Tax Zombies! Tea Party Patriots Rally in Temecula

Okay, just got back a little while ago from the first anniversary rally of the Temecula Valley Tea Party Patriots. We had rain off and on, and the crowd wasn't as large as the events in Dallas, New York, or St. Louis, but the weather couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the folks in Temecula.

I just want to highlight my two favorite pictures first, then I'll give the chronological rundown.

First is the Tax Zombie! Great mask and great signs:

The second is this great shot of one the patriots carrying the Bennington Flag:

The Bennington Flag is one of the oldest and best-known American flags in existence, a distinction it shares with its contemporary, the Stars and Stripes which flew over Ft. McHenry in 1814 and inspired our national anthem. The Bennington Flag is instantly recognizable for its unusual design features: the "76" in the blue field, seven-pointed stars, and the use of white stripes for the outer bars rather than red. As the earliest known flag made entirely of cotton, it is an important document for the history of textiles in America ...

Now, here's the view across from the memorial park in Temecula, a few minutes before 11:00am. Stopped to rest from the drive out from the O.C.:

Here's the Tax Zombie again:

This patriot channels some Todd Beamer:

Patriots like good hygiene. Obama needs to work on that:

Hanging on the corner:

No reconciliation!

That's my good friend Douglas Gibbs from Political Pistachio. We met through blogging about three years ago and he invited me to attend the Temecula rally. And don't forget to check out Douglas on blog talk radio on the weekends:

A nice tea party. I'll have more later ...

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UPDATE: Linked at Say Anything! Also, at Left Coast Rebel!