Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Fourth of July to You!


It's a nice holiday - smack dab in the midst of summer days. For workers throughout the United States, it brings with it an extra day to revel in the joys of summer. As with all holidays, food plays a big part - corn on the cob, strawberries, grilled meat and potato salad. Our town has a parade and fireworks as do most towns across the states. Parades are mainly fun for the participants and their families and we usually have skipped it unless children or grandchildren have wanted to go. One year, when Michaela was about five, she performed a karate display with her instructor throughout the parade route. Another year, Jamie and Kayla rode the truck with the water ski show performers, and so we went to those parades. This year the three local grandchildren revealed that their reason for wanting to go to the parade was to get the candy that the clowns throw. So, the clever parents bought some candy and a pinata and they'll have a party at home instead. Last night our Lake Association set off their annual fireworks display and it was great. It eliminated the need to go to town, mingle in a crowd, find a parking spot and a blanket spot. Instead we life jacketed the three little ones, sprayed with mosquito repellant and drove the pontoon boat out to a strategic location, anchored the boat and watched a spectacular sunset give way to a spectacular display of colors and sparkles and sizzles and booms. I've always thought that I didn't like the whole fireworks rituals but I really did enjoy the show and now I think it was just the hassle of the crowd, parking, etc.. It gets dark here about 9:30 pm now and we were back home a little after ten so it was about a half hour show. Another truly nice aspect of the gathering was that unlike the noisy frenetic movements of the boats and jet skis during the day, the hundred or hundred and fifty boats attending glided slowly and silently into place. After the show they, just as quietly glided away with happy holiday people soaking up the special memories they had just banked in their brains.

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