Top O' The Mornin'

On this rainy St. Patrick's Day I sit at my computer wearing my green Peanuts(c) tee shirt and hoping for the best for my freshman BC Cadet who awaits his turn in the parade. Call me and Stephen bad parents, but we just didn't see the point in standing in the rain for an hour until our drenched son walks by. So sorry, Lawson.

Because weather forecasters have been predicting today's rain for the last week, the Remlers decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day Tybee style, so this past weekend we packed a cooler, some folding chairs, a big salad and our cameras, and we made a day of it on Butler Avenue for Tybee's annual St. Patrick's Day parade.

The delight of this event is manifold:

• It's only an hour long, as opposed to Savannah's 3-4 hour production.
• Lawson doesn't have to march in it, and that makes him happy.
• It runs down Butler Avenue, a four-lane street, which gives the parade participants much room to walk
• The wide street gives spectators much room to spectate
• Parade participants are allowed to interact with the spectators, even giving out beads, candy, and tickets (from the Shriners' Keystone Kops)
• The Remlers always have a place to park because the parade runs right by JoJo and Pop Pop's house
• That means when the parade is over, we simply go inside and feast on fried chicken

Who wouldn't love that?

To top it off, the sun was shining and the temperatures were in the '70's.

Our friend Kimberly Saxon took her five year-old Holden to his first parade, and he had a ball. Who wouldn't. He sat in his chair and watched entertainment walk by, and periodically, someone walked up and handed him a goodie, which he stuck in his pocket. By parade's end, his little blue jeans were weighed down with lollipops, Tootsie Rolls, and plastic green beads.

And to top it off, he got to ride up and down JoJo's elevator.

Good stuff.

I have only one recommendation to the city of Tybee Island: Make sure all city employees understand the event is intended to welcome visitors, not turn them off.

Prior to the parade, Tybee residents and tourists had lined up along Butler Avenue with chairs, coolers, strollers, and the like. We Remlers were at the end of 10th Court, and some other Tybee residents (we didn't catch their names) had set up camp in an adjacent parking space.

A Tybee Parking Services employee approached them and told them that if they intended to sit in that parking space, they had to pay the meter.

What???

No traffic is allowed on Butler Avenue during the parade. Did this guy really want us to believe the city intended to check meters during the event? And what did the island stand to lose during that one hour? A buck? Two? Puh-leez.

Of course, our neighbors ignored his warning and enjoyed the parade without incident. But that one moment of stupidity gave the city a little black spot. And if that parking attendant spoke to every family standing in a parking space, well, that's not very good for tourism. Just saying.

Fortunately, everything else about the parade was fun and upbeat, and we're glad we got a chance to wave and cheer at the grand marshal, the Beach Chair Brigade, Father O'Brien, and a fat man who really should put his clothes on.

We'll miss all that Savannah excitement today, but we'll catch it again next year. For now, Tybee's parade served as a great substitute.