Dan Antion

I Love a Parade

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.

Last Saturday marked the conclusion of the 3-day carnival in our little town. Organized by our volunteer fire department, the carnival has been a summer event as long as I’ve lived here, except for 2020 and 2021 which were cancelled due to the pandemic.

The firemen had good weather all three days, The carnival opened to a large crowd. Friday night’s fireworks went off without a hitch and Saturday saw the return of the annual firemen’s parade. Except for the fact that firemen and fife and drum squads had to march, in uniform, in 92°f (33°c) heat, the parade was a wonderful success.

It was good to see the tradition of this carnival and parade continue. Fair food, family fun, fireworks, and firetrucks – it was all delightful. I hope the carnival was a success for the firemen, and I hope you enjoy the unique doors this event gave me the opportunity to capture.

For the past 10-12 days, I’ve been asking you to read another blog, one where I was featured along with my debut novel. Today, I’m asking you to check out some doors, doors linked here by the other participants in Thursday Doors.

warehouse Point Engine 1. Warehouse Point is directly across the Connecticut River from our town.
Collins Aerospace Engine 1 – That used to be Hamilton Standard who once made airplane propellers. Now, among other things, tey make spacesuits foe NASA. They’re over by the airport, about 2 miles away.
One of our Public Works dump trucks. These guys work hard throughout the year.
Our fire department’s utility vehicle.
Hamilton Sundstrand (in between Hamilton Standard and Collins Aerospace).
Windsor Lock Tower 1 – Our taxes helped pay for that baby!
Engine 3 – I’m not sure what town.
Poquonock – This is their parade truck. Artfully restored and it must be fun to drive.
Farmington CT – Ladder 1 – Farmington is about 45 minutes west of use
Shaker Pines – Engine 51 – Shaker Pines is about 35 minutes south west of use
Simsbury – Engine 8 – Simsbury is about 30 minutes west of use
It was so good to see a parade
Granville – Engine 1 – Granville is just across the border in Massachusetts.
East Hartland – Engine 2 – East Hartland is near the Massachusetts border, northwest of our town.
Warehouse Point Rescue truck
4 years ago, after the carnival, I was in this ambulance on my way to St. Francis Hospital’s Emergency Room.

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If you like magical realism with suspense, action and a bit of family sarcasm, you will enjoy these books:

Knuckleheads
The Evil You Choose
When Evil Chooses You

Series page on Amazon

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All available on Kindle Unlimited!

113 comments

  9. Well what a parade and no one rained on it! It’s always wonderful to see the Emergency Services being celebrated and appreciated.
    We have friends who live in Colorado and he’s paramedic fireman and his wife’s a senior nurse he treats and scoops while she fixes long term.
    I hope the ambulance trip was not too bad and that your fully recovered now.💜

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • I’m glad you like them, Staci. These guys work so hard, and most of them are volunteers. Supporting them at their carnival and parade was the least we could do. That, plus I love fire trucks :-)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. Oh! Dan, the fond memories an ambulance can awaken!

    I love the restored Poquonock truck! It’s a beauty.

    They’re all beauties. Gotta give the firefighters a lot of credit for the maintenance of these vehicles day in and day out, and that includes ambulances as well. Too many doors here to count, but every one of them opens up to an important function of these trucks.

    I’m glad you included the Public Works Dump Truck, shining like a diamond no less, because this department is overlooked for the work they do for us.

    A successful carnival after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Definitely something to celebrate! What a wonderful way to kick off summer. Thanks for sharing your carnival with us.
    Ginger

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thanks Ginger. I’m not sure The Editor remembers that night fondly. Finding me on the floor next to a pool of blood had to be hard for her. She still doesn’t know how she handled everything she had to do, but she was a trooper in action.

      These people take their jobs seriously, and they take care of their vehicles. I’m glad you mention the Public Works truck. Those people work so hard, all year long, to keep this town clean and safe. I have great respect for them.

      I was so happy that they had three nice days for their carnival. Now it feels like summer.

      I hope you have a nice holiday weekend.

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      Reply

  19. I enjoyed this post, Dan. We don’t have near as many fire trucks as you do, so this was a treat. I went back and reread that post where you fell. David and his comments still crack me up.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks Lois. I am a firm believer in the healing power of humor. That was a scary night, but the police and the EMTs were so helpful and so professional. That’s why I was so happy to see the carnival be successful. They deserve this.

      Liked by 1 person

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  20. Dan, the Fourth of July is a big deal around our area, and our emergency vehicles will be on parade locally in just a couple of days. Mostly all volunteers, we are indeed lucky to have a full compliment of first responders in the region. Pretty much every week, we’ll hear of a story where someone was rescued or saved from dire circumstances due to their commitment.

    Liked by 2 people

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  21. Just drop that fact and no explanation? My memory is horrible, what happened? Love the photos! My fave is the Farmington pic with the two kids arm in arm talking to a firefighter.☺️

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 2 people

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  25. Woot! Firetrucks! Dan, this is awesome. I know you must have had a good time with all these — especially after the prior two years without it.
    My doors are only from my imagination, but the actual doors are pretty cool. You’ll like one that has a lot of woodwork.

    #ThursdayDoors — Dead of Winter, Lucetius

    I also updated my “About” page. No literal doors, but the About Page is the door to getting to know a blogger.

    About Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene


    Hugs on the wing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I loved your doors today, and I learned something from your About page.

      Doors from yours or anyone’s imagination are always welcome at Thursday Doors. Yours today are perfect!

      The firetrucks were so much fun to see. I was happy that the firemen had a successful carnival.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  26. Wow. Those are some snazzy polished vehicles! I always love a beautiful fire engine. My boys always hated marching in the heat. Everyone quit band in high school because of too many parades in Louisiana. 🤷‍♀️

    Liked by 2 people

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  31. The fire brigades fight dangerous fires, but anyone is in love with the red fire trucks. Sounds like a nice family event, I am sure you enjoyed it. Nice pictures you posted today.

    Liked by 2 people

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  38. I absolutely love that restored truck, gorgeous. What a great day you must have had and the weather . . . I suppose firemen are used to hot temperatures but to parade in uniform in that heat . . . fair play to them. Wishing you all the best with your new book, Dan.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thanks Jean. I did feel sorry for those guys having to march in uniform in that heat. I think it must have been worse for the kids in the Fife and Drum corps.

      It’s always good to see you contributing to see you contributing to Thursday Doors. Today’s are great.

      Like

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    • I do love the restored truck. Judging from the crowds, I think the carnival was a success. They had good weather for the carnival and for the fireworks on Friday night. Everything was as good as could be – well the temo could have been closer to 70 than 90, but…

      Liked by 1 person

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  40. I love these, Dan, especially the special parade firetruck. Except for the heat (and, I’m sure, accompanying humidity), it sounds like a perfect way to spend some time. I’m headed back to California for my two doors and a bonus shot of Marsha and me. :-) https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2022/06/30/thursday-doors-doors-with-hair-and-another-blogger-visit/#HermosaBeach#Californiadoors#doorsiwthvegetation#meetingbloggers

    Happy Thursday.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Yes, Janet, heat AND humidity, but if they could march in it, we could certainly stand and watch. I think the carnival was a success. I loved your doors today – an interesting theme ;-) Very cool to see you and Marsah, too.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  43. I always think about house doors when contemplating your weekly blog hop and following along some blogger friends, but car and truck doors (and gate doors) can be fabulous and special as well. :-)

    I’m so glad and relieved to see that annual events like this parade are taking place again. We could all do with a little more fun (and less hot temperatures) these weeks!!!

    I am finally participating in your blog hop: https://www.roamingabout.com/thursday-doors-in-picturesque-free-spirited-and-historic-bisbee-arizona/

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • I don’t often share vehicle doors, but they show up in lots of posts. This was special. I was so happy these guys had good, albeit hot weather for their once-again-annual event. Thanks for joining us.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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