Talk about a different day than yesterday. So hot!

Well, it's apparently only 78. At least, according to both the Weather Channel and the local paper online. But they lie. It really must be somewhere in the 90s. I swear it.

Four hours in the sun will add up.

My mother, you see, got the bright idea that we should go to another parade, this one more of a band festival, really, in a little town not far from here. The parade route winds through the whole town, pretty much shutting everything down. There were something like 15 bands, including the army band that started things off and the host band. No floats, no politicians, just the grand marshal and the bands.

All the bands really did well. Lots of nice playing and creative choreography. We felt so bad for the kids - we were hot, but we weren't wearing long sleeved heavy coats with long pants, gloves, and a matching plumed hat. We also weren't whipping flags around, tossing rifles in the air, or running down the street at top speed to hit our mark on time. They looked like they were dying of the heat, and we were sitting near the beginning of the route.

Marching bands are serious around here. Band competitions throughout the summer, and it's not just march down the street and play Sousa, but march and dance and twirl and jump, more like a college half-time show. I, of course, rooted for the home team. If they don't win, it will certainly be a shame, but they may have gotten #2. We'll find out.

So now I'm sitting in the house, drinking a Coke with ice in my glass, mighty happy to be out of the sun. My farmers tan is looking mighty impressive.


p.s. The home team did win, by a couple hundreths of a point. Nice.