Yesterday I took my sister into town early so that she could march with Singleton Town Band in the ANZAC Day march. It turned out we had times wrong, but only so that we got there really early and before any of the roads got blocked off. Though speaking of blocked off roads the people who did it did a really bad job as they managed to block off roads that were really far away but they totally missed blocking off the actual road that the people and horses were marching down. There were a few rather.... very unsafe situation, but luckily, as far as I know, nothing bad happened.

There are quite a few people from out church in the town band, SO I got a shot of them, though some are not in this photo as they did not arrive until later. 

Kids from the boy and girl scouts handed out flags to many of the people who started gathering to watch the parade. 

Two soldiers on horses followed the police car that lead the parade.

 They had swords.... rather cool.

 Then came the band and some soldiers who I think are/have been training to serve, next were the veterans from many different wars that our country has fought in. Then other organizations and kids from different schools in Singleton, and the pony club...

The bugle player from band played for the service that we had next. As did the rest of band, but mostly they just sat and listened. It was a lot shorter than last year's service because that was extra long being the 100 year anniversary. 

  Because the flying foxes have destroyed the park and we can't get to the memorial there we have this new memorial thing. It is kinda odd though, how do you commemorate people who will serve....? But anyway it was a lovely day for it and I got to talk to a lot of people. (Well a lot for little introverted me anyway)

I wore my 'professional' clothes with my watermark embroidered on them and two other people from the Singleton photography group recognized me and we chatted a while. And I bumped into a few other people too. There were a lot of people there this year too, and because I looked professional people did not seem to mind me like they did last year and some actually moved out of my way which was rather nice, so I managed to get quite a few good photos.

Lest we forget.

The word "Victory" and the word "Defeat" they both have this definite ring about them. They are great words. Victory and defeat may have opposite meanings but they both have some things in common, someone tried. They did not just sit back being a Couch Potato. Sometimes we need to take the chance and have one of those great words as part of us even if it is the word defeat. For though defeat is not victorious, a lot can be learned from it, and defeat may prove you had the courage to try. 

Like the Anzacs they won the word "Defeat" but with that came much more; courage, honour, doggedness, spirit, mateship. They became a legend. 

The words "Victory" and "Defeat" mean you started out, but the "Couch Potato" is the man who never began. The one who never thought he could do better; more.  

The word "defeat" may not seam a very glorious aim, but it is not and it need not be an end. Sometimes victory may only come after many defeats. As with the Anzac's; though the Gallipoli campaign ended in defeat, overall the allies won the word Victory. Sometimes we just have to learn from defeat and move on, trying harder, or just continuing to try to win that word, the greatest one of the two, "Victory". 

These are all photos I took today at the parade and service, we remember today those who had courage, those who fought for what our country believes in, for those who died, who survived and those who are out there fighting or training to serve our country.