It's a sunny day at the farmette. Cool this morning, but the mosquitoes are out in full force, and when I was fertilizing the hanging baskets and potted plants, they munched on every exposed bit - head and hands, mostly.
Yesterday was just as beautiful, so we decided to take in the Durham Homecoming parade. Every 10 years, the town invites all who grew up here to come home to celebrate. This was the big sesquicentennial (150) anniversary. It was a pretty spectacular show put on by a wee town of 2,500.
The Durham Girls used to be a marching band - now the alumni play on a float. Its origins are just post-World War 2 (1948), and they've been a fixture in town since then.
A different kind of marching band is still marching - actually more like sauntering.
The Sauntering Band is a bunch of local musicians who meet on Saturdays to play together.
They 'saunter' through the streets of town bringing joy to everyone who hears them. It's a pretty loose group, but they're remarkably good, too.
Of course, we had to have the requisite pipe band. The (mostly) boys of the Loch Lomond marching band were kitted out in their full regalia and blasted out an old Scottish favourite that we recognized, but couldn't name.
Local businesses, old and new were represented, as well. Durham Furniture has been around almost as long as the town, having been founded in 1899.
It's still chugging along as one of the largest employers in the area. We're proud to own good, solid Durham made furniture, in the form of our kitchen chairs.
Among the newer entrants to the community is the lacrosse league.
Started in 2018, the league obviously has some enthusiastic kids - given the size of the float!
There were antique vehicles galore, including many, many tractors - given the strong agricultural presence in Grey County. And old fashioned fire trucks.
A young man walking along with the parade was handing out the Chamber of Commerce business directory. I'd forgotten that I'd actually paid to be included in it, so I looked myself up.
There I was, smack dab in the services section, right along with the chiropractor, funeral home and pest control.
Gotta say, it was a lot of fun. Everyone was in a great mood, and, post-pandemic, it was nice to be able to celebrate something outdoors.
Thanks to all the folks who worked so hard to put together the parade and this weekend. Cheers until next week, and here's the latest gratuitous cat picture. Calvin, chilling out on the kitchen floor beside one of our Durham Furniture chairs. He's kind of a matchy-matchy colour, no?
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