Independence Day!!

Happy new year! Well, Rotary new year that is. I have now officially assumed my duties the District Governor of Rotary International District 5190. My good friends from the Portola Club invited me to kick it all off in the Graeagle Independence Day parade (on July 1st this year) last Sunday.

Kim and I met Ralph and Ann Taylor at around 10:30 in the morning and headed to parade registration. We arrived at the Graeagle Chevron to get connected with my "Ride" Bill Tantau in his 1949 MG TC. Bill is a Portola Rotarian who acquired the car in the mid sixties. It is a very cool set of wheels.

Bill and his sweet 1949 MG TC

MG is a British make, and the letters stand for "Morris Garage". Several years ago the brand and license were sold to an outfit in Malaysia. The TC indicates the model. The "T" series was produced from 1936 to 1955, and the TC was the third version. The one Bill owns is a 1949 model that was imported to the US. Interesting that it still had the steering wheel on the Right hand side. Pretty cool!


The Portola Rotary Club had several cool car entries, including a Model A Ford pick up truck, and a 1935 Ford sedan. Their Youth Exchange Student (Rachael Wehrman who is going to Sicily) rode in a beautiful 2008 Corvette! Kim rode in the Taylor's convertible "New Beetle". She was dressed up as Betsy Ross, and got many compliments!!

Model A Pickup on the left, and 1935 Ford on the right.

Gloria LaPlant, Portola's Club President, me, and Betsy Ross!

Ralph and Ann's VW with flag wavers in the back!

So, we had a few days to recover from the Graeagle Parade, before the Actual July 4th Parade and Picnic/Auction in Loyalton. This was a good thing, because this is a long and exhausting (but fun) day. It starts with a parade through Loyalton that includes an "instant replay". The entries move down main street, circle out through some residential streets, then come back onto main street and return for a second pass in the opposite direction. After the parade, there is a big celebration out at the Rotary Picnic Grounds that includes craft vendors, games for the kids, soda, beer, and hot dogs, a live auction (flea market type items), and a barbecue lunch. This year we also had live music after the auction.


My day started early as I had to pull the local high school band on our flatbed trailer in the parade. They are called the Room 10 band, and they are really very good. Musicians include drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboard, and a couple of female vocalists. They decorated the trailer the day before and we were ready to roll at 9:00. They were very well received by the crowd, and won "Best of Parade"! My favorite number was "Wipeout" by the Surfaris! The lead guitar's version of Jimmi Hendrix' Star Spangled Banner was nicely done, but got mixed reviews (I loved it). 

Decorating the "Float"!

The "Room 10 Band"

Best of Parade Trophy

Then it was off to the park to cook Tri-Tip roast, and sell junk at the auction. The Tri-Tip was a new deal this year, as we had done a deep pit brisket buried in 7 to 8 cords of flaming cord wood for near 30 years. The Tri-Tip was a hit, and I think we actually made more money than ever before!  Maggie and Lucy came to help serve food. They were a huge help, and slapped out potato salad and beef for about an hour and a half in the blazing July sun with the hot barbecue to their backs and no shade! They deserve a medal!

Mini-Coop wraps meat (left) and
"Upchuck" throws some roasts onto the grill.

Maggie slings potato salad, and Lu slaps on the beef!
Notice the tan on Lucy's arm?

Finally it was over, and I assessed the damage Kim had done at the auction. She purchased one ton of Hay (good), and several furniture items (not so good). However, she played a great role in driving bids up for many of the auction items. My guess is she netted the club several hundred additional bucks that will be used on community service projects and scholarships! She deserves a medal too!

"Betsy" sits at a retro computer desk she purchased.

When I got home I crashed in my recliner in the shade with a jug of ice cold lemonade. Happy birthday America!!


That's All!