Life with Lotus Maria and Lucian Stone

Rockport’s 4th of July festivities are like nothing I have ever been too. And I have been to some weird things, including a church made of human bones the Czech Republic and a Santaria ceremony in Cuba, but I digress. The main event is the town parade with a lawn chair brigade, the high school band in weird haphazard costumes and the trucks from the entire fire department. Every time I sit through this parade I think this would be a bad time for a house fire. Nate’s parents have had the same front row spot for years. There was some drama this year when someone started saving viewing spots for the parade two days before the actual event. Before things got out of hand the officials or townies or whatevers had to step in and declare that spot saving could only happen on parade day. So Ron got up at 4am and secured our ring side seats for the action. The best seats in the house are on top of the old cemetary, which is so old that being a Californian I was pretty impressed at the dates on the tombstomes while being bugged out to be seated atop all the dead people and watching a parade. They have all been dead for a long time, so who am I to argue.

Lotus loved every minute of it. She sat on her Poppa Stanton’s lap the entire time (which for my girl is no easy feat) and didn’t even notice when it started raining.

Once the parade is over there is a short break, time for dinner or for the youth to get more liquored up and then the town cruises down to the beach for a huge bonfire, or as Nate calls it, the book burning. Here are some great photos of Lotus and Bea at the bonfire playing Star Wars.