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| Bigfoot, in a sudden existential moment, contemplates the meaning of all of this.... |
BIGFOOT'S BLOG, EARLY OCTOBER 2010 EDITION:
Special Feature:
BIGFOOT DAYS IN WILLOW CREEK: "NIFTY FIFTY"
Willow Creek's annual end-of-summer Labor Day event, BIGFOOT DAYS, has now been around for fifty years! BIGFOOT'S BLOG was on hand to document this year's celebration, and a Squatchy one it was. Normally only a few goofy gorilla suits are mustered, but it seemed this time nearly every other float had a Bigfooty theme. Though we can't show you everything that occurred that morning, starting promptly at 10:00 a.m. this time, here is a collection of what we liked the most: seeing our kid in the fire truck and seeing the community get geared up into the Bigfoot Spirit. We aren't going to be our usual wordy self here, so just enjoy the photos. Hopefully we can get the captions to be meaningful enough.
All photos taken by Steven Streufert, 2010, with his rinky-dink Sony Cyber-Shot pocket camera (a real blog standby that even survived a weekend of rain-soaked camping up in Bluff Creek). CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGES for viewing.
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The parade always starts with the Veterans' color guard. Some of these
old-timers have interesting tales to tell of Bigfoot. |
"Bigfoot's Nifty Fifty" Anniversary of the celebration, was really great and quite unusually Bigfooty this year. Yes, that's right---our little community festival is nearly as old as the Jerry Crew footprint cast finds of 1958. These latter are what first really made "Bigfoot" famous to the world, so heck, we OWN that "Bigfoot Capital of the World" title. That's right, Happy Camp--just admit it's true!
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Kid-squatcher Denali Brown rode with the twins in the fire engine.
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Bigfoot's enemy, Smokey the Bear, facilitator of tree harvests, always
makes an appearance. Some kids are afraid of him, but love Bigfoot. |
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| Bigfoot Says Stomp Out Fires! Fire Safe Council float. |
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Which one is Bigfoot? Is that a human in a Bigfoot suit,
or a Bigfoot in a human suit? It's a mystery unfathomable. |
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Queen of the parade, "Little Miss Bigfoot, 2010."
Not the one on the tractor, though Bigfoot might find her more his type. |
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| Fifty Years of Bigfoot Queens. A scant few of Bigfoot's many brides, anyway. |
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| The Bigfoot Lions Club knows how to roll! |
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Yes, that is a little Yeti hanging out the window of this glamor car.
Following up behind are the Dream Quest belly dance kids. |
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| Under the BF banner here come the ballet kids, led by a Bigfooty vehicle. |
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More Dream Quest kids proving that anyone can be a Bigfoot.
Just glue on some Big Feet. |
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Coast Central Credit Union had an ambiguously Bigfooty float.
We couldn't quite figure it out. Note: reclining Bigfoot. |
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A Wandering Bigfoot and small mask-wearing primate doled out candy.
Many kids ran into the street to grab it, precariously dodging vehicles. |
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A long-standing secret: Bigfoot works at Ace Hardware; and yes,
Bigfoot does wear human clothes on the job. |
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Not to be outdone, Bigfoot Contractor's Supply brought along its own
forest. And what is that, a... greenhouse? |
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| Some Unknown Primates relax in aforementioned portable forest with grow house. |
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| Suddenly... BIGFOOT APPEARS! |
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| Bigfoot ponders an escape route as the cameras roll. |
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| Bigfoot Kids representing various decades of Bigfoot Fashion. |
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| "Five Decades of Bigfoot": Sixties Bigfoot Representin'. |
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| All Bigfoot Ducks and Decades Finally in a Row. |
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"Keepin' Bigfoot Country GREEN all YEAR Long!"
I dunno... is that a reference to indoor grows? |
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Watch out, Bigfoot doesn't throw just rocks--candy,
and maybe fertilizer, too. Trinity River Garden Center's Float. |
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| Eco-Groovy Bigfoot: "Go Green for Me, Grandpa Bigfoot." |
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| Bigfoot give a shout out to his homies. |
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Nothing like a "Georgia Gorilla" suit fresh from Biscardi's freezer to spread
that Nifty Fifty Spirit. Blue Lake Casino float. |
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Why the Patterson-Gimlin film has not been replicated. This suit stumbled
like a blind zombie, and had to be led around by a human handler. |
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| Blinded by the suit, blinded by the hair, Bigfoot Suit is having troubles. |
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| Bigfoot nearly plunges from the ledge of the float. |
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Back on track, but the Bigfoot Suit's extended hand has now twisted
unnaturally 180 degrees. How DID Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin DO it?
This goofy suit could only fool Biscardi; but it is funny and cool. |
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The Salyer Store and Granny's Sandwiches brought some old-fashioned
Bigfoot spirit... or is that a needlework party? |
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When he ran out of candy to toss, suddenly Bigfoot realized he had none
left for himself; and he started begging from the kids. |
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A lull in the parade due to belly dancer's jamming traffic ahead allowed
a photo of visitor Nathan Johnston-Chiszar, with Denali and his sons,
Reese and Liam. These kids are BIG ANGRY BIGFOOT FANS!
Nate is sporting his collectible 2007 BF Days t-shirt. |
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| The lull in the parade brought out this strange geriatric Bigfoot with walker. |
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"Bigfoot Boogie" with partying Bigfoot and friends from
Simon LeGree's Saloon, from Hawkin's Bar. |
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Fifty Years of BIGFOOT LOVE!
We didn't catch any more than the "ServPro" name on this truck. |
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| A Gorilla in a Dune Buggy, with Humans. |
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| This guy really has the BIGFOOT DAYS SPIRIT. |
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| Fifties themed Nifty 50 truck. |
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| "Hey Bigfoot, Come out, come out, Wherever U R!" |
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"Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Bigfoot Right Over to...
Winnett Vineyards." |
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| Farmer Brown's "Horticultural Supply" holds another Hoe-Down. |
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| Save for the mules, in the model of Roger Patterson and his ponies. |
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In the parade aftermath, Bigfoot poses with Nate and the Kids.
Statue sculpted by Jim McClarin. |
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| Lacking an official t-shirt, out-of-towners are now making their own. |
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| Big-Time Bigfoot Days Fans, all the way from Davis. |
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| In the Museum part for Ice Cream: "Best of the Beast." |
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At the BIGFOOT MOTEL, formerly Wyatt's, where the
Pacific Northwest Expedition first met. |
After an extremely long shuttle ride (we could easily have walked more quickly) we were deposited down near the Trinity River at Veteran's Park for the continuing festivities. Mostly about Indian Tacos and inflatable bouncy trampolines, the park was festive, if not exactly "Squatchy." What "Bigfoot" there was tended to the overly cute but still heartwarming side of things.
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| Bigfoot Rides with Santa, Bigfoot's Christmas. A bit out of season. |
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| Sometimes Bigfoot is just a little too coy. |
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| Too cute to be real. They must be a hoax. Move over Teddy Bear. |
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| OK, this one has a bit more Original-G tough vibe going on. |
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| BIGFOOT RED had a table, too. Sentinel Winery. |
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| More unofficial Merch. Bigfoot Days Posters. |
What was a bit of a bummer compared to this year's groovy parade was the decidedly less Squatchy celebration in the park afterwards. It was fun, for sure; but someday we are hoping that the organizing committee will actually go along with our suggestion that they add some Bigfoot speakers to the event. We suppose that most folks think that would be boring compared to reggae music, fireman's water competitions, axe-throwing, and sno-cones.
We were a touch saddened to see that Al Hodgson's planned Bigfoot History Photo Display was not up this year, as planned. No, John Green couldn't make it down here from Canada. No, we can't complain. We had an excellent Indian Taco for lunch. Well, for Bigfoot, there's always NEXT YEAR. Here's to number 51!
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ANGRY BIGFOOT SPEAKS!
Bigfoot Ballyhoo. It so lame! Me stomp, big-time. You hear from me soon, Oregon!
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This blog is copyright and all that jazz, save for occasional small elements borrowed for "research" and information or satirical purposes only, 2010, Bigfoot Books and Steven Streufert. Borrowings will be tolerated without the revenge of Angry Bigfoot, if notification, credit, citation and a kindly web-link are given, preferably after contacting us and saying, Hello, like a normal person would before taking a cup of salt. No serious rip-offs of our material for vulgar commercial gain will be tolerated without major BF stomping action coming down on you, hu-man.
