DECATUR - It rained on the Cobb Avenue July 4 parade Saturday morning. It was a dreary day, but not dreary enough to dampen the spirits of the neighborhood kids and parents.

John Phillips fired his ear-splitting cannon to start the parade in the traditional manner - in a cloud of black powder smoke. Kids of all sizes proceeded to ride bicycles and tricycles and push wagons on Cobb Avenue between West William Street and West Main Street on the wet 51st anniversary of this West End community get-together.

Shortly after the parade disbanded, the drizzle turned into a shower and sent the kids, moms and dads and grandparents scurrying for shelter under the main tent.

There was coffee cake and fruit and conversation and a rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Ysabella Freeman, 11, Sam Rey, 11, and Mackenzie Rasor, 10, all while the rain continued.

Ducking the rain on a porch, June Cordts, 90, and John Baird, 90, discovered they were students together at Bethany High School in the 1930s. They didn't know each other then. June lived in town, John lived on a farm.

Also on the porch was Joanne Baird, 90, a founder of the Cobb Avenue celebration in 1958 with her late husband, Donald.

The Bairds lived at 214 Cobb Ave. When Joanne moved out in 2007, Darin and Jaime Clubbs moved in. They are in the midst of redecorating, remodeling.

Tom and Jane Shade were there. They have lived on the brick street since 1976, bringing up three sons. According to Jane's memory, the last time it rained on the parade was in 1995.

George Snyder, a Cobb Avenue resident since 1984, was there, as were 20-year residents Lynette and Warren Nehmer.

Pam Smith was there, along with a photographer, to document the occasion for Midwest Living magazine.

Robin Burg, expecting a baby next month, shook off the rain drops.

Comparing notes were Diane Grubb, Marsha Cordts and Sydney McRae. They are entered in the Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon this morning. McRae's husband, Eric, competes next week in an Ironman triathlon in Switzerland.

"We like living on Cobb Avenue because the people are so friendly and it's close to Fairview Park," Sydney McRae emphasized.

And as the rain fell, nobody fretted about it because of the abundant supply of neighborly warmth.

bfallstrom@herald-review.com|421-7981