Above, one of Merritt's photos from the Fair Park Fourth -- a review of which is available here, where, um, "Pdiddy" deems the event's debut a success but also "a mixed bag." Some of us opted for a less stressful in-and-out: the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road, from which my folks called around 8:30 p.m. offering choice seating for the Dallas County Club shebang -- if, by "choice," they meant inches from oncoming traffic. Alas, what the unchosen people -- and we were a celebratory mixture of middle-class black, brown and pale, the likes of which will never step foot on the club's hallowed grounds -- will put up with for a not-surprisingly decent display that lasted a good 25 minutes. Though, best of all, it was mere feet from Highland Park Village Starbucks.

Sometime around midnight-thirty, the fireworks stopped in Northwest Dallas; that, or someone declared a cease-fire. But before then, it was quite the delightful morning in the neighborhood -- a fact celebrated this a.m. in Dallas' Only Daily, matter of fact, where the 50th anniversary Sparkman Club Estates July 4 parade was feted with a recap and accompanying video. (Our street won, incidentally -- 'bout damned time too.) After the jump, some photos I took from our neighborhood parade. Incidentally, they asked me to join 'em on the veteran Thomas Jefferson High School cheerleaders' float -- till they realized, "He was JV." --Robert Wilonsky

Makin' it official: The 50th Annual Sparkman Club Estates Parade commences courtesy the Boy Scouts

Council member Mitchell Rasansky, whose wife -- sitting in the back seat, with no AC -- is the real trooper every time her husband has to visit a dozen parades in a day

The classic-car contingent -- otherwise known as the only reason my dad ever got excited about the parade when I was a kid

Makin' it official: The 50th Annual Sparkman Club Estates Parade commences courtesy the Boy Scouts

Thomas Jefferson High School's best and brightest, circa 1985. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, which remains our Patriot cry. Or something.

The classic-car contingent -- otherwise known as the only reason my dad ever got excited about the parade when I was a kid

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Oh, so that's what those are for? Actually, this was part of a rather extravagant "Go Green" motif, complete with an recycling float and specially made T-shirts.

Thomas Jefferson High School's best and brightest, circa 1985. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, which remains our Patriot cry. Or something.

Weeks' worth of planning and prep went into making the winning float, which is poorly captured by an amateur photographer.

Oh, so that's what those are for? Actually, this was part of a rather extravagant "Go Green" motif, complete with an recycling float and specially made T-shirts.

And, really, nothing says "freedom" more than this photo.

Weeks' worth of planning and prep went into making the winning float, which is poorly captured by an amateur photographer.

And, really, nothing says "freedom" more than this photo.

And, really, nothing says "freedom" more than this photo.