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Event: Date: Location: |
Texas Independence Day Parade 28 February, 2015 Austin, Texas |
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When: Saturday, February 28th, 2015
Where: Congress Ave., Austin
Members participating: Rory C, Caitlin C, David C, Patrick C (home on leave from the Marines), and mum Jane, all in the M1009 with M116A3 HSTRU trailer. Participating as part of G Company were Jeff McD, and Glen V.
This is one of the club's staple events, we have attended, usually in force, for as far back as we can remember. While Mother Nature has tested us in the past, this was the toughest one yet. The forecast was for near freezing temperatures, and rain, which is exactly what most folks got, and that meant possible icy conditions.
Early Saturday morning, I evaluated the local conditions, temperatures were above freezing and saw we had no ice at my place, so decided we'd head into town. My crew and I did elect to not bring any of the large trucks along, on the off chance we would encounter bad conditions, so we all piled into one truck.
We encountered nothing more than cold rain on the drive in, and arrived at the TxDOT parking lot a half hour early. The normally bustling parking lot was empty, and remained so. We gave an extra 15 minutes for any last minute stragglers to show, but there were none, so we moved on up to the bridge.
If you were coming from west of IH-35, or north of Austin, chances were that you were iced in and conditions were not going to allow you to get there.
Of all the scheduled participants, eight showed up, including our one LSMVPA unit (two if you count the trailer). About a squad of G Company managed to make it.
We didn't have any trouble getting lined up on the bridge, and started the parade on time.
At parade time, it was 34* and raining, so there were only a hardy few spectators. Of the eight participant groups, only seven actually went up Congress, as one group managed to get themselves ejected for unseemly behaviour, including public drunkenness.
One item of irony noted during the parade was that the American Diabetes Association float was followed by the Krispy Kreme float!
Pictures by .
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