The sun was around earlier but disappeared for a bit then came back. It is supposed to hang around all day. I was surprised by how warm it is when I let the dogs out. It is 67°. My house, as is usual this time of year, is colder. Good news for both Henry and me. His eye sockets are so much better. The anti-itch spray has worked. The bright red round his eyes is pale, nearly gone, as is the swelling. He doesn’t scratch any more. As for my leg, it too is much better. The pain is usually in the late afternoon and evening after my walking on it during the day, but it is bearable.

When I was ten, I joined the St. Patrick’s Shamrocks’ junior drill team. I had practice on Saturday mornings just learning how to march and maneuver. We didn’t compete or march in parades. Our sole purpose was to get ready for the senior drill team. I remember my first year in that drill team. I was really young. Many of the members were much older, in their teens, late teens for some. I had practice on Tuesdays and parades and competitions all summer. I remember Pleasure Island in Wakefield. It opened in 1959, and we marched through the park on opening day. Everything was free. I remember the donkey ride and the boat ride where Moby Dick rose from the depths. I remember the crooked house where everything inside was slanted. I had trouble walking. I also remember meeting the actor who played Michael Anthony on The Millionaire. He gave out fake million dollar checks. We were there the whole day.

I remember marching in the Halloween parade. We got eggs thrown at us. One egg hit my leg and the shell cracked. Egg oozed down into my boot. It was disgusting. We marched on Bunker Hill Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Sometimes we were joined by a few guys in their cups. They usually offered us a beer. We just kept marching. All these years later, I still have wonderful friends from those marching days.

My dance card is empty today. I’m still taking it easy. I have uke practice, a lesson and one concert during the rest of the week. I expect to go to all of them.

This entry was posted on September 22, 2025 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.