One of my favorite events here in town is the annual Pet Parade. Held an hour before the “big” parade, its a two block parade on Main Street. Children bring their pets, animal or stuffy, costumed or not, and awards are given for age group winners; preschoolers up through teens. The parade starts with the youngest children and ages up from there.
BA and I make it a point to attend whenever possible. We walk down, enjoy the kids and their pets, stop for an iced tea or coffee, visit with friends and neighbors, and head home before the more crowded and noisy big parade begins.
Its important to be on time because, although the parade often starts a few minutes late, its over a flash. Done by 9:15 every time. Its casual nature is also a challenge, as the kids often stream through in a clump, which makes it hard to give each entry the admiration it deserves, to say nothing of the challenge of getting a good photo. Kids, pets, new situation, multiple distractions–good luck.
As you might imagine, dogs are the dominant pet species. This year we had a good variety. In addition to the dogs, I spotted a turtle, chickens, two different horses, bees to be saved and a wagon with fostered kittens up for adoption. Plenty of families march together, and that work has gone into this project is clear. My favorite entry this year came very early, a big dog (yellow lab-ish) with a very realistic lion’s ruff. This was the reminder to me that having my phone out for pictures was a good idea. There were a lot that got away, and I did catch a few.
Now, in no particular order, I give you a micro version of the parade. Enjoy!
Curious Steph 
Adorable!
LikeLiked by 1 person
An eclectic mix of animals 😀 I’ve never had any pets and have never traditionally been an animal person, but I’m growing more fond of them as I get older. I had a girlfriend a couple of years ago with three cats, and though they took a while to get used to me, it wasn’t too long before they felt comfortable using me as a climbing frame!
LikeLike