Fourth of July

The 4th of July is one of the most-anticipated holidays of the summer. For us, the 4th of July is associated with family cook outs, swimming, and ending the day with tons of fireworks. All of which, you need nice weather for.

I woke up this Friday morning not particularly happy with what I saw out the window --- gray skies and rain, lots of it. I immediately thought that this year’s 4th of July was doomed because of the wet and cool forecast.

As it turned out, we did stay indoors for much of the day. Finally the rain slowed down to a light drizzle so I attempted to start the grill. As I held an umbrella while I cooked the meat, the kids ran down to the ball field where Jeff lit some parachutes. I watched as they ran after the smoke to find the parachute gracefully falling, hopefully to their waiting arms. I smiled as they laughed while they ran back and forth across the field to catch each coveted paper parachute.

The food was ready as the rain got heavier again. We made room in the kitchen and held our picnic there. We had so much food that a single plate could not hold all the culinary delights. After dinner sweet, sugary watermelon, brownies and cupcakes were also waiting to be consumed.

As nightfall set in, the rain had decidedly stopped. It was finally time for everyone to pull up their lawn chairs to watch our family fireworks show. We started with the usually Morning Glories (much like sparklers but only on a stick instead of a metal wire). Next, Philip and Jeff announced the name of each firework before they set them off. Names like Delta Force, Purple Peony, Cuckoos, rang thru the air. As always, we shouted oohs and aahs after each one displayed their barrage of colorful sparks. As for my family, nothing says 4th of July more than fireworks.

We took a short intermission as we all walked to the end of our little street. From the view up here on our hill, that overlooks several adjoining cities, we could see fireworks from family gatherings, corporate parties, and local cities, all exhibiting their best pyrotechnic displays. We could have watched hundreds of fireworks shooting colorful illuminations for hours. However, we still had several of our own waiting to be exploded back the street.

As we concluded our show with the grand finale, I thought about this Fourth of July.

First, our indoor picnic worked out just fine, the food was still very tasty. And, we didn’t have to fight any annoying bugs, which can sometimes cause more swatting than eating. And, we were not sitting in the sweltering sun, dripping while we ate.

We were still able to catch the tons of firework magic this July 4th (thankful that the rain stopped).

And, most importantly, we all were able to take advantage of the day off, and enjoy a long weekend to gather with family and friends.

As for swimming, we still have the weekend…

This Fourth of July ---rain or shine, I give it a thumbs up!

And, Happy Birthday America!