A Catonsville Fourth

The quaint little town of Catonsville, just over the river from Ellicott City, has an old-fashioned Fourth of July parade every year. What distinguishes it from other small town parades all over the country is the lengths people go to in order to secure prime seats for the show. Days ahead, people start lining the street with lawn chairs and blankets and benches. They use cord or cable or rope to secure their site and will often leave their family name taped to the lawn furniture. This morning I rode my bike up the trolley trail to take in this display of possessive patriotism. The parade doesn't start until 3 p.m. but all these pictures were taken between ten and eleven this morning. Folding chairs, beach chairs, camping chairs, it doesn't matter. Some groups of chairs are more organized than others. If you don't have enough chairs for the space you need to save, use police tape to reserve the extra space. These were two of the nicest chairs on the route. People are mighty trusting with their stuff on the Fourth. There is a brand new ice cream shop in Catonsville called You Scream. They marked off their section of the sidewalk for their customers. I had some delicious cherry italian ice because it looked so patriotic. Nothing says patriotism like paying your taxes. And some people take the color scheme to the extreme. The Knight of Columbus want to wish you a happy Independence Day, hon. So whatever you do today, celebrate the freedom and spirit that makes America great.