What
does the 4th of July mean to you?
The older I get, the more patriotic I become. But, then, I appreciate a
lot of things more than I did when I was younger. I did not participate in the
invitation to read the Constitution, although I think that is a worthy
endeavor. To be honest, I forgot about it until this morning. I know, you’re
old enough to be smiling, too. I put my
flag out very early and left it until dusk.
Like
most Americans, who gathered with friends or family, I invited friends over to
grill hamburgers and play cards. We ate
outside, but didn’t last the afternoon in the patio shade. Welcome to the
Northwest! Warm days usually come only after the 4th. We expect
temperatures in the 80’s for the next week.
Most
of my neighborhood celebrated with fireworks, an activity that traumatizes pets
all over the county. My dogs do better than most, but I cannot leave them
alone. Neither can my friends, who had to go home early enough to beat the
onslaught of ear-splitting noise and bone-jarring concussions. Vancouver is famous for its public fireworks
display, which I adore. Unfortunately, that display is partially funded by the
sale of private fireworks that turn neighborhoods into “Little Beiruts.”
Watching
the Capital Fourth on PBS has become a tradition at my house because it fits
the bill. It creates fun cover noise and
allows me to join in the celebration from home. The finale is watching local
coverage of Ft. Vancouver’s fireworks display. No music this year, though. What’s with that, KGW?
It
was well into the wee small hours of the morning before uninterrupted sleep
came to my house, regulations notwithstanding. When I finally made my way to
the bedroom, I was assaulted with the acrid smell of spent fireworks. No
windows were open, just the outside vent in the master bathroom. Welcome to
Clark County!
All
in all, I had a great day. I hope you did, too.
