Great July 4th tradition - Corrales Parade

Yesterday I did a bit of socializing.  First a church potluck breakfast with balloon toss and three-legged race.  The young looking hubby would not do any of the games, he is getting old despite the looks.  From there we went to the Parade and met up with some friends and crowded into a tiny little spot of shade, due to the fact that we didn't arrive earlier enough... obviously. 

The parade was much longer than I would have guessed for this small of a town.  It wasn't big floats, or high school bands - it was political candidates (probably heavy on that due to being an election year), horse groups, bikers as in Harleys, and the model T car group (which is huge). 

There was a bag pipe group and a band on a long float looking thing.  The the rest was a unique thing for us   - water gun groups in wagons, floats, all with the same mission... blasting the crowd with water.  It's very crazy and we were not prepared.  Would have worn different clothes and brought an umbrella.  I was saved by my big hat - but it was funny.  We laughed and laughed.

The horses were fun to see, a bunch of really tall ones.  They painted a bunch of them, not really fond of that.  They just looked messy.  One group sprinkled glitter on their tushes, that was nice, not too much, festive enough.  I prefer fancy braiding if they want to do something to them.  Didn't notice any of that.

The last group had a giant great dane dog with them, three horses and the dog.  He must be a very good dog to just have him roaming with him and not worry about him with all the small kids around.

Later we went to another potluck - dinner at a home who had horses.  We watched the Rio Rancho fireworks and the ones down by the baloon museum from the same ridge.  Crazy was the rain that decide to actually do something after months of drought right as the fireworks started.  Perfect timing Mother Nature.  Most the locals love rain.  I've put up with rain for the last 15 years, so for me, it's over rated and I don't really care for it.  I have to admit that I do like the puffy clouds we get here, which we just rarely had in the Pacific Northwest.  Clouds are socked in and overcast and gloomy most of the time there, it's not a storm blowing in and getting over with it like here.  It can be gloomy for weeks... months actually. 

Over all a nice 4th of July, but having it midweek and getting up the next day and going into work.  That was hard.  Not a fan of midweek holidays.