To The Pre-Parade Squatters...

 I spotted my the first yellow caution tape Monday or Tuesday. I thought someone was blocking people from walking on newly planted sod. It wasn't until a few days (and possibly hundreds of lawn chairs...) later that I finally understood.

The parade is this weekend.

For one day a year residents on Farmington's Main Street, State Street, and Second West become imprisoned in their own homes and people from all over descend upon our little hamlet to watch cars, marching bands, politicians, hot tub salesman, police, and fire personnel, and horses walk in front of them. The kids hoping to catch as much candy as they can--the parents hoping they do, too.

But the squatters...they're the real heroes. I'm sure most of the yellow caution tape/chairs/blankets come from the homeowners themselves. I can't imagine someone who doesn't live at a residence doing that to someone else, but I'm sure it's happened.

Do they put up the yellow tape to block access to others because they have family/friends joining them to watch, or are they just sick of other people claiming temporary ownership of their real estate? I imagine it's both. I haven't attended the parade in years. Tomorrow morning as the crowds gather, I'll be somewhere else yet again.

And when the parade entries have all but gone and the only candy left is the taffy that got squished by car and truck tires, those hardy souls with pack up their chairs, take down the yellow tape and go back to their normal non-parade lives.

Until the week before next year's parade, that is...