The flags seem to have lost their flutter, like parasols in a pinot colada. One after the other they fall, magically disappearing, until the Mall is symbolically naked. Have the hippies lost their minds? Is nothing sacred? Can there be government without flag? Was there before? Will there be after? Is the government truly shut down?
No, but the Parade goes on
Soap Suds to desecrate the fountains. A devilish eco-ploy! Domestic Housewife Terrorism of the sudsy type! The guy with vertical stripes on the left is getting ready to hurl a bubbly death ball. Guy on right is blinded. Hippy nurse is trying to help him.
Dress codes vary.
Bell Bottoms still rule.
Then the temperature dropped. People snuggled in sleeping bags. Unfortunately, I did not bring one.
Even the Hare Krishna started to shiver in anticipated ecstasy. Not dressed for cold weather.
And the band began to play—a concert featuring the Beach Boys and Red Bone--(above) a native American group, and others. Ok, this one is fuzzy. What do you expect? There was acid and stuff out there. And it was cold. My traveling friend was infuriated because some skinny, ratty-looking, hippy guy did have a sleeping bag, and had to lift the covers but once to entice some freezing hippy girl shelter from the cold. “You’re a tiger...” we heard her voice moan softly beneath the shifting canvas.
Hey! That’s not far out hippy talk! That’s desecrating the post! This isn’t some Shanghai Tiger Lily Movie! A bad morale moment in the Che Guevara Guerilla Training Manual! Although not dispirited, we were pretty burnt-out by sunrise; I think we had classes to study for; in any case, we decided to leave, probably five in the morning. We took a wrong turn into some scary-looking tenement street, with a group of wasted-looking denizens giving us a once-over look. Then we found an exit ramp and stood with our backpacks, hoping for a ride on the freeway. A police car pulled up. The cop on the passenger side looked us over, shot us the bird, and they sped off. Hey, what did I do! What part of weekend revolution don’t you understand?
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