North Country Americana

So this is very-tinytown rural Americana, at least in Northern New York: "Old Home Days." I think that's the name of the celebration Stan & I attended last Sunday in Altona, NY. Altona, y'know, is one of the "tri-cities" in these parts, them being "Altoni, Ironi, and Scioti." Actually, they're Altona, Irona and Sciota. Each town has probably 100 residents, if that. And they don't live within a mile of each other, I think. We missed the parade and the bagpipers band we'd wanted to see and hear. But we did see what had to be the highlight of the parade: The Pirate Float.

ANYway.

This photo shows what one family--I'm sure it's an extended family in this part of the universe--created for the parade. We talked to one of the people who'd obviously been on this float: he was in full "pirate" garb--rolled-up pants, boots, kerchief on head, live bird on shoulder--no joke. I'm only sorry I didn't take his picture; I'm sure he'd have loved it. So we asked if they would run the ship in the Plattsburgh July 4th parade and he said it wouldn't make it all that way (probably about 20 miles). But we'll have to make it to the parade in Mooers or Mooers Forks (these are real names; I'm not making them up) because he thought the ship would make it there. It's built on an RV frame, after all.

So we missed the pipers but we caught "The Castaways." They're a duo, two dudes who are either father/son or brothers or uncle/nephew or ... in this part of the country, relatives-of-unexplored-relation. (The West Virginia jokes apply here.) Actually, they were pretty good--oldies and Texas two-steps intermixed. But not really Texas two-steps because up there I'm not sure they've heard of Texas. The songs were the type that Bruce recognized from Cape Breton, but to me, the dancers looked like they were doing the Texas two-step. And one of the women dancing made me think so much of my mom I was almost in tears. Wow.

The Castaways were followed by step-dancers who are clearly working their way up. They were cute and earnest and I loved that. Then "The Strawhatters" came on--a volunteer band that was at one time a marching group. Then a band that played pretty much Dixieland. Now just a band that does marching band tunes but doesn't march. And we ate Italian sausages with peppers and onions--one of Stan's major food groups--and went home. Funny thing was that a good time was had by all.