4th of July Jubilee
We start the day at the American Legion Hall where we attend the Rotary Club pancake breakfast with our friends Kenneth and Paulene.
Kenneth and Paulene go back home to feed their 4 chickens and we decide where we will meet for the 11:00 AM parade.
Meanwhile, I walk along Idaho Street to check out the line-up of parade entries and get a preview of what to expect.
I end up at the Community Building where the Quilt Show is displayed.
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quilt resources.com
“Diamonds and Dots” by Debbie Startt (pinterest.com)
I start talking with a visitor quilter and learn all about the different patterns, stitches, and symbols. She explains the difference between sewing machine stitches and hand stitching to me. Together we admire a black and white quilt and she points out the subtle artistry of the quilter’s unique pattern of not repeating the same pattern.
Wow! I never knew… I leave with a deeper appreciation of the art of quilting. And… I have just enough time to meet up with Jeff, Kenneth, and Paulene before the parade begins.
The parade starts off with a bang, led by Greg from Buddha’s Wellness, the local herbal dispensary.
Phyllis, the volunteer diva, is the queen of the parade.
Our good friend, Kenneth (everybody’s friend), runs out to greet her.
Here comes Smokey the Bear… Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires!
Local kids decorate their bikes for the parade.
The rest of the kids watching the parade collect bagfuls of candy strewn along the route. Paulene and I run out to collect candy for the children too shy to grab the booty for themselves.
The floats arrive. (I don’t understand some of their themes either…)
Horses with stars on their butts…
A humongous rock for repairing and reinforcing the jetty at Port Orford’s Dock…
A logging truck makes a political statement about Oregon’s upcoming vote on House Bill 2020, “Carbon Cap and Trade Bill” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (It fails to pass, by the way…)
And finally, on a lighter note… The parade police round up parade observers not wearing a two dollar 4th of July button and throw them in the pokey.
The Dinghy Races
Because the waves are too high on Battle Rock Beach, the dinghy races are moved to the beach by the dock. Four 2 person tag teams complete 6 laps from the shore to the anchored boat with the orange buoy. We meet up with Kenneth and Paulene and Faith and Allen on the hill overlooking the beach.
The winning team uses aluminum oars as opposed to the wooden oars of the other 3 teams. We cheer on the slow, steady, determined team who comes in last.
After the races, the 6 of us head over to TJ’s for brewskis and lunch.
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We make tentative plans to meet for the fireworks on Battle Rock Beach before we go our separate ways.
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But we never meet up…
Jeff and I get too comfy in our jammies. Kenneth and Paulene choose bed too. Allen and Faith live in a house overlooking the dock and have the perfect viewing spot for the fireworks from their windows and decks. (I guess they were in their jammies too…)
Since July 4th is on a Thursday this year, the Jubilee celebration continues into the weekend.
No other town celebrates July 4th quite like Port Orford! It’s an amazing event and experience.
wandering gypsy Laurel 