My Own Personal Mardi Gras Parade... of a sort!

Mardi Gras has begun and many Mobilians have moonpies, beads, and the procession of floats down the streets of Mobile on their minds. But this afternoon I am sitting here on the banks of Steele Creek watching my family fish while a parade of a different sort is going on just on the other side of the creek. The wintry weather has given way to warmer days this week and spring fever has infected many of us. It is compelling us to get outside into the warm sunshine and fresh air. Too long we've been help captive inside the four walls of the stale houses where we take our refuge from winter.  This is evident by the number of boaters waiting to launch while others await their turn to leave having already enjoyed their turn at freedom.
It's a beautiful sight in its own right. Boats of all different colors, boats of many sizes, old boats, new boats, some that aren't boats at all, but rather they are deemed personal watercraft instead, all gracefully sitting on the water, carrying their passengers to one destination to another and making a parade of their own today.
And in this parade, instead of the sounds of the revelers crying "throw me something Mister", it's the various fisherman calling to each other "Are they bitin' for ya' today?" Instead of the sounds of the marching bands, it is the music of the boat engines I hear. Some idling smoothly while others spit and sputter in stark contrast to the peaceful sounds of the birds chirping in the trees behind me.
Interspersed with the boats in today's parade there are the beautifully feathered ducks gracefully, seemingly effortlessly, gliding past.
It may not yield the moonpies, doubloons, and other trinkets that make Mardi Gras so much fun. But sharing this parade with my family is a treasure I wouldn't trade for all the Mardi Gras haul in the world!

2/19/2011

Fourth of July Musings

Spur of the moment, last minute almost, I shooed everyone toward the van and we headed out on another family adventure. Five minutes into it, someone says "this is boring". Ah! Mom to the rescue with patriotic music on the radio! That only served to elicit loud protests and moans. I laughed and turned up the radio. They'll remember this adventure one day!
Luckily we made in time to make it into Battleship Park and park. We threw a blanket up on top of the van and all 4 of my kids, including my 19 year old, climbed up to watch the show. And thanks to my impeccable timing (ha!ha!) the show began in no time.
Hubby propped himself against the van as I sat on the hood. Maybe I'm simple, but the feel of the warm gentle breeze off of Mobile Bay gently caressing my bare arms and shoulders is magical to me. Nothing else matters right now. I'm at peace!
Then unfolding before me is a wonderful 3D display of glittering color. Some colors painting a background for others to jump out at you! Some make me think of giant chrysanthemums. Some make me think of what it must have been like for Francis Scott Key to watch "the rocket's red glare" so many years ago. Some just make me think "beautiful!"
In the background a local band is doing a rather bad rendition of "America the Beautiful" followed by "The Cupid Shuffle". I chuckled inwardly at the stupidity of that combination to accompany the show! I could also hear a car alarm or two set off by the vibrations as well as a few infants and toddlers set off as well!
Way too soon the show is over. We all pile back into the van and get set to endure the traffic and head home. But the mood in the van is different now. We seem a bit closer for the shared experience. We joke and laugh together at the things we are observing in traffic. And I, with my mom hat on, am a very happy woman to have shared such a night with my wonderful, yet dysfunctional at times, family!