How was your 4th of July celebration? Ours was wonderful. We've been celebrating at the river for about five years, and it seems as if it gets better every year. We missed our son, Matthew, this year, but he's a busy student a day's drive away. It wasn't feasible for him to come up for a day-long celebration . . . especially when the fireworks didn't start until 10:00 p.m. and he had to be in class the next morning.
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For the rest of us, it was a long, but relaxing day. Erik and Mae go down to the river in the early afternoon to stake out a spot from which to watch the fireworks. Mike and I meet up with them a few hours later. We've been setting up in the same spot every year, between two trees, and the barge with the fireworks generally pulls up directly in front of us. Erik and his friend, Brad, relaxed in the shade.
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The men held court.
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There are always lots of boats out on the river, including this "Blues Cruise" that takes passengers by the Blues Festival on the other side of the river.
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We all bring food. Erik and Mae brought sausages, burgers, fixings, and beer. Mike and I brought a salad, some dip, cupcakes, and water. Erik brought his little barbecue. We spent the day talking, people-watching, boat-watching, and listening to the Blues Festival. The dip was devoured fairly quickly. Then Erik went to light the barbecue.
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It was giving him trouble,
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so all the men chipped in to figure out the problem.
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How many men does it take to light a barbecue?
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Success!
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The food was delicious, but the company was better.
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Eventually, the shadows began to grow long, and the light turned golden.
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You know fireworks are imminent when the Portland Fire Boat shows up. We were trying to decide the vintage of this boat. Turn of the 20th Century? WWII? We couldn't tell for sure. It's old. That much we know.
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The time grows near
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and, finally, it begins.
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We all agreed that this year's display was one of the best we've seen. There were some great crack-n-boomers and some new colors. There were also lots of secondary explosions and crackles. All-in-all, a great day.
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Cats, however, do not like crack-n-boomers, and for them, the 4th of July is the pits.
For the rest of us, it was a long, but relaxing day. Erik and Mae go down to the river in the early afternoon to stake out a spot from which to watch the fireworks. Mike and I meet up with them a few hours later. We've been setting up in the same spot every year, between two trees, and the barge with the fireworks generally pulls up directly in front of us. Erik and his friend, Brad, relaxed in the shade.
The men held court.
There are always lots of boats out on the river, including this "Blues Cruise" that takes passengers by the Blues Festival on the other side of the river.
We all bring food. Erik and Mae brought sausages, burgers, fixings, and beer. Mike and I brought a salad, some dip, cupcakes, and water. Erik brought his little barbecue. We spent the day talking, people-watching, boat-watching, and listening to the Blues Festival. The dip was devoured fairly quickly. Then Erik went to light the barbecue.
It was giving him trouble,
so all the men chipped in to figure out the problem.
How many men does it take to light a barbecue?
Success!
The food was delicious, but the company was better.
Eventually, the shadows began to grow long, and the light turned golden.
You know fireworks are imminent when the Portland Fire Boat shows up. We were trying to decide the vintage of this boat. Turn of the 20th Century? WWII? We couldn't tell for sure. It's old. That much we know.
The time grows near
and, finally, it begins.
We all agreed that this year's display was one of the best we've seen. There were some great crack-n-boomers and some new colors. There were also lots of secondary explosions and crackles. All-in-all, a great day.
4 comments:
CatCat was most unhappy too with the neighborhood’s idea of a good time. She sat under my desk with her ears on high alert until long after it all stopped. We enjoyed the New York City display on our TV and read on our computers all day. It’s truly what we love most-reading.
Sounds like an absolutely glorious day!
Your day sounds like it was grand! I think fireworks on the water are the best.
I watched 'live' fireworks from my couch on Friday, and then watched "A Capitol Fourth" on TV last night.
I did make turkey burger for myself, seasoned with a new flavor I got from Trader Joe's - I think it was just called 'Everyday Seasoning" & it came in it's own grinder. Garlic & a couple of peppers & ??? Yummy, whatever's in it!
Looks like you had a grand 4th.
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