Happy 231st birthday America! It's kind of a sad commentary on the state of things when people are inconvenienced by the 4th being on a Wednesday instead of closer to a weekend. My town, the one I grew up in, the one I was taught by my veteran of World War II father to love along with my country had it's celebration on June 30th, a Saturday. They had a typical parade, one with veterans (mostly Korean and Vietnam and some younger ones, not many WWII anymore) in the front. I noticed few people take their hats off any more or put their hands on their hearts when the first flag goes by. There were old cars, some businesses made an attempt at floats, a band (on a flat bed truck so they didn't have to march, Holl was on it with her flute), the drill team and cheerleaders from the high school, lots of horses (we are in the West after all), some old tractors (West again), and your tax dollars at work - fire trucks and ambulances with their ear drum piercing sirens going off. We only had the youngest with us because the cute one was on said flat bed with her flute and the other two were North with extended family. They went up and down the main street and took all of ten minutes to through out their candy and 0tter pops. There was a bus load of touristas that had stopped to view the natives in their habitat. They were dressed in the tourista uniform of white hat, big sun glasses, loud shirt, stripped knee length shorts, and black socks with sandals. It's hard to say what they thought of our little display but I have grown to love the tradition of it all. I can name some of the veterans and the guys with the model A's (both car and tractor), I know some of the girls on the drill team along with their parents and grandparents. I know the some of the volunteer fire fighters and ambulance crew and I know many of the cowboys on their horses and driving mule teams. It was too bad that they didn't have the parade and rodeo (I didn't attend the rodeo but my kids did) on the fourth as I feel they should.
We as a family did however go up the very nearby canyon and have a weenie roast. It wasn't Mr. Rockwell's ideal but it was enjoyable for me (after all the fighting is discounted). Afterword we went to the nearby school grounds and lit of what would be considered by 45 states as highly illegal pyrotechnics (bottle rockets). I worked most of the day at my second job but stopped for the fun and frivolity.I was intending to write about what is going on in front of our house but that will have to wait for another time.
2 comments:
"lit of what would be considered by 45 states as highly illegal pyrotechnics (bottle rockets)."
Ah yes, bottle rockets in Mom's ack yard over the playground. What would July 4th in Wyoming be without them?
It is sad that there are fewer and fewer WWII vets, and more and more Iraq and Afganistan. The world rolls on. We had a good time here with tame and lame fireworks, that after all made Abby want to sit in the house to watch them, so I sat in with her. It's a good thing really dangerous ones are not allowed here or Kerry would have fewer fingers and eyes.
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