Zucchinis

Millbrook feels like it belongs in a Louise Penny novel. Only, it's not in Quebec. Baxter Creek, which runs right through the middle of the village, has been dammed and behind the dam is a lovely mill pond. The main street downtown still looks Victorian. It's idyllic.

Today's adventure took place below the dam in a small park along the creek. The Millbrook Zucchini Festival!

Look at all those zucchinis! What are they going to do with them?

There were zucchini boat races, zucchini sculpting, zucchini baking contest, zucchini poetry contest, Zucchini Parade to the Mill Pond and the Flying Monkeys Giant Zucchini Slingshot Finale.

Rules were clear.

Everything you needed to carve and decorate a zucchini boat was on a bunch of tables in the park. Boats were tested in the river and this lady spent the afternoon retrieving them.

Some zucchinis were just a pretty face. No racing for them. They were entered in the decorating contest.

Entries were set out on tables under the trees.

As the two o'clock race start time approached, contestents lined up. 60 of them! I love the expressions on everyone's faces. "Is my boat going to get stuck on a rock?" "Hers look really good."

At the sound of the bugle, boats were set into the water.....

... that moment of release!

With 60 kids entering the race, there were a lot of heats. I love this picture. It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.

This year there was something new: adult races. I love this guy's boat.

After the races were over, everyone was paraded up to the top of the dam.

And, you are wondering what were they being let to? Right?

Hmmmm.... they seem happy about what they are seeing.

Ahhhh!!!!!

The Flying Monkeys Giant Zucchini Slingshot Finale! Isn't the expression on this little guy's face priceless?

It was getting pretty chilly out so I stepped over to the pond to see how the wildlife were enjoying the festival before we headed home. They seemed unimpressed.

Well, we were impressed. Small town fun. They figured it out themselves.

“Anyway—because we are readers,

we don't have to wait for some communications executive

to decide what we should think about next—

and how we should think about it.

We can fill our heads with anything from aardvarks to zucchinis—

at any time of night or day.”

Kurt Vonnegut