A sunshine filled Saturday morning and the first warm temps in a while coupled with a historic reenactment. I am in my element!
This morning I attended the Bedford Polecapping Ceremony and Colonial Parade. All of the parade units assembled on the lawn of a historic church. The groups had time to socialize before the event.
It was a photographer's dream. There was opportunity to get in close to the action and take candids of everyone in their period costumes.
Love the hat and the jacket.
Young children participated too.
I wish you could hear the beautiful sounds from the day. The fifers and drummers just added to the historic feeling of the event.
One last bonnet check before showtime!
Oops, I got caught snapping this photo.
It's not easy to capture the moment a musket fires! I sure wish that car didn't park there.
Smoke from the muskets hung in the air.
This unit is always in step.
The sound of the drum went right through me.
A tricornerd hat was the fashion must have of the day.
Women played a role in the day's activities too.
During the invocation, the reverend mentioned that today's event would be romantic and joyous but the real events were messy, violent, and painful.
The pole is readied for the ceremony.
The climber gets ready. He will climb to the top of the pole and place the knitted red liberty cap he is wearing on the top of the pole.
He begins his ascent.
He must climb quickly.
One must be strong and agile.
The cap is placed atop the pole.
A quick fist pump to his audience.
He moves quickly down the pole....
Only to be met by the Brits who did not appreciate his act of defiance. The audience boos the Brits.
What's this? A British VIP who proceeds to roast the local officials and the crowd.
He was very entertaining and of course he had to mention the narrowly avoided government shutdown which nearly shut down some of the day's historic events at the national parks. Wouldn't that have been ironic?
