MANY WAYS TO CELEBRATE

Most of you by now know that we live in Country Village, a senior apartment complex. It is not an assisted living unit but rather we rent our own apartment in this very large complex that encompasses about 20 acres. There are lots of people who find their social life within this complex, and there are others, of which we are a part, who rarely participate in things scheduled by various groups and clubs within the framework of the complex.

So the yearly 4th of July Parade here fluctuates in both participants and observers -- some years it is, by numbers, a success and other years could barely be called a parade. Outside groups are invited to participate, and many of the people who use golf carts to get around these large grounds decorate their carts and join the parade as well.

This year's parade was bigger than last year's, but still, you can tell by the pictures below it could be better. But I guess it's the spirit of the thing that counts.

We live in a rural area, so we are fortunate to get various contingents of horseback riders.


Burrtec Waste Management company handles the trash pickup in Country Village, and they know how to make a dumpster look patriotic!


We have a wonderful car club in the neighborhood that always gives us a good show. Their cars shine like the sun, make fantastic noises and are so clean you could eat your dinner off of them, if they would stop moving around with all the hydrolic equipment that make the cars do all kinds of weird things. It's these old cars that are my favorite of all the entries.


The Marching Band of Patriot High School, with flags and drums, put on heavy black and red uniforms and shakos and marched along the route in the 95 degree heat, playing very patriotic music to get us in the spirit. They get an "A" for effort and for appreciation!


The Veterans Club, 65 members strong, commandeered a flatbed truck and came around tossing hard candies to all the kids lining Lynn Circle - the mile-long route inside Country Village that becomes the parade route on July 4th. The vets represent all the wars and military action that men 55 and older would have participated in. For Jerry, he's a Korean War vet, and if you know what he looks like, you can pick him out on this "float."


The parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. is the "middle part" of the day's festivities. A Helicopter lands near the front office at 9 and some old airplanes from the Chino airport do some flyovers beforehand; afterwards there are festivities down near the office that includes hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, beer, water, soda, kids' games, bouncers and slides, and a raffle for a 42" TV sponsored by the Vet's club. All in all, if one can take the July heat, there was plenty to do today to celebrate County Village's 4th of July festivities. For me, I took a few snapshots, chatted with a neighbor for a while, fixed a cool lunch and then took a little nap. It was a good celebration all around, smallish parade notwithstanding.