The town of Stafford, Vermont, holds one of our favorite parades of the year the weekend closest to the Fourth of July. Last Saturday rain threatened, but held off. And still a crowd formed around the green in Strafford’s upper village to see kilted men and women play kazoos, gleaming tractors, welsh ponies ornamented with flowers, kids on tricycles, antique cars, and—our favorite—the dachshunds on parade.

My husband grew up with two dachshunds, and stories about them are immensely popular around the dinner table. So we go to see the dachshunds, to visit with our Strafford friends, play old time games on the green, and rummage through the library book sale (almost as much of a highlight as the wee dogs).