Today I attended a celebratory parade.

The route followed the old course of a local river and along the way the trees stood in formation, some showing off their bright new coats.

Each float offered a different representation of the theme: transition.

Upon some floats, seeds from the Ash rustled as they prepared to rain upon the ground like candy tossed into the gathered crowd.

Oak leaves showed off their pompoms of choice–some being crystalline tube galls and others . . .

possibly called hedgehog.

Playing their instruments were the Bald-faced Hornets,

Autumn Meadowhawk Dragonflies,

and even an immature Green Stink Bugs.

On the percussion instruments at the back of the band were the green and . . .

pickerel frogs.

Adding a few fainter notes were a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers.

They didn’t want the chickadees to get all the credit for the songs of the woods.

A Hairy Woodpecker also tapped a view beats.

Probably my favorite musicians, however, sported their traditional parade attire and awed those watching from the bandstand.

Even a non-breeding male made the scene look like a painting.

Their real contribution, though, came from the modestly plumaged females who offered a squealing “oo-eek, oo-eek”  each time they took flight.

Though green attire was the most prominent of the day, others sported colors of change from yellows and browns to . . .

brilliant reds.

As is often the case along such a route, vendors offered works of art for sale, including local scenes painted with watercolors.

Before it was over, a lone lily danced on the water and offered one last reflection.

And then summer marched on . . . into autumn.