Franklin Grove Summer Harvest Festival ...

John and Diane Nicholson, the official honorees of the Franlin Grove Summer Harvest Festival.

Essie takes some quiet time for herself amidst the chaos of the beginning of the parade.

Uncle Jim, Aunt Janet, and the rest of the family!


My boss taking a break after chatting with the locals on the parade route.

John Nicholson walking back through the streets of Franklin Grove after the parade (this guy is always busy!).


Sunset on the way home from the parade. Gorgeous day!

This was the first time that I've been able to celebrate Franklin Grove's Summer Harvest Festival. What a great place, and what a wonderful time for a parade! Sunset is the perfect time for a parade. The lighting is beautiful, the temperature has dropped, and everyone has had the opportunity to spend time with their family all day. Franklin Grove has got it goin' on. John & Diane Nicholson, good friends of mine, were the honorees for the parade and for good reason, too. John sits on the Lee County Board as vice-chair, while Diane works as the director of the Lee County tourism as well as a trustee for Franklin. More than anything else, these are good people who are genuinely trying to better the area.

It was a nice surprise to run into my Aunt Janet and the rest of the family. Her ties with Franklin stem from growing up in the Dixon area and working in Ashton at Crest foods as a computer programmer for many years. It's always great to find friendly faces in the crowd.

As for next year, I plan on getting to Franklin a little earlier to hit the town-wide garage sales and staying later for the square dance!