands, political candidates, horses, fire trucks and ambulances, motorcycles and scouts, not to mention a couple of semi’s, which I’ve never understood.

After the parade we headed for the harness races as the fairgrounds. For each race you were allowed to guess who you thought would win. Everyone who guessed right had their name thrown in a hat and winners were drawn from that group. First prize was $5, but the second and third prizes were the most coveted. Things like mugs from the local realtors and t-shirts were plentiful. Who can’t use another mug or two? This isn’t gambling, mind you, no money is spent to enter, and even if you guess correctly, you are still unlikely to win the prize, but it gives you a horse to root for and makes the whole thing so much more exciting!

Erin and I were practicing our surprised look for when they called our name after our horse won. We never had to really use it.

The 4th is never complete without fireworks!

O.K., this picture isn’t really from the 4th of July. It’s from the 3rd, but it is a perfect picture of small town Americana. Not because the white SUV is parked going the wrong way, even in Cannon Falls that isn’t allowed on the downtown streets, but because of people’s response. At first, I was a little puzzled, and admittedly somewhat appalled (o.k.,let’s be honest, I was annoyed), to see that someone had parked facing the wrong direction. But, once I found out the driver was from Norway it seemed to be o.k. I learned this tidbit of information from the girl who works inside the hardware store. Apparently, the driver and his family came into the store to purchase something and their homeland was revealed in a conversation there. When I asked if anyone had told them that they can’t park that direction the hardware store employee said, “No, we just thought it was so cute.” Only in Cannon Falls!

I hope your 4th was as exciting (or maybe even more so) than mine! This is a great country and I’m glad we take time each year to celebrate the freedoms we’ve been afforded because of the sacrifices of so many!