Rain Gryphon

(N.B. - LJ seems to be having issues pulling the pictures over. If you click the DW link at the bottom, that's working better)

So, today I went into town and saw the Egg Festival Parade.


While waiting for the parade to start, I watched these guys removing rails from the siding with this huge grabber thing. Ever since that woman walked in front of the train a month ago, they've been making all kinds of improvements here. Perhaps they're afraid they'll be blamed (I don't see how), or perhaps they had this planned all along anyway. Or, intriguing possibility, perhaps the Train Gods accepted her as a sacrifice, and are bestowing their benison on us.


A train passes the guys working on the track.


In America, we love flags. We love our own flag best of all! One of the ways you can tell that you're attending a festive occasion is by the number of American flags on display. Note that this is basically a parade to celebrate chicken farming.


Last year's Rooster King performs his final duty before retirement - to ride along in the parade, and bean his soon-to-be ex-subjects with candy. He takes his job seriously.

The town's first motorized firetruck, a 1929 Dodge. It's filled with old firemen, but I doubt any of them were born when this was new. The guy in the shotgun seat has to crank the siren and ring the bell as they go.

The license plate is interesting. Indiana has special plates for antique vehicles, but this one's tagged with a regular municipal plate, which implies that it's being carried on the books as a working (if undoubtedly reserve) firetruck, and not as a display unit.

The town's tank truck has Bugs Bunny on it! That's gotta be new, as I'd have noticed it.

Tank trucks are a kind of rural fire department thing, just like snorkels and ladders in the city. The tanker brings a big tank of water to the fire, then they set up a sort of folding canvas pool, and empty their tank into that for the engines to use, so they can go off and get more water from the river or a pond. If they take your pond or pool water, they'll fill you up again afterward.


It's the Bikers for Jesus! They represent Jesus. How could they fail to love America and the American flag?


The Mennonite family who own the little grocery store. I was kind of surprised to see them, actually. Mennonites are sort of similar to Amish, but okay with technology - I once knew a Mennonite computer salesman. They also don't have to have beards, or dress like it's 1820, although a lot of them believe in wearing a hat or bonnet.

They are, however, of serious mein, and opposed to worldy display and ostentation. This, I suppose, counts as advertising, hence practical and allowed. Note that the wagon is undecorated, and the tractor (an old red & grey Ford) unwashed. They threw out entire bags of candy, as opposed to individual pieces.

Mennonites love Jesus, but don't love the American flag. It's their religion, and nothing against the rest of us, though, so everyone gets along with them anyway.


The VFW. You betcha they like flags!


A 1927 Ford Model T, with a small player calliope mounted in back. I don't know if the buckboard body was OEM or just something someone made. You could actually buy these as just a chassis, and put on your own body to suit yourself, which a lot of farmers did. They're remarkably durable cars, and you still saw these now and again in ordinary use when I was a hatchling, although I don't remember any having a calliope.


A guy in a Lion partial. I know I've seen this before, probably at Morphicon, as a full suit, but I don't recognize it. If anyone knows, I'd be grateful.


Can't very well have a parade without Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs pre-date America, so they're excused from having flags.

Happy guy on a JI Case tractor!


Other guy on a Case. He's not as happy as the first guy, perhaps because he's the end of the parade.