FLAG WAVING ABUNGO

I've never been a flag waver. I love home and my adopted home but excessive hands on hearts makes me feel a tad uncomfortable.
Yesterday I made up from a life time of passive patriotism and had a blast.

A couple of years ago after watching my first 4th July parade wend its way through Flagstaff, after a couple of beers Mike, Rob and I had one of those ideas that sound funny but rarely get followed through.
March as the AussieYank alliance of Flagstaff, and do it as a pub crawl.
Last year we all were busy, and the plan did pass my mind earlier this week, but didn't really consider it.

Friday night Mike rings as asks if we want to crash the parade.
Sure! What could possibly go wrong?
So with little planning or preparation we did so.

We grabbed a Koala, a flag, a Drizabone, a Ipod with Roy and HG, and printed out flags and a heart.
Mike and family met us there with the Little Red Wagon Of InterNation Harmony and Beer, a banner he knocked up and a plan to get us past the marshalls.
Laura marches with the Peace Core, so infiltrated and trailed in behind them. Once we got into the main stretch we backed up and unfurled our banner. It was pretty funny. We got a few 'oi oi ois' from the crowd and walking past the radio presenter got a long silence between the group in front and behind us.
We only did about half the route before ducking into the first pub for a beer, we then got back into the parade for 1/2 a block to the next pub, where we stayed and watched the rest from the balcony.

We were respectful and the flags were about the same size. Didn't want to annoy anyone as a lot of people take this very seriously, and it was never meant to mock. (much ;)

I think we did well to further the peace and love between the Aussies and the Seppos.