Weekend update, part 3

The Seafair Torchlight Parade took place Saturday evening. It was hot (for Seattle), like in the high 80's. No wind, little humidity, so it actually turned out perfect for a parade. Crowd estimates were said to be around 250,000 along the 3 mile route. It's not much, but I have some photos posted here.

The parade was very tiring this year, maybe because of the heat, maybe because our group went fairly early in the parade and the boys ate too quickly... who knows. We had all kinds of logistical problems with the staging area and the Seattle Center grounds (where the parade started). Homeland Security, you know.

The body count this year: Two boys wiped out and fell after slipping on some gravel near a road median, one boy had a bloody nose after getting whacked by a pole during a switchover, and two other boys were just plain "out of it" and looked horribly nauseaous and had to ride it out in the back of the truck. Overall though, this year, the dragon looked tired. The middle sections were frequently sagging and sometimes looked lifeless. There were alot of first-years on the middle section poles, so that probably explained a bit...inexperienced and it showed. Next year, I hope they'll be back to carry on the tradition and keep the dragon swift.