Livermore Rodeo Parade
June 12, 2010
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| Annie and Lynn transport Wolfgang, Herbert and Dorothy in the parade. (Photo by Bill Nale) |
After Vern Parker's article on Annie appeared in the local newspaper, Lynn receives a phone call from Herbert, one of the organizers of Summerfest, a German cultural festival held annually in Livermore. Herbert invites Annie to serve as the representative for Summerfest in the 2010 Livermore Rodeo Parade and Lynn readily accepts. This will be Lynn's first time in this parade and he expects that it will help him prepare to exhibit Bugsby in the parade at a later date.
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| Dorothy, Wolfgang (left) and Madeline and Herbert (right) prepare Annie for the parade. | |
On Saturday morning, Lynn dons his 1910 replica clothing and drives Annie to the parade staging area in downtown Livermore, a site of wild excitement and confusion as thousands of people, animals and vehicles stage for the parade. Wolfgang, one of the principal organizers of Summerfest, ties large banners to the sides of Annie.
Annie has loudspeakers hidden under a tri-color fan on the spare tire on the back, an amplifier and battery hidden under the lap robe in the rear seat, and an iPod loaded with music. A playlist of polkas emits from the speakers as the parade forms and starts moving. The speakers, amplifier and battery are loaned to Lynn by Arne, another organizer of Summerfest.
Annie performs well in the parade. Lynn tips his hat, smiles, waves and sounds Annie's horns to the crowd along the parade route. Wolfgang, Dorothy and Herbert smile and wave from the rear seat. Herbert's wife Madeline walks the parade route with Annie, distributing postcards advertising Summerfest. Follow this link for pictures of all the entries in the 2010 Livermore Rodeo Parade.
Lynn spots a couple of friends in the crowd. Later, Lynn's neighbors tell him that they were also in the crowd and saw Annie in the parade.
After the parade, Wolfgang, Dorothy and Lynn travel the short distance to the home of Herbert and Madeline for a delightful lunch. For the next couple of hours, Lynn engages in a wide ranging conversation with his new friends that have been brought to him through Annie.
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Copyright © 2018 Lynn Kissel
Last updated: June 14, 2010