CINCO DE MAYO ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

    Like South Florida, California is very diverse.  After enjoying a very Anglo Fourth of July parade in La Selva Beach, we drove ten-minutes inland for the Mexican version.
 
   
     It took place in Watsonville, an agricultural community that produces 90% of our country's strawberries. The workers who pick them come from the Mexican states such as Chiapas,  Veracruz, and Michuacan.
   
 Their diversity was reflected in the city's holiday parade...its music,
costumes, 
and tractors passing by.

There were many old tractors. Antique firetrucks too. The forest firemen

 

were hefting noisy chainsaws. Loud and macho, what could be more American than that?






Maybe funked up classic cars. This fiery Buick had everyone droolin'. 

The baddest ones had serious hydraulics
that allowed them to drag their bottoms or hop like frogs. 

 







 


At one point there was even a Watsonville police car jumping down Main Street.



 

    After all the costumed dancers had passed there were dozens of beautiful, dancing  horses. It seemed like the perfect ending as

 

noone likes to dance in horse poop.
               ___________________________

We thank Francesca's brother, Antonio, and his wife, Michele (local residents) ,for taking us to their Independence Day parade.