The O’Mena St. Patrick’s Day parade this year was one of quality, not quantity. The poor quality of the weather resulted in only the hardiest, highest quality paraders turning out. It was the smallest parade since the tradition began in Omena – six people and one dog. But a good time was had by all. The temperature was in the upper 20’s, the wind was gusty, and the parade route was snowy and slippery, but the band of marchers forged on, not wanting to disappoint the on-lookers, which I’m pretty sure numbered two – Mary Woessner on Isthmus and Marcus Stowe, representing his family at their usual viewing spot by Omena Beach.
The participants were Debby Disch, Judy Fowler, Diane Joyce, Mary Smart, and Susan Krusel, her son William, and their dog, Roxy, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, representing the canine population of Omena.
It had seemed like a good idea to have the parade on Sunday instead of Monday, but that decision was made long before any weather forecasts. Who could have guessed that one day would be the worst, dropping almost 20 degrees from the day before, with a snowfall of around 4 inches. It didn’t help that the Big Ten Basketball Tournament final game, Michigan versus Wisconsin, was at the same time.
