Sunday, July 04, 2010

Fourth of July 1966

This picture was taken July 4, 1966. A few weeks before this photo, everyone at the Green Mountain Lodge and the River View Inn were working on this 4th of July parade float. I remember Mom had ladies in the beauty shop making flowers for the float. She would set their hair, put them under the dryer, and give them a box of tissue to make flowers. The float was built in a garage at the Rio Colorado Lodge. There was a platform under all of those flowers and netting with a small barrel. I stood in that barrel twirling my parasol and smiling and waving to the crowd. I was a Southern Belle at eight years old. When it came time for the parade, no one knew how to get me in the barrel without smashing the flowers and netting. For me, it was easy. In my pretty dress and white gloves, I climbed up in the rafters of the garage, skimmed down a beam, and dropped in to my barrel. The parade was on!

A week or so earlier, I had gone to Glen Calhoun’s grocery store on High Street to purchase something. Mr. C had all the 4th of July trophies on display. Being an eight-year-old, I picked out the biggest trophies and said, "We are going to win all of those." Mr. C did not think I was funny and informed me that there was no way I could win all of those trophies. One trophy was for Best Float. One was for Little Miss Red River, and one was for Best Cowboy. Well, we did win Best Float. I did win Little Miss Red River. My brother, Craig, won Best Cowboy (he rode one of Ernie’s horses from White Horse Stables). My "summer sister" Sheila, who happened to live with us at the Green Mountain Lodge and worked across the street at the River View Inn, won Miss Red River and got one other big trophy. Yes there was a bit of a stink about us winning all the first place trophies, but hey, we were the best that year. Our float was asked be in the Taos parade during Fiesta. We won over there too. It was a good summer.

7 comments:

Jo Castillo said...

Woo hoo!! Very cool. Happy Fourth!!

Buck said...

Yeah... the summer of '66 was a good one, indeed. SN1 came along in August of '66 and I think I put on my third stripe early that same summer. No trophies, tho.

That pic is just precious, as is the story. You were the perfect Little Miss Red River. Just perfect.

Dave (aka Buckskins Rule) said...

July 4, 1966 would be the first Independence Day to occur after my birth. No memories of it...

And, what Buck said. It's easy to see why you cleaned house on the trophies!

Bag Blog said...

Buck and BR, I'm struck by our age differences and yet we have good friendships.

Buck said...

True on your last, Lou. But ya know what they say... "age is just a number." That works. Sometimes. ;-)

Dave (aka Buckskins Rule) said...

So true, Lou. I'm of the opinion that with mental maturity comes the realization that, as Buck stated "age is just a number." Friendships are predicated on shared ideals, beliefs, and experiences.

Anonymous said...

... what a GREAT set of memories!...... Little Miss Red River!... ha, I've only ever won one trophy in my life!....

Eric