Photos

On the same day as the Italian Street Painting Festival began in San Rafael, there was a community parade in Fairfax, the community neighboring my hometown to the west. Since a friend's son was taking part in the parade I visited the event before heading to the Festival.

A community parade is simply a celebration of a town and its people. Practically anyone who wants to be in the parade can do so by joining one of the community organizations that sponsor floats. Of course, as I showed last year, the float can be no more than a bright red pickup truck!

I was standing at the curbside when I took this photo surrounded by families who came downtown for the occasion. Here we see a family. Fortunately, for the young son, his father is both quite tall and very willing to offer his shoulders as a perch to view the parade passing by. I always find photos of fathers and children heartwarming. I guess I could call this a belated father's day offering, yet for lucky boys like this I imagine every day is father's day. I've discovered rather late in life, and remarkably without becoming a father myself, both the challenges and joys of being a father. I thank my good friend for sharing with me his experience of raising a delightful young boy. I'm in awe!