This past Sunday I went to the 66th Annual Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon, California. El Cajon is kind of redneck country, and the parade did not disappoint. I felt like I was at the biggest conservative redneck gun-toting republican secessionist religious rah rah party in the world.
Although it really felt good to get back to civilization, I did have a good time. I’m like that. Give me a bunch of lemons and I’ll make lemonade or lemon meringue pie…….. or I’ll invite YOU over to have lemon shots with me!
Some pictures from the 2½-hour parade:
The Mother Goose Parade started in 1947 when El Cajon’s population was a mere 1,500 residents. However, that first parade resulted in about 25,000 spectators. It grew to 100,000 in 1949, 300,000 in 1963 when the parade was postponed a week due to President Kennedy’s assassination, and 400,000 in 1973. It now ranks as San Diego’s largest parade.
It also claims to be the “largest of its kind” west of the Mississippi. I don’t know what “largest of its kind” means. Largest children’s parade? Largest parade on the Sunday before Thanksgiving? Largest conservative redneck gun-toting republican secessionist religious rah rah parade?
San Diego’s next parade will be the Big Bay Balloon Parade which will be held on December 27, 10:00 a.m., with the Holiday Bowl, matching a Pac-12 team against a Big 12 team, at 6:45 that evening.
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I have not got the slightest clue what is happening here but thanks for sharing your great pics. It looks amazing 🙂
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So colourful in character !
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Fascinating 🙂
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Extraordinary!
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wonderful.. and i sure hope that the little pony was adopted after the parade..
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That group with the miniature horse for adoption also had an alpaca and some goats for adoption.
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This looked like fun…. cept for the gun toting Gran…
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Yeah. Considering that the Mother Goose Parade is “A Celebration of Children,” there were waaaaaaaaaay too many guns.
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Looked like a beautiful day, I hope you own a pony now! It is odd to see a gun totting Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies. I always have dreamt of going to the rose bowl parade in Pasadena…one day.
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Love the parade, characters (both planned and unplanned) and photos. Well done. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend. BTG
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Love a parade! Redneck?! I am 10 min. from the South Carolina border, if you really want to see Redneck come on down!
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Glad I took a gander at your mother goose parade
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Ha, ha… You’re funny: “the biggest conservative redneck gun-toting republican secessionist religious rah rah party in the world.”
While I’m totally with you on that, that’s probably what passes for ‘redneck’ in CA. You should see the rest of the country!
Although the Catskills in Upstate NY, where I usually reside, is considered a kind of spiritual/progressive corner, even we have one up on CA rednecks, Russel.
Not that this is something to be proud of. 😉
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Outstanding,pictures that embody the parade ,through an artistic eye.impressive.Jalal(thank you for liking my posts)
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When I was 19 I was arrested in El Cajon and spent 2 days in jail in San Diego. That was the only time I was in El Cajon. I reformed after that.
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Oh, nooooooooooooo. Not a reformer!…………lol
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Okay, some of this parade is whimsical, some fun, some creative, and some just plain frightening. Well, you did well with your lemons. And I try to keep my progressive mind open to the diversity that exist in the US…
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I love diversity, but some of it is truly frightening.
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I agree. The last town where I lived had some frightening elements. I now live in a progressive center surrounded by conservative elements. But it could be worse.
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An interesting mix of images! Well done!
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Hi Russel. It Looks a great parade and lots of fun. Great Photos really captures the mood. Look forward to see The Big balloon Parade photos. May I Thank you for liking my latest poems. A Very Happy Christmas and New Year. Take Care. The Foureyed Poet.
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It’s ironic that I’m looking at this post — with its smiling faces, happy children, festive atmosphere — on the day when 18 kindergarteners were killed by a lunatic wielding at least three automatic or semi-automatic weapons.
Gun control would be anathema to this crowd. But I have friends who are hunters, and I’m not advocating control of handguns. (A doomed effort, anyway.) But I am talking about a ban on assault weapons, which are absolutely indefensible from any point of view except for law enforcement officers and the US military.
How how how and when when when will enough people — including these good and doubtless God-fearing citizens — come to their senses and announce that enough is enough?
Sorry to rain on your parade, it’s the shock of the irony.
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