April 3

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Ann Arbor has had a FestiFools celebration around April 1 for several years.  I knew that some people worked for a long time, making enormous puppets, and that there was a parade, but I'd never gone downtown to see.

On the 3rd, I did.

I was a bit surprised by home-made most of it was.  And by how crowded it was.  Back when I had a little kid, we went downtown for the circus parade, and for the 4th of July parade, on many occasions.  I don't remember it ever being as crowded as this...........

A few things looked like someone who knew what they were doing had spent some time.

Some individuals in the crowd were decorated.

It was loud.  Very loud.  This group of real drums, and another group beating on plastic-bucket drums, who were nearly as loud as real drums.  Goodness.

Someone told me that usually it is louder than this, with more horns, etc.

Ok.  Been there, done that, won't need to repeat that experience.



It was a nice day.

Little tiny daffodils, and squill.

The sky over West Park.  Beautifully peaceful in the park.  Birdsong, rather than crowds and drums.  Ahhhhhh.

The way home.

A closer crop.  Pretty much every tiny black blob you see in the grass is a robin.  I bet there were about two dozen robins in this part of the park.  The grass was very wet, after the previous day's rain/snow, and I bet there were lots of things robins like to eat, there for the picking.

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