Catching up - St. Patrick's Day

Keeping busy with teaching, family, vacation, etc. PLUS a sick computer for awhile has kept me from updating my blog. Today I'm going to attempt to post some stuff I've had in mind to do for awhile.

On St. Patrick's Day Cedar Rapids has an annual parade, and in the ten years we've lived here we have never attended. I'm sure that is because it is usually a work day, and since we're not Irish, it's not a high priority for us. But now that we have grand kids close-by, events like this have more appeal. This year I was not working that day, and Silas wanted to go, so I took him to see it. Jorie had hoped to come, but she ended up having emergency dental work done so wasn't able to join us.

First of all, I was shocked to see the THOUSANDS of people that to to this parade! It was crazy to see all of these people NOT at work OR SCHOOL, and dressed in their St. Patrick's Day apparel totally partying it up!! I've never seen downtown CR so full of life! Here are a couple of pics to show how much these Irish folks totally get into celebrating this day:

Not sure who this is . . . St. Patrick?

Seriously . . . dyeing your dog??

A real live leprechaun!

. . . with his rainbow and pot of gold!