Monday was the annual Ironton Christmas parade and it was miserable weather for it.

It was 37 degrees and rainy. Because of the cold, several groups had dropped out of the parade.

But despite precipitation that parade organizer Lou Pyles, of the Ironton Lions Club, accurately called “snizzle,” a combination of snow and drizzle, the parade went on with the seasonal red Santa Claus caps much more useful than normal.

There were a lot less people than usual because of the cold. Kids along the parade line were dressed in not only jackets and hats, but a blanket for additional warmth. But they still went for the candy, despite the fact that the cold had turned Tootsie Rolls and gum into treats with the tensile strength of granite.

We admire those that marched on with full holiday spirit. It can’t be easy to play a trumpet in the cold or to look happy dancing in slush.

Thank you to the Ironton Lions Club for organizing the parade, to the Southern Ohio Amateur Radio Association and the Lawrence County Amateur Radio Emergency Service for their help and to all the schools, dancers, first responders, clubs and businesses that participated.

It’s good to see Christmas magic in action.