Friends at the Rose Bowl Parade

Our wonderful friends, George and Nancy Reid, are in California enjoying the Rose Bowl Parade festivities with a group of Escapees.

Following is an email we received from them describing the fun they are having:

Just thought I'd send a note and share a bit about the activities we've enjoyed in connection with the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. 

On Monday, we we went to a large warehouse that housed three floats that were in the beginning stages of attaching flowers.  Huge buckets of flowers were everywhere.  We worked a four-hour shift, along with hundreds of other volunteers.  I was plucking chrysanthemums off their stems while George continually moved buckets   The flowers were placed in flat boxes face down to the next volunteers who squirted glue on them, and then runners took them to the float where others were gluing them on.  I got to do that job for a while too.  The float we worked on was Ohio State University, so when you see that float in the parade, you'll know that's the one!

Tuesday, we were taken to what's called Equestfest, which was a pretty cool show of all kinds of horses, from little tiny ones to the Clydesdales.  Pretty fancy struttin' and riders with beautiful costumes.  They will all be in the parade.  After a tasty dinner at Marie Calendar's, we went to see "The Glory of Christmas" at the Crystal Cathedral.  (That's Robert Schuller's all-glass church you may have seen on TV.)  It's a nativity musical presentation like you can't imagine, with a huge set and flying angels and live animals including camels and horses.

Today the weather wasn't very good--rain and drizzle and overcast and cool, but we went to see another area of float construction where we took a tour and watched others work.  It's an amazing production that starts in March of every year and culminates this week with the actual attachment of the flowers, seeds, leaves, nuts, etc. that cover every inch of the float.   In the afternoon, we went to see the Bandfest, which is kind of like a half-time show at a football game.  I think there were maybe about 8 or so different bands performing for this--one from Japan.  We enjoyed, even though we were snuggling under our rain capes to keep warm and dry. 

We will be watching the parade from bleachers that are set up in front of Pasadena City College.  Some of us will be holding ESCAPEE signs.  Weather is supposed to be pretty nice on Friday!  Then we'll get to look at floats  up close after the parade.

We will be looking for George and Nancy on TV at the Rose Bowl Parade, in the morning!!!