Long Ago Wheels Rolling In Burlington's Berry Dairy Days Parade

Of late I have had reason to look through my collection of photos. Doing so I have come upon a few from long ago, photo documenting moments which I had long forgotten had been committed to the photo documentation process.

Such as the three photos you see here.

In the first photo that would be me, with my bike crepe papered red and white.

I have absolutely no memory of this. I assume my bike was dressed up in this manner because I was rolling my wheels in Burlington's Berry Dairy Days Parade.

My dad, with mom's help, built many parade floats in our Burlington garage. Most of the floats only floated in the Burlington parade. But, one of the years, after we won the Best Float Award we hauled that float east a few miles, to Sedro-Woolley, to float in the Loggerodeo Parade.

I do not believe that prize winning float was either of the two you see below.

Above we are in front of our Burlington house, getting ready to parade. That is sister Clancy Nancy sitting on a throne looking very regal while my little brother, Jake, and I get ready to pull her past the throngs of parade watchers.

When I saw the below photo, before I installed my reading glasses, I thought I was seeing a new sibling was on the float.

But, I think that is an actual doll in the little berry, not my little sister, Jackie. I think this was the float which got us on the cover of Darigold's company magazine, due, I think, to the float displaying Darigold products hanging from tree branches behind the two big berries.

My little sister, Jackie, was the centerpiece of the most complicated, biggest parade float my mom and dad ever made. I believe that float was the last one ever built.

I can find no photo documentation of that most complicated, biggest parade float, so word pictures will have to suffice.

On a big square base, with a large square cut out of the center, my dad built a giant frame on which crepe paper turned the frame into a strawberry.  Atop the strawberry there was a seat. And on that seat my, at the time, littlest sister, Jackie, sat, attired like a Berry Dairy Princess.

A door in the strawberry gave dad access to the interior. Dad was the giant strawberry's motor. Dad had built a steering mechanism to help guide the giant berry.

People were easier to amaze,  long ago,  which had parade watchers puzzled as to what was moving that giant strawberry.

And then about a third of the way along the parade route there are railroad tracks crossing Fairhaven Avenue. Those railroad tracks proved problematic, bringing float movement to a halt.

My non-floating siblings, and mom and I, had been walking along the parade route, following dad and Jackie, but from the sidewalk. When the giant strawberry got stuck, after a minute or so, at least it seemed that long, or longer, some parade watchers realized dad needed some help, and so they boosted the giant berry over the railroad tracks.  I remember loud clapping and cheering as dad resumed rolling that giant berry down Fairhaven, with Princess Jackie, waving to the crowd.

I do not remember if we won an award that year.

I know photos of that giant berry with Jackie on top exist, but I do not know where....