St. Patty's Parades..Who's Counting?

   It's Saint Patrick's Day. But, by now, most of
the Irish in our area are Paraded out!
   Scranton's huge parade got rained on this
year and the temperature was a bit on the cool
side for marchers in Wilkes-Barre.
    Folks in Pittston pulled off what they
billed as their second annual Saint Patrick's
Parade.
    But I say it was their third...and I remember
the first one!
    As evidence I offer my Blog from March 18th
of 2012. Have a look.
              MARCH 18th., 2012
    The streets in Pittston were strangely quiet
yesterday as I tool my stroll.
   Pittston, of course, is know for its strong
connection to the Italian culture.
   Still there were tributes to Saint Patrick's
day here and there.
    A craft shop that makes and sells ceramic
items had one window filled with Irish bowls
and clovers. That was kind of impressive
because the owner is conducting a "Retirement
Sale" and its windows will soon be empty.
   Another place had cut outs of shamrocks
pasted here and there while a music
store on North Main Street had placed
colorful Irish hats of busts of Chopin and
Bach! I had no idea those guys were Irish!
   The "highlight", however, was the full
sized statue of a mule with an Irish
chapeau set atop its head! That one you
couldn't miss!
    The gentleman I saw walking towards
me was apparently Irish too.
    He sported a tall green hat, solid green
shirt and spoke with what seemed to be
a real Irish accent.
    He wondered why the city wasn't doing
more for Saint Patrick's Day. The mule
didn't seem to make too much of an
impression. He noted the fact that
Scranton and Wilkes-Barre had held their
parades a week before the actual holiday.
    He wished something had been
planned for Pittston as well.
    I agreed but suggested, since nothing
was planned, that he might well stage
his own parade by just walking up and
down the sidewalks along Main Street.
    The thought cheered him and, as I
walked away, I thought I heard him
humming an Irish tune. I believe he's
still marching!
    It may have been the start of the only
Saint Patrick's Day March ever held in
Pittston!
    I didn't get a chance to snap his
picture. But I did get the mule!
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   And so as Walter Cronkite used to
say, "That's the way it was."
    Hope you have a good Saint Patrick's
Day and that all your NEWS is good!