PeePaw And The Sue-At The Festival!

This weekend was the beginning of the 10-day Chasco Fiesta, an annual event located just two blocks from my house.

I had the pleasure of escorting 5-year-old granddaughter, Lilly ("The Sue").

We started out in the morning, by strolling across the bridge spanning the Cotee River, and made our way to the festivities, set up in Sims Park and adjacent to beautiful Orange Lake.

There was live music, Native Indian Displays, plenty of food, and, of course, rides galore. The Sue's interest definitely was in the rides!

I'd say she rode about 8 rides all together, including a ride in a mini rocket ship, which seemed to be going in S-L-O-W M-O-T-I-O-N. My fractured Spanish attempts to encourage a little more speed from the Hispanic ride operator ("Andale...Arriba...Mas rapido, por favor!") elicited a big smile, but no increase in speed.

The Sue even thought it was way too slow, suggesting at one point that I walk around in circles next to her, holding out her lemonade, so she could sip her refreshing beverage while she rode.

Yep, it was THAT SLOW!

After a bite to eat, it was about time for the big parade to begin, and we made our way over to where we had set up our chairs earlier in the day.

It was about a 4-hour parade, and The Sue collected more than 100 different colored strands of beads! PeePaw told her to wave, and smile her best smile, and she caught on to this strategy very quickly. No fewer than a dozen individuals, walking next to floats, marched over to The Sue, gently placing beads around her neck! Most of the multi-colored strands were launched through the air, though, grabbed in mid-flight, and placed around her neck.

She was very good about sharing her beads with kids on each side of us, which made me very proud of her.

I told her when the horses come by, she should shout out "Why the long face?" and that one of the horses might toss her some beads with his hoof. She shouted to them when they came past us, ridden by the Sheriff's Posse, but alas, they had no beads available this time.

I made it up to her by letting her eat a chocolate Moon Pie, which a pirate had tossed to me from his ship.

As the parade ended, and people began to disperse (thousands of folks attend this parade every year), I noticed a young mother, struggling to push her baby in his stroller up the steep grassy embankment and across several exposed tree roots. The stroller began to tip sideways, and I grabbed the front of it and pulled it several more feet and up onto the sidewalk.

She thanked me several times and went upon her way.

As soon as I turned around, I saw an elderly gentleman, trying to push another ancient-looking fellow, who was slumped in a wheel chair, across the grass toward the boat ramp parking lot. The wheels were bogging down in the soft grass.

"I'll help you, sir," I said, and began pushing the wheelchair toward the parking lot.

I must admit briefly thinking, "Lord, there's a couple of good deeds accomplished in two or three minutes...how about zapping this neck and shoulder pain I've been dealing with for the past month?" (on the heels of a flu, which turned into pneumonia!)

But, alas, life is not a feel good movie, and, if anything, I felt a bit more soreness from my efforts as a Good Samaritan.

Good deeds, though, are a reward in themselves, are they not?

All in all, it was a good day at the Festival, which The Sue will probably remember for the rest of her life.

Can't wait until next year!