My First Old Home Day

I'm very happy I made a point of being in town for Old Home Day, even though it extended my stay at the Bungalow. (My dad used to say that fish & company stink after 3 days, and I've been here for four & a half.) From the parade to the lunch on the town green, it was all fun.

Pete got a call just a few days ago, requesting that he march with the North Country Community Band in the parade. Thus I learned that Pete plays cornet – and not badly, either. He says he doesn't play often nowadays. But there he was in the parade, with about 20 other musicians. It takes people from 4 or 5 towns to make up this little band.

Floats abounded, many of them pulled by tractors. There was that Pittsburg HS baseball team, waving to the crowd & tossing candy to the kids. Sign on their float: “We told you we'd be back.” Loved it. There were one or two politically-themed floats; let's just say this isn't Obama country. Beecher Falls & Colebrook sent fire trucks to augment Pittsburg's little contingent. They were all noisy & flashy, as fire trucks in a parade should be.

I think the entire town (population 800) came out, along with plenty of folks from neighboring towns. Pittsburg's 4th of July festivities were rained out, I heard, and everyone seemed determined to make up for that.

After the parade, the town green was filled with tents & booths & food & games. I had a pulled-pork meal at one of the tents, and every bite was a tribute to God's providence (so THAT'S what pigs are for!) -- even the cole slaw, of which I'm not usually a fan. I had to check out the book sale table. It had maybe 50 books, most of them romances. Nope. I had better luck at the bake sale table, where I found brownies nearly as good as my son's, and his are awesome.

I walked to the south end of Main Street to photograph the last of the town's 3 covered bridges. I stopped at Robie's Cabins to confirm my reservation for Tuesday night, & the proprietors, Mr. & Mrs. Dion, showed me where I'd be staying. Amazing day, and a fascinating look at a town very different from my own. I'd never have had this without the Cohos Trail.

Except for my breakfast & my water bottle, I've packed everything to move on to Deer Mountain SP in the morning. Tomorrow will be the last day with a full pack. Leaving the park on Tuesday, Lainie & Pete will drive me first to the border and then to the village. On Wednesday, I'll mailing home my tent & pad. Goodbye, dead weight.

Now, it's back to the village for fireworks at Murphy Dam to cap off the day.