And now, joining community theater and "Stars & Stripes" independent-brand cola on the charming list, small-town 4th of July parades. Specifically, the one in Orinda, CA.

Yesterday, when I returned home from camp (for the weekend), my mom showed me an article about Orinda's volunteer marching band. For 25 years, they've been assembling the morning of the parade to improvise a performance. Cool, right?

So I went down to participate. Amongst veterans, political clubs, youth groups, chuches, and the high school's cheerleaders and football team (though I can't quite figure out why they're all around in early July). The marching band wasn't the most organized or talented in the world, but it was fun and functional. Everybody watching enjoyed it, and for their enjoyment the band's skill level was perfectly matched.