send in the clowns, and the goats, and the chainsaws

Actually, only one of those three things wasn't in the Ith*ca Festival parade I went to last night, and you can probably guess which one. It was cloudy and pouring, periodically, so the photos are crappy and not really representative, but it beautifully encompasses the randomness that is Ithaca.

Woman on stilts. Two seconds before I took the picture, she was texting. Note the awesome hat on the woman in front of her.

Girl in a lifejacket with a peacock... attachment?

Country singers on the back of a truck. I actually kind of like this picture... let's call it No. 6 on the 30 for 30 list.

Very, very unfortunately not pictured: the roller derby team, the SufferJets (so clever!); the guy dressed entirely in plastic bags and waving a giant sail (?); the three women singing and playing the ukelele; the Israelis for Peace contingent; the Volvo Ballet, which involved multiple Volvo station wagons and people in tutus dancing on and beside them (!); the Tailwaggers, dogs -- and one lone, awesome goat -- jumping over a pole; the chainsaw band (?!) at the end, as the grand finale.

I can't believe the parade wouldn't be the highlight of the festival, but I'm totally looking forward to the rest of the activities tomorrow and Sunday, when my good friend C. will be visiting. Yay visitors! All of you should visit, too. Come to Ithaca, there are jumping goats and ballet-dancing Volvos here. Seriously.