"That guy"

[vakkotaur]

The Fairmont Glows parade was last night, and Gerry and the team were in it again. And this time, so was I...

Over lunch I drove past the area behind the downtown hardware store where Gerry sets up the trolley and team. I saw that the trolley was there, but nothing else. So he had made a trip down from St. James to bring the trolley and would return and bring the team closer to parade time, 6 P.M.

Leaving work at 5 P.M. I headed right for the parking lot behind the hardware store and found Gerry's truck and horse trailer. He had already finished setting up and was either in position for parade or about to be. Last year he was in position 3, near the front of the parade, which is an unusual position for horses in a parade. I didn't expect he'd be the same spot again, and he wasn't. I walked back along the parade route into the setup area, noting the little numbered signs to be sure I hadn't run off the end. I think I nearly walked across town on Albion Avenue before I spotted Gerry and the team and the trolley. This time they had position No. 49. All three of them. There were three signs with 49. I suppose it was a figure of three car lengths for the team and trolley. Gerry and some other guy (whose name I forget) were setting up the lighting on the trolley.

The place where they had to wait for the parade to start was on Albion, which is one of the more travelled streets in town. Also, the spot was right on a corner where many vehicles turned - right in front of the team. It was surprising how long non-parade traffic was permitted in the setup area. Oncoming traffic with lights (It was quite dark, sunset being a few minutes before 5 P.M.), vehicles turning near the team, the biting cold wind off the nearby lake... and the team (Connie and Buttercup) knew their job was to pull, and standing there wasn't what they considered a good idea. Gerry spent most of the time waiting for things to start standing in front of the team and calming them. I had been near them, but after a couple starts I figured I'd be more useful on the trolley - standing on the brake. The trolley's brake is a foot operated lever that looks like a dull iron blade sticking out. So I was, indeed, standing on the brake. Gerry handled the team, I stood on the brake, and the other guy finished up things on the trolley. Then we waited. And waited. And waited.

We thought things were about to start, as it was nearly 6 P.M. when a police car came up to the intersection and blocked traffic from taking the route ahead of us. Then he turned around and left, and left with lights and, I think, siren going - though he waited a bit to turn on the siren. Not much later an ambulance came by, lights and sirens going. Connie and Buttercup did not like that at all. There was one point, before the ambulance passed, I think, where Gerry wanted to be sure I was still standing on the brake. I don't blame him.

At long last, more than a few minutes after 6 P.M. we first heard, then saw, that the parade had started. Gerry got up on the trolley and drove the team, and nobody told me to leave, so I didn't. I suspect partly as Gerry didn't have the heart to tell me, or simply didn't care, and I did have hat, gloves, heavy cloak (and walking stick/cane) looking a bit Victorian so I kinda fit. It was nice once we were underway, though there were a few stops as the parade sort of lurched along. Getting away from the biting wind off the lake to the spaces between buildings helped. It was neat to see folks watching the parade and waving.[1] I waved back, or waved to those who might not have been expecting to be noticed - there a few places were folks stayed in their cars and watched from that shelter.

After the parade, we made our way back to Gerry's truck. There, Gerry took the web of small lights off of the team (and Connie and Buttercup seemed glad to be rid of them) and the other guy got into Gerry's truck and started it so he could warm up. This time Gerry asked me to stay with him. As if I would have bailed. We did one circuit of a few blocks and it seemed pretty dead. During the parade we had been asked about rides, and given the reply that we would be giving rides after the parade. But after the parade it takes some time to get back (and the stop to remove the lights added a couple minutes) and it was cold. Thirty degrees with a strong wind, which is cold if you're just standing around. But there were a few riders a bit later and we made a few more circuits of those few blocks until everybody was off and nobody else got on, then we went back to the parking lot. Gerry took care of the team, the other guy took care of the trolley, after a fashion, and I just tried to warm up, mainly. I did what I could, but most of that was staying out of the way.

Gerry took care of the last bits of the trolley and then loaded the horses. And then they were off, with Gerry planning to return in the morning for the trolley. And then I went to the local Mexican restaurant for a late (for me) supper. Just as I got there, a family left and one of the kids noticed me, or at least noticed what I was wearing. "Hey, it's that guy from on the big..." "Good evening." I didn't realize just how cold I was until I got inside. My hands were tingling, even after washing them for a fair amount of time in warm water. When I got home, things were better but I was stilled chilled some, so slept downstairs in the bed with the heating pad.

Today, things seem to be fine. And when I went to check the mail, the mailman had just pulled up and so handed me today's mail. He also asked how it was in the parade. I said the parade itself wasn't bad, but waiting around for it start was cold. He said he'd gotten cold enough watching it.

Before he left, Gerry did say he'd be back in a couple weeks, on the first Friday on December, to give rides like the last few years. And the Saturday after he'd be in Ormsby giving rides during the day. Maybe I (or Jay) can get some pictures in daylight then. Ormsby is a _small_ town. It's wide spot on the side of the road, in a way. The route Gerry used there a couple years ago pretty much covered most of the town. I'm looking forward to seeing him a couple weeks, though I might wear a windbreaker under the cloak and maybe have some heavier gloves handy.

[1] While I had been in a parade before, a St. Patrick's Day parade in Sioux Falls, that time I was walking. This time I was riding and had a good view from higher up.