Watching the beautiful flowers decorating the floats and horses at the Rose Parade on TV on January 1st is a tradition for many. I have done it for 50 years so I've got it well planned out.
I settle in a big old recliner and have the remote control rigged to flip between the channels showing the parade. I find out which one is positioned nearest the beginning of the parade so I can watch that one first and see a repeat by flipping to the other channel.
This year I added my laptop because I found that one TV station in Los Angeles (KTLA) was showing the parade on the internet. And it had a Kenyon, MN. girl, Stephanie Edwards, announcing the entries along with Bob Eubanks.
It was 72 degrees out in Pasadena.
But back here in the below zero frozen tundra of Minnesota, even though the furnace was pumping, I had a heater blasting warm air at my feet and the rest of me was wrapped in a blanket.
As the parade was flowing down the streets lined with people, I was pondering the idea that sometime I was just going to have to go out there to see it in person. One fact that stops me is that I don’t like the idea of standing for hours or camping out overnight on the curb to get a good view. And of course I'm too cheap to buy seats in the viewing stands.
So it seemed like providence when at the same moment I was contemplating heading to California, I heard mentioned on the internet that they had a contest to win the opportunity to sit near the announcers next year at the parade. That sounded like the perfect answer for me!
To win the contest you were supposed to take a picture that would capture the “spirit” of the parade.
Well... I ran to get my camera as I wracked my brain about what would show this "spirit"? Of course I was still trying to watch the parade on all three sites at the same time.
I wanted to show how cold it was here and I saw the Santa hat hanging in our entryway. But I thought that wouldn’t be appropriate since it was now after Christmas and he’s probably back at the North Pole.
So I grabbed my white Russian fake fur hat - it’s warm. Then I added a bright red fuzzy muffler. Also warm. And another touch to show the weather conditions here... mittens! To be used while trying to type on the laptop's keyboard of course!
Outside the window where I was sitting, the snow was piled high.
Since I was still trying to watch all three views of the parade I called Paul downstairs to take a picture.
I thought my little scene showed the happy spirit of the parade you could get even while watching it in the frozen Northland!
It wasn’t until the parade was over that I went to the TV station’s website and waded through all the rules for the contest. That’s when I saw that you had to live in California to be able to enter. Guess that eliminated my entry.
Well, maybe someday I’ll just have to get my sleeping bag and thermos and head out to Pasadena to find a street corner to park on while waiting to see the parade!
On the other hand, I can set up another TV and surround my recliner with videos of the parade. Then spray some flower fragrances in the air for atmosphere. (And just think of having your own bathroom close by!)
"You betcha", the tradition of staying at home can be good too!
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