Photos: Cape Charles celebrates an old-fashioned Fourth

CAPE CHARLES

Lawrence Nottingham, Jack White and Chip Watson took up their regular posts in the rocking chairs outside Watson's Hardware to watch the July Fourth parade go by.

First came the golf carts bedecked with flags, bunting and paper plates. One had been transformed into a fire truck with cardboard sides. Another was driven by a man shouting "Merry Christmas" at the people on the sidewalks. The nearby bank temperature clock flashed 86 degrees.

The bicycles came next. Little Kaeden Rippon, 4, of Belle Haven, who only this year learned to ride a bike, rode with training wheels and an American flag in the handle bars.

Farther back, Anne Lepre, 57, shouted, "This is the first time anybody let me in the parade!" as she pedaled. A metallic string of red, white and blue stars hung from her handlebars. She was in town from California with about 30 members of the Messick family for a reunion.

Outside Watson's, the gentlemen watched the parade and waved. "This is Hometown, USA," said Watson, who has owned the store for 38 years and has hosted gatherings six days a week for just as long.

Nottingham and White watched children scramble for tossed candy, heard the sirens of the fire trucks and put their hands over their hearts when fellow veterans marched by.

Linda Morse of Rochester, N.Y., jumped at the chance to be in the parade with her granddaughters, their friend and their baby sitter. She got crepe paper, tissue paper and small paper plates to string around the golf cart that came with the house they're renting.

"This is a fitting end to our vacation, with fireworks and everything," Morse said. "We've been enjoying the beach, playing in the tidal pools, gathering the sea life." However, the fireworks were rained out by a thunderstorm shortly before 9 p.m.

Roger Munz of Cape Charles said July Fourth is a chance to show off the town to visitors.

"For a small town, there is a lot going on," said Munz, who sells real estate and let several girls visiting from Ohio toss candy out of his golf cart. "This really is what America is all about."

At Watson's, the men in the rocking chairs said they're happy to let others be in the parade. They prefer to watch.

In 38 years, they said, the parade has changed little. And they like it that way.

Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com