"The Parade Goes On, Rain, Sleet, Snow or Shine!"

Rain and shine… ☔🌞

It did happen, simultaneously, when the luminous Grand Marshal 2016 spread his charisma in Manhattan. A wonderful windup of his promotional tour. Kudos, Sam! 😘

You can't beat this picture: https://www.instagram.com/p/BECPpdqgm5W/


Statism: The belief that you require permission to be free.

I can't! 🌞 In one of my posts I quipped about Apollo, god of the sun wearing shades (lying on that couch in the Late Show). Looking at this picture I was the one who had to put on my sunglasses 😎

He really brightened up the whole area. 🌞
I watched a short video on his FB-page. I've never heard of, let alone seen a Tartan Day Parade before, but something tells me that this parade probably had a completely different character than any previous one :), where the onlookers stand on each side of the street and the parade proceeds in symmetrical, straight lines. By moving with this animated agility and his playful 360°-attention for all that surrounded him, Sam involved the spectators and turned them into active participants of the event too, in a way that I didn't even notice the crush barriers. That's charisma! 😘
A man of many talents...

P.S. Praise for all those wonderful snapshots! 📱📷🌷

I finally marched in the Tartan Parade this year (after attending 10 years of after parties and Dressed to Kilts etc).

It was wet, windy and really cold...but everyone who marched was stoked and Sam was so gracious and sweet to each and every group who passed the bus he was atop.

I was very impressed with his enthusiasm and emotional reactions to everyone... pipers, drummers, Celtic dancers, flag bearers, children, dogs (in kilts), and fans. You could see in every gesture how honored he was to be Grand Marshal.

I think I took about 70 pictures of Sam. Certainly the professional photographers ones were better, still it was such a special day and I wanted to remember it.

So glad you got a chance to participate. Really proud of Sam; he looked so happy, like a ray of sunshine!

Thank you it was an awesome opportunity for all who marched! Very bad hair day however lol.

Oh, I can vividly imagine that you had a great time there, despite the wet and windy weather.
But apparently, with Sam's sunny disposition and bubbling enthusiasm everyone forgets about rain, sleet, wind, and snow or any other discomforts :)

With the 70 photographs you took you probably were around him quite some time. Did you happen to see the part where he's playfully dancing around that young woman piper? What happened? Was she able to stay in tune? It was such a huggable moment :) (It was in the first video of the event.)

Certainly the professional photographers ones were better, still it was such a special day and I wanted to remember it.
I enjoyed all the snapshots I've seen. I love the spontaneity, because more often than not they're taken at a right moment, and because we don't see the photographer in them. Besides, with the high-quality lenses in cell phones, as well as in the point-and-shoot cameras, one can take great pictures. It's the pleasure you get from the pictures you take that counts.
The professional pictures of this event share this spontaneity with the amateur images. I saw some wonderful professional images. The Landon Nordeman picture of Sam and the little one in the yellow raincoat giving each other a high five; great moment. There is another one with both of them, an amateur picture, which definitely was a right moment too. 🌞

That was when he was still 'on the ground'- the wet street and before he was atop the huge 'Outlander' bus. No, I didn't see that in person but did see him dancing, bouncing, gesticulating, etc on the bus... partly towards the crowds and definitely to keep warm! The fun kiltmaker we marched with is the gent who makes Sam's kilts and they're good friends so it was an honor to walk with his 'squad.' In person Sam is very young looking and very tall. All the women were going bonkers.