How do we celebrate Independence Day? Why, with a parade, of course. But this little gem is no ordinary parade. In the neighboring town of Johnson, Washington (population about 50-100 on a good day), hilarity, innovation, and creativity ensue while some 3,000 people converge on either side of a rural road leading to a huge grain silo, one of the only structures in Johnson. Marchers gather in an open field about 1/4 mile down the road, stroll to the grain elevator, and march back the way they came. Not only do attendees get to enjoy the parade as it passes by, but also when it passes BACK by! 
And what they might see includes a crazy array of kinetic sculpture (including a working Ferris wheel), 
a fire truck and firemen with large water guns who spray delighted youngsters with water, a flock of grown-up girls parading as pink flamingoes, the motley crew of the Moscow Volunteer Peace Band (think feather boas and tie-dye), bagpipers, soldiers, politicians, classic cars, a train made from recycled materials, and even farm equipment, both adorned and unadorned (a farmer loves to show off equipment). 
The year Michael Jackson died, a group of college girls dressed up in paint masks and single sparkly gloves and danced their way down the road and back. You’ll even see a little car that splits in half, each part driving independent of its other half. The parade was organized on a whim more than 40 years ago by a local farm family, the Druffels. Each parade is loosely organized around a theme; last year’s was Star Wars. Druffel patriarch, 93-year-old John, said he hadn’t heard of Star Wars, but he good-naturedly joined the fun, parading with a lightsaber dressed as Luke Skywalker. 
John passed away earlier this year, but on July 4th, his large family (over 70 members to date) will join with thousands of participants from nearby communities to honor this fun-loving farmer.
Hey Winnie,
Here’s my skirt you asked about …
with matching book cover …
matching tatted necklace …
and matching apron. So farmgirl!
One of our favorite families from town came out Monday to raid our strawberry patch. This is the first wave of berries from our ever-bearing patch. So S-W-E-E-T, just like the girls who came to fill their freezer.
Road tripping through my favorite state!
The canola fields are the perfect place to stop and giggle.
We don’t have an ocean, but the beaches are beaches just the same to me and my sister.
There’s something about the sand in your toes, no matter where you are. My sis and I love our Idaho.
Back in the Raising Jane (Aug/Sept 2008) issue of my magazine, we featured a wonderful musician named Jo Davidson. Jo recently e-mailed us a link to a YouTube video with some of her photos set to piano solo music she wrote. Jo says, “Feel free to share with anyone who could use a calm break!” Take a minute or two out of your busy day to watch the video below as your cares melt away …
Read Jo’s original feature in the following post.
Jo Davidson is a New York City-based musician whose songs have been praised as “the musical equivalent of Monet’s Tiger Lilies.”
At first glance, Jo Davidson appears to be the quintessential city girl. Take a moment to listen, though, and you’ll hear a deeper story. A multi-talented musician, composer, and instrumentalist, Jo makes her home in New York City, but her heart is rooted in wilder places. “The great thing about the City is that you are free to be out of the box. The pace is exciting and hedonistic, and it has a distinct pulse.” At the same time, she embraces her need to connect with the natural world for a sense of peace and creativity. “There is nothing more inspiring than nature,” Jo tells me. “It is the thread woven into everything we create.”
Jo’s music has appeared in many movies, television shows, and is played on top radio stations nationwide. She was featured on an Oprah compilation CD, and her music has been recorded by artists such as Meat Loaf. Her CDs include Kiss Me There, The Simply Said Sessions and two soul-stirring instrumental albums, Tell the Story and Merry Christmas & Happy New York.
Jo is also a photographer and hosts her own online radio show called Zentertainment Talk Radio. “It’s all about exploring possibilities and inspiring others with new ways of thinking and being,” she says. This show was born out of Jo’s own personal struggle with an illness called CFIDS/ME (Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome/Myalgic Encephaloyelitis). “It is my way of making something possible for myself when many other paths at the moment are not.”
Zentertainment Talk Radio features interviews with best-selling authors, healers, environmental activists, and others who have overcome and learned through adversity. “This is a place to laugh, heal, learn, be inspired, and get connected.”
If that’s not farmgirl spirit, I don’t know what is! That’s why Jo was naturally drawn to MaryJanesFarm. “MaryJane keeps us connected. Her magazine appeals to the part of me that wants to slow down, that wants to live in sync with the seasons. I made biscuits using MaryJane’s Budget Mix, and my whole family agreed that they were the best biscuits in the world. MaryJane even makes me want to iron, and you have NO idea how big that is! Making a difference in the world really can start with one person. MaryJane is such an example of this.”
And making a dream come true starts with taking one step. “Even if you can only see what is right in front of you, take that one step. The future is made up of a bunch of moments called NOW. The sun sets, the sun rises—always, it rises. And in the morning, we have biscuits!”
You can listen to Zentertainment Talk Radio anytime at Zentertainment.org. While there, you can also listen to clips of Jo’s songs and order her CDs. Jo posts listeners’ stories, photos, poems, and quotes on her website, and she encourages all farmgirls to share.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
