Perched upon a presumed wood and paper mache slice of melon, the queen look poised and regal. She drove all the way from Milan, Ohio to join her sister queens for the Fall Festival of Leaves parade in Bainbridge. That is 168 miles! I asked another royal personage (Queen of the Feast of the Flowering Moon) which was more exhausting to maintain for the length of the parade - the wave or the smile. She said they were both about as tiring, while the Coal Queen said the wave was definately the worst. 
Henry loved the parade. This was the first one of his life, and it lived up to his expectations. He paid no attention to the smokers sitting on his right and left but held his orange "Corcoran for State Representative" bag eagerly the entire time. Political hopefuls rode on trucks, cars, 4-wheel drive vehicles while their t-shirted volunteers tossed candy to the kids, I liked the poster this volunteer held. So hopeful and incredulous. 
But there were more than policiticans and queens. Tractors and horses and marching bands roared, clopped, or tooted past. My favorites were the bands. Having played at festivals in the Chillicothe Cavalier Marching band I remember with fondness these small town parades. These bands were not as polished as ours was yet they were extemely enthusiastic. 
All and all it was a wonderful festival. We ate too much decadent food (deep fried dough, cotton candy, corn dogs, italian sausage, and the like) and happily groaned over it.
In Fairfield, WA, it was Flag Day. Kids on bikes with streamers, dogs dressed up like other animals, horse poop (ewhhh..), the Wheat Queen ...which was far more prestigious than the Lentil Queen, let me tell you. It was all so exciting (and short), that at the end of the procession, the parade turned around and came back through to end where they had begun. Good times.:)
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