I was too cold and too preoccupied with children and the dog to get any good pictures of the parade. It was crowded. More crowded than any of the parades I’ve been to all year. I think everyone there had a good time. The crowd joked and laughed while waiting. Everyone cheered and waved during the parade. Optimus Prime didn’t run over the frog. The zoo float didn’t burst open in a cloud of smoke. I counted one tractor, one tank and half a dozen boats. Molly wasn’t expecting the float with people firing guns into the air. The children all stood on the curb and danced. Well, they danced the first half of the show. After that, they slowly disintegrated into pink nosed, icy fingered, weeping little people. Ten minutes after we loaded up into the car, they thawed and their laughter returned. I have my fingers crossed that they want to curl up in warm beds as much as I do.