(click video at bottom of this blog
for music to read by)
Sunday, August 10, 2008: The day was as warm
as any bright, sunny summer Bodie day without
a cloud in the skies. Unusually green for this time
of year, it appeared as though the iris might just
have finished their brief show for the year.
People anticipated the start of the parade and
started lining Main Street from down by the jail
all the way past County Barn. The parade was led off
impressively by a Color Guard from the
Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center followed by
our National Anthem sung by a local 15 year old
Bridgeport girl, Diana Harris, whose voice rivaled
any heard on "American Idol".
Grand Marshal was none other than former
Bodie schoolteacher and longtime
resident, Alice Dolan.
Alice rode in a wagon and waved to the crowd which
lined Main Street as the parade route took her and
the rest down and back Main giving the crowd ample
chance to view it.
Mistress of Ceremonies, Terri Geissinger, was
resplendent in her period gown of copper colored satin
with ebony beading. She announced each parade
participant for the crowd as they passed the
Miners Union Hall so they could be identified for all.
It was a parade worthy of any Bodie celebration.
Besides the treat of Bodie's own "Horribles"
joining the festivities there were rigs from
around the area, let me give you a sample:
All the way from Chico, CA , came the beautiful
and very large Dapple Percheron team with
Luke and Donna Messinger; a Chuck Wagon from
Red's Meadow Pack Station in Mammoth, CA;
an authentic Bodie wagon from Smith Valley,
Nevada driven by Cub & Tracy Wolff;
a Meadowbrook cart pulled by a Shire Belgian
named "Butch" and handled by Anna and Jessie
Messinger from Chico, CA;
Hunewill Ranch chuck wagon from Bridgeport, CA;
authentic period wagon driven by Eugene &
Sherell Oreb and "Duke" the dog from Yerington,
Nevada; a very fancy delivery wagon, actually an
1880's Studebaker delivery wagon painted
black and silver pulled by a team of magnificent
Stoney Creek Shires that looked as though they had
been born and raised just to pull that smart-looking
wagon from Orland and driven by Earl & Vickie Strand;
another authentic chuck wagon pulled by 4 black mules
handled by George Cabral from Ceres, CA;
Cherokee on her mustang, Conchita from Wellington,
Nevada; and what had to be the hit of the parade
-the miniature burros from
the Smart Ass Mule Company pulling a small cart
and handled by Rick & Lori Edney
from Smith Valley, Nevada.
The day was loaded with events and fun.
There things like the pie eating contest with
delicious apple pie from the bakery and even the
Marine contingent got in on the watermelon
eating contest. With the costume rental stand,
there were a number of people in period dress,
not just those who were there to assist with the
event as Volunteers so it added to the festive
atmosphere of the day.
In additon the Old Tyme Photos seemed to be
a lively stop and there was much interest by some
about the rigors of gold pannning and what the
possibilities could bring you if you'd be willing
to work for it as they listened to the demonstrators.
Stamp Mill tours were popular and were given hourly.
Folks on Main Street were treated to a real,
old-fashioned experience with Dr. Isreal Goode
and his snake oil sales show complete with sidekick,
wagon and shills in the audience he gave us all a
good look and poked some fun at what was
commonplace in every town on any given day.
Dave Carle was there to sign his book as was
Bodie author Marguerite Sprague.
The Photo Fair Gallery was in the Red Barn and
is "always" worth a visit and possibly a souvenir.
Many Bodie residents upon visiting have been
surprised at the images for Sale and many
have purchased some to take home to
help preserve their memories of living there.
The F.O.B. membership dinner as always was a huge,
long line of waiting. There was just barely adequate
seating and as happens with many of these events-
the steaks were and chicken and I hear they ran
out of cake.
With the daylight getting thin this reporter
knowing better, did not wear long pants and was
getting a bit chilly. For as we all know, as soon as
the sun starts to go down in Bodie, so does the
temperature, therefore I did not stay for the
Annual speech nor the dance which was to be
an old-fashioned dance called by that lilting lily
of the eastern sierra known
by all as the capable Janet Carle.
