Party On

                      

It has raining off and on for almost six weeks.  Mostly on, and I'm fine with it, except was hoping it would not be raining between 5:30 and 7:30 last night.

Yesterday was quite a busy day for members of our community. Fortunately it was a nice day.  The fire trucks could be heard all day as they offered rides to youth.  At least that’s what I heard.  After we returned home from the breakfast, we pretty much stayed put until about 5:30 and then headed toward downtown Myrtle Creek.

The community puts on a light parade the 2^nd Saturday of each December; they’ve been doing it for over 35 years now.  The parade starts in Riddle and goes up to Old Pacific Highway up to Riverside, down Neal, Division and end at Main Street -       - or so I thought.

Last year we had watched it from the corner of Neal Lane and Riverside – though I had planned on standing on Neal across from Jenny – where Jaime caught the bus.  But Roland had met a group that said we could come join them.  It was cold last year, and raining.  Sometime later that night, the rain turned into snow.  We haven’t had snow this year like we did last year.

This year we live within walking distance of Old Pacific Highway, and thought we could just go down there to see the parade about 6:00 or so.  But the brethren that was just put in as new counselor in the bishopric invited all the members to come to his state farm office on Main Street to see the parade.  I was surprised by the amount of people that had driven up from Riddle where the parade started. In fact, I think the majority of people that were there had driven much of the same distance as the parade itself.  There were at least two families there that had moved to Myrtle Creek since last December and had never seen the parade before.

I must say that it had been a great day starting out the breakfast with so many awesome ward family members and ending the day visiting with many of those same family friends.  And I will see them again today.

I wish my family were here to experience this same joy.

Little by Little

        We lived in a different house during Christmas last year. Oregon seems to get really dark.  The street that we lived on was not well lit.  Actually, the entire neighborhood seemed dark - even where the lamp post could be seen.

        

        Tri City seems to have more light.  There's neighborhood streets that are better lit than others - our current street for example; is not near as dark as our first street.   A lamp post stands in the yard of the neighbors to the west of us.  I think it is the brightest lamp post I have ever seen.

       

        Downtown Myrtle Creek is usually lit up - particularly at this time of year. We put our Christmas lights up before December started.  Little by Little we have seen other houses and yards being decorated and providing light on otherwise dark roads.  I love Christmas lights!