It's a Hay Days Kind of Birthday

Each and every year, the community of Shubenacadie hosts a Canada Day Parade, festivities, and fire works to rival the "bigger' cities.  We call it Shubenacadie Hay Days and living right on Main Street, allows me a bird's eye view of the celebrations...and allows me to spend the day in my comfy clothes without missing any of the excitement.  The long weekend was fantastic, and for once, we were blessed with three days of near perfect weather.  It also saw the return of the road tripping real estate agent as Saturday saw me travelling to Paradise to show a home, only 200 or so odd kilometers away.  It was close enough to Upper Clements theme park for the fam to tag along, and my daughter got to spend the afternoon riding log flumes and roller coasters. In honor of our country's 144th, and for my friends south of the border who are celebrating Independence Day, I thought I'd keep with that theme today, and see if I can't share that down home, country vibe with you!

Shubenacadie Hay Days

 For 144 years, our communities have celebrated

Reveling in the freedom that so many don't know

Embracing our cultures, celebrating our differences

And feasting from the melting pot that is our community.

It is a day where our driveways are sacrificed

Offered up to the gods of lawn chairs and waving paper flags

Where toddlers dash for candy

Thrown by clowns and creatures outfitted

By the Co-op country store

And Mom's feign heat exhaustion

Sending them down the road with Dad

With crooked trucker cap

A tight wife beater, smeared with left over ketchup

From the hot dogs they ate at the fire hall for breakfast.

With jeans buckled below gurgling beer guts

They arrive to covet thy neighbor's automobile

At the church yard show and shine

While the ladies of the Tin Smith Museum

Pander t~shirts and glow sticks

In anticipation of nightfall.

The roar of 7 tractors in a row

Followed by the cry of the fire sirens

From communities near and far

Drowning out even

The melancholy sounds

Of the bagpipers paying homage

To our home in native land.

Oh Canada...

There's no where else on Earth

Quite like you!

Shubenacadie Hay Days Parade July 1st, 2011~Natasha Head Photo