Alice's Grand Adventures: July 4th parade photographs

I went to the Independence Day parade today to walk the parade route and also to take photographs. It was a beautiful, sunny day so I also got the opportunity to test out my new eyeglasses. After enduring months of cloudy glasses with the wrong prescription, it was a real delight to be able to see clearly again. And, as an added bonus, I have transitional lenses. I wanted to see if the magic of regular eyeglasses turning into sunglasses really worked.

And sure enough, the magic worked! The lenses gradually got darker. I never felt as if I was looking through a dark bottle, which is why I don't really like wearing sunglasses. I also never felt as if the sun was bothering my eyes.

Here are some of the photographs that I took today at the parade.

Kate Myers and Eddie Ashley from MacKenzie Highlander Pipes and Drums in Youngstown. There are 25 members of the group. They perform in a variety of parades, concerts, and festivals throughout Western New York.

Dusty Brandon, Calamity Jane, and Black Bart bring the chaos of the Wild West to the 21st century. They sing, dance, act, and shoot their way through any situation. "We are cowboys from the Wild West shootout at Martin's Fantasy Island," said Calamity Jane. Every Tuesday through Sunday, they engage in four different shootouts. Today, they planned on shooting off blanks for the Grand Finale shootout at the end of the parade route.

Enjoying the beautiful day and ready to march in the parade.

Julie DeAngelo, Carrie Boron, Allie Boron, and Janine Childs are ready to walk in the parade and to advertise Saint Martin in the Fields' upcoming chicken barbecue and silent auction, scheduled for 2 to 7 p.m., July 11th.

Dusty Brandon and his equine companion because... where would a Wild West guy be without his trusty horse?

This is riding in style, nineteenth century style.

Here are the dancers from the Grand Island Dance Center. They performed a variety of routines during the parade and were thrilled to have the opportunity to perform.

The whole group from Saint Martin in the Fields Church, including a Big Chicken.

The chicken and the cow are ready for the parade. The cow wanted to remind everyone to "EAT MORE CHIKIN!"

Parades are fun for humans and dogs alike.

It is not everyday that you see a giant basketball walking down the street. This basketball is advertising the upcoming Gus Macker tournament, to be held in Grand Island. It is three on three basketball for all ages.