Fourth of July Weekend

I spent the 4^th of July down in Yoncalla, OR visiting my parents. Yoncalla is a cute little town nestled in a valley south of Eugene.  The town is small, just over 1000 people, but it has a lot of heart.  They have a perfect small town atmosphere that feels homey and inviting.

Since my dad is the mayor of Yoncalla, I got to attend all of the community activities and revel in the friendliness of all of the local residents.

My weekend started out with a community potluck at the local park.  Everyone brought lots of great food. My youngest son, who is a watermelon fanatic, gorged himself of sweet watermelon that someone brought in a cooler.

That evening, my skinny-bummed hubby and I went for a bike ride. Yoncalla is surrounded by rolling mountains that are always green even in late August.  Because it is settled in the mountains, there were lots of hills to ride.  I got a good workout biking along those roads.

This is the Applegate home. One of the first settlers in the area built their home here. It’s a beautiful old house.  If you are ever interested in a fascinating pioneering history, read about Jesse Applegate and his trek to Oregon.

 This is another neat old barn out in a field outside of Yoncalla. I know, I have a thing for barns; they just are so rustic looking,

 Speaking of rustic, this house caught my eye.

On Monday morning, we attended the parade that went through the main street of Yoncalla. For such a small town, it was a neat little parade. Everyone was dressed up in festival colors, and there were lots of flags and happy children eager to get candy.

 This is my dad!

 I loved this creepy guy on stilts.

 Here is my grandpa riding on the WWII veteran’s float.