Top of the day to you, Bremerton. The middle of March brings us the promise of spring, a change in our clocks and the annual Bremerton St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

With a name like Colleen, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is a big expectation to live up to. It’s always been pretty cool to have my name in the dictionary. I’m a noun. I am also, according to Merriam Webster, an Irish girl. Thank goodness that definition is one I can easily live with. No, I don’t drink green beer or dye my hair green. In fact, after three years in a private Catholic middle school wearing a green uniform nearly every single day, it took me a long time and well into my adult years to want to willingly wear green again.

The Bremerton version of the festival celebrating all things green, is one of the smallest of the year. But, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in the door opening anticipation of many more such community events, festivals and celebrations to come during the course of the seasons.

If there was ever a year to gather together with community pride through the shared fellowship of good people and openly embrace all of the fun, happy things our fair city has to offer, it is this one.

Chances are good it is going to be raining Saturday. But hey, isn’t that what makes everything so green for us in the first place? Bring your umbrella, your friends and your family and come on down to the parade anyway. The fun starts at 11 a.m.

I know that I have a great appreciation for the lush green section of the world we get to call home.  As I type this column, I am looking out the window of our hotel in Las Vegas. The only big green expanse I can see right now with the exception of the occasional palm tree, is the very large green glass resort hotel across the street.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love visiting the desert.  Mostly because it is so very different in nearly every aspect from the Puget Sound region, but today I am done with the visit and ready to head back.

I hope to see many of you on Saturday and with any luck, be it the Irish kind or not, Bremerton is going to have a much better year.

“Beannachtam na Femle Padraig!”

“Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”