Guscio: Parade helps Old Town catch the Christmas spirit

I just adore the Bluffton Christmas Parade. What a beautiful day it was. Crowds gathered all along the parade route while children scampered merrily about laughing and chasing each other.

When we were growing up in Athens, Ga., the circus would come to town and some of the wild animals -- elephants and a camel or two -- would be paraded around the street on the way to set up the circus tents. It is still that sort of fun and memories the parade and the Village Festival hold for me and I hope that it will be true for our Bluffton children.

The floats were such fun and the bands so fabulous. The Marine Corps Band stopped in front of my store and brought many onlookers to tears when they played "The Halls of Montezuma."

Two of my favorite "Bluffton Chicks" were too cluckingly marvelous for words I must get those masks they wore. One even sported what appeared to be my old overalls. Not quite sure but then again those two can't be trusted.

If you missed the fun sorry. You'll have to wait one whole year for it to be repeated.

REMEMBERING BARNEY

I can't believe it but guess what the most wanted toy was by children in 1992?

Do you remember a peculiar looking purple dinosaur?

His name was Barney and it is very hard to think that was 23 years ago.

Now toys are so sophisticated it takes a rocket scientist to work them.

I never did like Barney, but I remember him well.

FOR THE BIRDS

There is a wonderful adventure I learned about if you love nature.

You can start the new year in Titusville, Fla., at the 19th annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival Jan.20-25.

Dr. Stephen Kress, vice president for bird conservation for the National Audubon Society, will be this year's keynote speaker.

The festival includes five days of interesting classroom programs and in-the-field wildlife experiences at one of the best times of year to visit Florida.

The festival will feature many other well known birding and wildlife experts. There will be field trips, offshore birding and wildlife adventure, more than 100 photography classes, field workshops , a large exhibit area and a wonderful art show.

The festival is held in a wonderful migration path for insects, birds, whales and fish. All activities are suitable for children. Children under 12 are free to all events.

To learn more about this wonderful event go to http://SpaceCoastBirdingandWildlifeFestival.org. If you are not able to go this year I think it might be fun to find out what the fun entails.

FARM SHOW SPROUTS

America's largest indoor farming show -- the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg -- will be held, January 9-16.

The show is spread over 24 acres and is in its' 100th year.

There will be livestock exhibits, cow-milking competitions and booths featuring the latest tools and farming equipment. There is a very fun tractor "square dance" in which drivers move their tractors a la a square dance.

Americans are becoming more interested in their food and how it is produced and if you are one of those this may be just the ticket.

For anyone interested in farming or thinking about it, go to http://farmshow.state.pa.us/.

HOME GROWN

If you prefer to stay at home by the fire and dream of a garden, here are two great spots for heirloom seeds.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds offer 1,750 edible and ornamental varieties all free of GMOs and farmed without pesticides. The packets have wonderful designs on them inspired by vintage drawings. Go to http://fareseeds.com.

Have you been to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson?

If you have, you might have seen the garden, which is a dream. There are all sorts of vegetables and flowers planted and they are all gorgeous.

Today Monticello's gardeners package thousands of seeds for sale each year. President Barack Obama presented Pope Francis a custom made seed chest featuring a variety of fruit and vegetable seeds when he visited the Vatican in 2014.

Jefferson's heirloom vegetables and flowers can also be a part of your garden. You may purchase over 100 varieties of seeds and help keep these heirlooms alive.

Go to www.monticelloshop.org.

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Guscio: Parade helps Old Town catch the Christmas spirit."