“He must be a fool. The high’s supposed to be 19 degrees.”
After that comment from several, there was question in our mind. Then, others suggested: “They surely won’t have it. Nobody will come.”
Doubt was all around, so we made five calls, and the lady in charge declared: “The parade will go on. The sun’s supposed to shine. No wind and one weatherman forecasted it’d get to 20.”
Assuring our truck-driver she wouldn’t have to ride in the parade if assistance was provided in preparation, away we went.
This time, the harness was aboard, along with Mae who’d been trapped so she wouldn’t run off, and the high-wheeled cart, instead of the nicer but more laborious fringed-topped carriage.
Although mileage had been calculated, we were almost late. But, certainly if we were a fool for coming all this distance in the cold, there were a whole bunch just like us.
Our fingers didn’t work well harnessing and hitching in subfreezing temperatures, but we were hooked only to have to put on more clothes as a lineup-rider hurried us.
Long johns, jeans, insulated top, shirt, sweater, hooded-sweatshirt, insulated jacket, covered with duster, and hood drawn tight over our driver-cap around sunglasses, so barely nose, lips and cheeks showed.
With blanket covering the icy-leather seat, another one across our lap, and roper-gloves with a jellied-heat-pad between yellow-chore-gloves, we were ready for the Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade taking off at a fast trot for two-and-half hours in the cart.
There were more than 50 exclusively horse entries, and thousands watching with “Merry Christmas” ringing out everywhere.
By the time we got back to the truck-trailer, it was 13 degrees, but we weren’t nearly as cold as two years ago when we’d driven the parade in a downpour.
After we got home, gave Mae a rest, took a short nap, then it was time to re-harness and take Santa Claus to town. That was no chore, and the climax of a wonderful day in the spirit of the season.
Reminds us of Second Corinthians11:16: “Don’t hold it against me if I continue to sound a little foolish.” And, Genesis 8:22: “While the earth remains, cold and hot, winter and summer, day and night shall not cease.” Yet, Psalm 111:4 “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered.”
+++ALLELUIA+++