So...(you just know a story is going to be unique when it starts out this way)...we did the McDonald (PA) Memorial Day parade today. It actually went pretty well overall.
We got to the parade line-up a bit later that recommended but still with plenty of time. Best looked everything over, decided that there was nothing interesting happening and considered dozing. That is until the band started playing while walking toward him. He'd been around a band in his last parade and couldn't have cared less but he didn't like this one and we were supposed to be right behind them. Somewhere in the greater Pittsburgh area there is a band leader going, "I can't believe they were going to put that horse behind us! What were they thinking?!?!" Best was a very tough music critic and after a firm request on his part to go home, we got ourselves together and ended up following the fire trucks. He was quite happy to follow the fire trucks and did so like a veteran parade horse (this was just his second parade). People clapped for us and we waved. It was great to see so many veterans and their spouses out an about. We stayed through the first ceremony which included the ceremonial rifle firing. We were two houses away when they did that and Best stood like a good horse for it.
The great thing about Best is that once the scary thing is gone, he settles right down. That's only the third time in a year that he had a problem and his "problems" are very easily controlled. (knock on wood) He doesn't even really spook, he tells you more with his ears and stride if he doesn't like something. We went through a one lane tunnel on our way to the parade and other than flicking the ears and slowing down a bit he went right on through. It was pretty dark in there and the footing changed but it was no big deal. Apparently he just prefers his music on the radio.
I need to get a bit more organized because having to keep everything, including my harness, in one tack box almost guarantees that whatever you are looking for is only going to be found at the very bottom of the box. And, of course, since I was looking for the black yarn, I should have just started in the darkest corner of the box. Finally, I did get my act together and got the poppies braided into Best's mane (to learn why poppies are appropriate for Memorial Day click here) and they stayed in the whole 9 miles (round trip). I think we looked quite well overall.
PS. On the way back I saw my first PA snake. He was pretending to be a branch on the side of the road and if he hadn't been so big (biggest snake I've ever seen) he would have fooled me. Thankfully he didn't move as we passed because we had cars passing us right then. I'm okay with going another 8 or 9 years without seeing one.
