On The Sly

At 4:45pm the sky turned cloudy and a few drops of rain fell on my tripod. I learned long ago not to set up the camera ahead of time because one gust of wind can send a $1000 camcorder to the ground in less than a second. At 4:50pm thunder rolled and the rain began falling. Umbrellas popped up around me and I noticed Craig Matthew's patriotic red-white-and-blue umbrella across from me. I headed for the shelter of Goose's truck.

I looked up and saw the police lights flashing as thunder and lightning and heavy rains swept up Cornelia Street. Oh, my, the parade was beginning early! I grabbed my camera, grabbed my clipboard with the list of parade entries, and dove for the front seat of Goose's truck. Leaning back, I began videotaping the parade participants as they passed by the open door of the truck. I was amazed as unit-by-unit passed by, most of the people smiling as if there were no major downpour in progress.

The Civil Air Patrol color guard, the grand marshall car, and the Red Hummingbird Foundation float all passed by before I could get the camera rolling. As I turned the camera on, slowly passing by was the Adirondack Brass Band, playing their trumpets and tubas amidst the torrent of rain. Musicians are a dedicated breed. I think they were playing "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head."

As I leaned back to keep my camera dry my lower torso was exposed to the elements and my jeans were quickly drenched. If there's a word to describe more than drenched that's what they were, too. I juggled my camcorder and the parade list, and I'm sure the videotape of the parade will be a dizzying experience to watch. But if the parade carried on, I was determined to carry on as well.

The parade continued, my videographer Roxana arrived, and the rain eventually diminished. It even almost stopped, allowing Roxana and me to relocate to our intended viewing spot, the back of Goose's truck. The parade had floats, musicians, prominent people, interesting displays and the usual array of fire-fighting equipment. Later I asked people what they thought of the parade and the comments ranged from "so-so" to "great."

I call it "great." The parade organizers could have called the parade off at 5pm because of the thunder and lightning. But too many people had spent too many hours preparing this event. Who made the decision that the parade must go on? That decision must have fallen to someone. With the mayor in Albany, I'm sure he didn't cellphone someone with the green light. Someone briliant said at 4:50pm, "Let's git 'er done!" Whoever made the call -- this is the person I'm supporting for the next mayor of Plattsburgh!

My own personal highlights of the parade: visits to my microphone from District Attorney Andrew Wylie and Democratic Party chairman Dr. John Gallagher and Lake City Stars football player, #2 himself, Matt St. Clair, the nearly one hundred Plattsburgh Little League baseball players, joined by president Brian Marino and several coaches, marching along in uniform, the convoy of classic cars displayed by the Champlain Valley Classic Cruisers Club, the group of go-karts from Veterans Speedway getting the green flag from chief flagman Bill LaMoy, the Peru Central marching band, proving even though it's summertime, schools can be involved.

It took about 30 minutes for the parade to pass by, but the aftermath of the parade provided me with a few sad observations. The front floor of Goose's truck was flooded with water. I hadn't noticed his CDs placed in an open compartment on the door. They were waterlogged. So much for his Gretchen Wilson CD. I think I owe him a new one!

My jeans, my best pair of jeans, were soaked. Two cycles through the dryer would not get these babies dry. I usually weigh around 200 pounds, but I'm sure I left the parade site weighing around 350. In my left pocket I always keep a stack of business cards, about 15 for North Country Cable and about 15 for my blog at this Press-Republican website. They were soaked to shreds. Into the trash they went. In my right pocket I keep my wad of dollar bills. On this day I had over $150 in tens and twenties. They were all drenched together, impossible to separate. Nothing could be done to save them as well. Into the trash they went. It, indeed, was a costly parade. But it's videotaped for history, and in the near future it will be shown on the local public-access television channel.

Congratutions to all involved in the 2006 Fourth of July parade. It was great and it was one we will all remember for a long time!