Tamaqua Firemens Parade 8/29/09

Marching Band season started today with the first performance, a parade in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County. They played one of Danielle's favorite marching songs, "Officer of the Day", and some Beatles music from the field show. First game is Friday night, then we are truly underway. Tamaqua is a small, less than prosperous town that grew from the coal mining industry in the area. Here is one of the beautiful creeks that run through the town, I crossed over this walking to the parade route:This was a pretty "old-school" style parade centered on Fire Engines. We began with the American Legion:


Saw some bagpipe groups.


Clydesdales pulling the wagon from the local dairy. There was an Amish guy inside it driving the horses.This is something you don't see everyday:


This is maybe from the 30's? Not sure.
More piper guys:
North Schuylkill High School Band, they had about 40 kids in it.

I'd guess this is late 40's or early 50's.

The Shriners "Tin Lizzy" division:
Shriner's String Band:

Tamaqua High School Band. They had over 100 kids, I think.


Yuengling Beer is made nearby:

And here comes Exeter, at the tail end of the parade due to an equipment bus breakdown:

There is just no fitting 210 kids in the shot:







That is the end!

Band Camp 2009 - Danielle

My Birthday

Once every summer near my birthday Grandma and Grandpa have a big clam picnic, and the whole family comes. Foo and a couple nieces who also had to work missed out, but Foo has never been a big fan of clams, so she was not too sad. :) My brother brought along his brand new puppy, a chocolate lab.
Monday was my actual birthday, and my girls always spoil their mama on her birthday. I came home from work, and my house was CLEAN all over! Manda was making dinner, Fooey was all smiles and hugs, and Steph and Simon arrived with ice cream cake! We had a wonderful dinner - Manda made a cheese/egg/turkey burger casserole and smashed potatoes - Mmmm!

Foo and Manda made me beautiful cards and gave me some great dvds, and Steph and Simon got me a toaster oven! I have been wanting one and had it on my Amazon wish list. Yay!
After dinner we played Yahtzee and caught up with Steph and Simo. They are settling on their new house this week and we will be helping to paint and get them moved in. Manda is going back to school on Saturday to begin her RA training and start band camp. I am already sad about it, but keep telling myself it's senior year and then she can come back and live with her mom forever! (But probably not...)
Below is me on my 44th Birthday. I really hate having my picture taken, but my girls give me a hard time about that and I suppose I should stop being so vain and accept that this is what I look like. (It's not improving any, that is for sure!)

Family Picnic

Sunday my Dad's side of the family had a picnic, in honor of my Uncle Butch, who is shipping out to Afghanistan in a couple weeks. Uncle Butch has been in the service or the reserves for 32 years, and he served in Desert Storm as well as the Iraq conflict. He is a mechanic, not a fighter, and we all hope he will be ok and come back safely in 9 or 10 months and retire! He is in the back in this picture on the far left. Next is my dad's youngest sibling, Lorraine (who is not much older than I am), then Carol, Coleen, Janet, my Dad, and his brother Jim. My dad is the oldest of 8 kids, though my Uncle Bob died a few years ago so now there are 7.

A couple of aunts cooking on the front porch. The food was great!

My dad brought his Corvette to the picnic, which made him very happy, though my mom, not so much. This was my Uncle Bob's car, so it is very special to my dad.

My kids found a comfy seat out of the broiling sun. I got a nice raccoon sunburn around my sunglasses, but I had a good time and was glad to see the family.