(why is this underlined.....sorry. and this post could have been MUCH longer, if I blogged sooner. Lots of emotion and stress this time of year.....)
Pictures first then the story.
(packed full of people!)
LOVE the DHS Band!
Bountiful Handcart Days
Living on Main Street in Bountiful is kinda tough & unique sometimes. Yes. I live on a busy street. There are not neighbors close to us. There are trees that physically separate us from seeing our neighbors houses. There are some neighbors around us, but we haven't really met them or become friends with some of them. We know some people around us, but its different than our WX neighborhood.
So, one time a year, the Burns' Family enjoys the Bountiful Handcart Days parade. The parade route in ON Main Street. So, its a Burns' Family adventure EVERY year! This year, the adventure is more personal, because we LIVE on Main Street now.
The Handcart Days parade is usually held before the big July 24th Pioneer Day celebration. This year the celebration was held Friday, the 22nd of July. The parade 'drama' begun on Tuesday night. Some car parked in front of our property on Main Street. I didn't know who they were and Tuesday is TOO far in advance to start 'saving' a parade spot. So I researched the abandoned car policy in Bountiful. Thursday I called the city and reported the abandoned car in front of my property. It got moved! Score!
Then more adventure began Thursday! Oh. Fun.
Rule #1 You cannot save spots until 6am the day of the parade. (including the park strip)
Rule #2 If I am a private property owner (well i am occupant-not an owner) on Main Street, you cannot put YOUR stuff on MY property without my permission.
Thursday day and evening was spent moving people's chairs & belongings off my (and in-laws) property. And preventing people from parking within 30 feet of a cross walk by my house.
Bountiful City Police enforced Rule #1 really well. There were officers driving up and down the parade route collecting chairs and blankets of people trying to break Rule #1. I personally put out 10+ chairs out to be collected by the Police. (I want to get more collected next year and keep track of the actual number. See-I have a goals!)
Basically-I wanted my own spot for the parade. Don't get in my way. Follow the rules.
Here is the game plan friends: If you wanted curb (front row seating) with me, you have to come out & put your chairs out with me. I will save as much of my park strip as possible, but if you want front row you have to join me. Wake up EARLY with me on Friday.
If you want to sit on my lawn, come anytime. I would love to be surrounded my people I know for the parade.
Friday morning, I woke up early, hmmm, probably around 5 am. Before I got outside, there were people already out, having a little party, on the garden spot (lot next to us), saving a spot. Well, if you are out before I am, then, I will let you keep that spot. I won't turn on the sprinklers. I did tell the people, don’t break any sprinklers, and basically made it known, I live next to this garden lot, and I am watching you. (flexing my muscles....right)
I finally went for a little run up & down Main Street, just to waste time, burn some energy, and check out the entire parade route. I saw many people I recognized, and had some more chairs collected that were on my property. At 6am, I finally got MY spots saved for my family and friends. But it wasn’t over……..
We had to keep people from going too far into the garden spot, and just keep an eye of our stuff and what everyone else was doing.
Finally-it was close to parade time. Friends came. Jimmy came home. We ate dinner. And then the parade! Ahh!
Good parade. They didn't allow as many entries, so it was 1 1/2 hours, and candy had to be handed out, not thrown. So not as much candy, but that's okay. We had a good time. I gotta get ready for next year. We learned a few things, but it will be fun next year!
Unfortunately, Grandma and Grandpa Gatrell missed the fun because Grandpa had a mini-stroke. We missed them that day and we were all very concerned about Grandpa. But we are happy Grandpa is doing fine. 
Here is my cousin Sierra from Colorado, doing some post race talk with my girls. Sierra hung out with us that weekend, and ran the race too. 
Parade---(btw-MUCH better than Kaysville)
