365 Project - Day 312

“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” Francis of Assisi

Labor Day was a bit strange for us this year. Last year was such a big ordeal with both sons singing on a large float and this year's event snuck up on us with little fanfare in our home. My younger son attended the parade with one of his friends. I knew that picking him up during the parade would be an ordeal, but I thought it would give me a chance to watch the latter part of the parade and take a few fun, stress-free photographs. When I parked my car, a friendly police officer notified me that I had nearly a mile long walk to the start of the parade. The fortunate bit was that my path took me along one of the major staging roads for the participants. I had the opportunity to see their preparations before they hit the parade route. Had it not been for my son texting and asking why it was taking me so long, I would have taken more time to capture the behind the scenes action (as it were).

Arriving from the back of the parade was fascinating. Some had clearly been waiting for some time and running low on energy, others were revved up and jammed in the alleys. Some practiced while others were seasoned veterans, who needed little more than the signal that they were up. Others were celebs on floats, ready to wave and toss candy at the crowds. Some were still arriving and getting dressed. I'm sure someone could analyze the scene as a mini-social experiment. I just got a kick out of being an observer.

When I finally arrived at the parade route, my son and his friends were anxious to leave. So, we turned around and headed straight back to the car. I spent less than 5mins on the actual parade route, the rest of the time was along the prep stretch. It's only fitting, therefore, that I share a photo from the staging route. Of course, I couldn't resist one photo from the parade!

Best wishes!

Today's Photos: Labor Day!

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." Martin Luther King, Jr.