ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

Well, I think we're finally getting the hang of this "Independence Day In Wimberley" thing. First time we went to the parade, we got there plenty early, but didn't think to bring any chairs, had to stand around in the blazing hot sun for hours, and still couldn't see all that well. This time we drove separate cars into town for an early breakfast, left the truck parked with its back to the street in front of the cafe, and went back home. We came back just in time for the parade and set up our comfy chairs in the bed of the truck. Brilliant!

Once I was situated on my perch, I happened to glance down and see two little girls on miniature lawn chairs, hidden between our truck and the one next to us. In their laps they each held a plastic bag containing a slew of hand-braided red, white & blue friendship bracelets. They must have spent untold hours making them, I suspected to earn money, yet were sitting there quietly where no one could see them. "Excuse me ladies," I said, leaning down. "Are those bracelets for sale?" Their heads bobbed up and down. "Well I sure could use one!" With a little encouragement from us and their grandfather, they began working the crowd, and before long, their bags were stuffed with dollar bills (and even a $10 or two).

There were quite a few classic cars in the parade, but more than one ran into the same problem as this mustang, and ended up having to be pushed most of the way. Perhaps that's why they always bring plenty of extra passengers. I'm thinking the gunslingers on their horses had the right idea.

My favorite entry of all was probably the "Frump Float" float. There is an amazing woman here in Wimberley, named Mary King. The way I hear it, about 20 years ago, when she and a dozen of her friends were all in their 60's, she decided to invite them all to lunch. The only hitch was that, if they wanted any food, they first had to put on a swimsuit and float with her on the creek behind her house. The tradition is still going strong, only the guest list has more than quintupled, and most are now in their 80's. One day not long ago, her adult son overheard her speaking to someone about the annual Frump Float, as they called it. He misunderstood, and thought she was referring to the upcoming parade. "Mother!" he exclaimed, "Surely you ladies are not going to be in the parade wearing your bathing suits!" She turned to him with twinkling eyes. "Why thank you son. What a brilliant idea!"