We don't have any specific plans. My brother's band is probably playing for a private party north of here. My nephew will be at his Mom's. Mr. S., Mom, and I are probably going to spend the day together. Maybe barbecue and listen to a ballgame or something.

What are your plans? What are you going to serve for food? Got any recipes to share? Going to any special fireworks events or anything? Local parades?

Forecast here is for rain (pretty typical), so we may end up cooking in the bunkhouse and playing Tripoli or doing jigsaw puzzles!

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2002

Answers

And for our Canadian buddies, Happy Dominion Day today!!!! (Oops, is it Canada Day now?) I almost forgot!!!

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2002

I will be at a workshop July 4-7. Yes, I know, a weird time to have one, but that's when it was scheduled. It's out in the country a bit, so that evening, we should be able to see some fireworks displays around the area. And I think we'll be picnicking for lunch and dinner -- except I won't be at dinner, because I will be home feeding the critters (and me), and then will go back out to see fireworks later. This workshop is a follow-up to one I took last year, so I will be with folks that I met and got to know a bit last year. Somewhat of a reunion, though I didn't really get to know all of them.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

Hiding in the basement.

No, really. It's so hot here, I think my brains are leaking out my ears. I've moved half the livestock down there already to keep them from dying and I'm thinking about blowing up the air mattress down there for myself.

The local parade goes right past the front of the house, so I don't have to go too far to see what there is of it. (hey, just so long as I don't have to make a float or ride on one anymore!) The local firemen grill up chickens and serve some sickly coleslaw and potato salad with it, along with some kind of anemic baked beans ... usually, I will make my own of the same for the day, but not likely to in this weather. We used to take the baked beans when my dad was still a volunteer fireman, and people said that they were the best (I won't eat 'em, what do I know, I just make them...)

The fireworks get set off about a block away, so I really don't have to exert myself terribly much, and I'm not about to drive off to any of the larger celebrations at bigger towns in the area -- the traffic is just too insane.

We did one of those parades a few years back, took some of the most bombproof horses to ride in the parade and prayed for no idiots armed with Silver Salutes or cherry bombs. Beauty, Picasso, and Nicki performed beautifully, and my friend Katy's brother was one of the highlights of the parade following along behind with his wheelbarrow and shovel. I don't know why, but everyone really loved him (well, he is a funny guy, but there must be a lot of people who view scat as the epitome of humor) Anyway, I'm sure that the native american dancers who had to follow us appreciated him a lot.

They used to have a Milkjug Regatta event, but they weren't drawing enough entries into it and I don't think they did it anymore. They had different catagories for speed and showboat. I did so want to build Cleopatra's Pleasure Barge and get a bunch of rowing slaves on it! I could never get ahold of enough milk jugs tho, or have anywhere to build it, or a boat trailer to transport it (altho I would have needed something larger for what I envisioned). I also toyed with the idea of the Kon-Tiki II, The Yellow Submarine, and other grandiose ideas that never came into being.

I think maybe I'll just get a watermelon and a jug of ice tea and call it a day. If it is still this hot, I'll spend the evening hosing down the horses again. I rather am hoping that the July 4th JuJu will kick in and it'll rain. We could use it.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

JuJuJulie..someone sent that holiday magik up here yesterday and it rained much of the day except during the parade! thus we couldn't be bothered keeping the kids awake to drive 20 minutes away for the fireworks. Nice and cool though!!! Happy Undiepant-dance Day (saw that in a comic strip this weekend). Seriously..happy holiday all!

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

Long range weather forecasters here are talking possible showers on the Fourth...but what do they know!! No real plans here, maybe just a barbecue on the boat...if there's no lightening forecast. Mostly, though, I'll be worrying about my son and granddaughter. They're all going down to Boston on the Amtrak to catch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Then off to the Franklin Zoo and some fireworks. What better place for terrorist attacks on the Fourth of July than in Boston somewhere!!!! Every time the phone rings on Thursday I'm gonna jump out of my skin!

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

Well, shuckey-darn, it looks like we're going to get rained upon BIG time. Supposed to start with a downpour tomorrow afternoon (Wed.), and keep on raining (off and on) through next Monday. And in between hot and humid. I hate weather like that . . . We'll see if they're right!

According to the weather reports I can access, Julie will get some relief from the heat starting tomorrow, and even more in the days after that. Jealous! No rain though.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

My husband is off and we'll probably stay home too. Our lake has a BIG party but they don't allow residents that aren't members to go. We used to go when we were members but everyone brought their families and there was always a hugh crowd that you didn't know. ANYWAY, we aren't members anymore because the water quality was not good. My sister sent me home with a bunch of fireworks for my son. She wants to be the cool aunt. I said no to the really big stuff.

He's mad at me for giving him a bad haircut. He said he wanted it short. I think it looks okay. Hubby has poison ivy again...poor thing. Doesn't want to try the natural stuff I have available and doesn't want to go to the doctor so...

I also don't like to travel anywhere because of all the drunks on the road.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

We're invited to thrree different parties, and I'm happy to be able to attend only one; I can't party that hearty anymore..

I'm pissed at our local government. It's now illegal, starting yesterday, to burn trash in a screened burn barrel, but it's legal to blow off fireworks.

You can't anywhere outside your home, except in a car with the windows closed on a paved road. But you can shoot off fireworks, as long as you aren't in "dry grass or other combustibles". (I don't smoke, but get real here!)

You can't have a campfire on the sand bars of the Wild and Scenic Rogue river, even if you're 200 feet from anything flammable, but you can shoot off fireworks.

Home, home on the brave... where propaganda is high as a fountain's sparks fly, and the patriots can't start a fire. (Add your own refrain)

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

I hear ya, Joe! Laws that make no sense......typical!

Reminds me of here in MN, where a grown person can get ARRESTED for not wearing a seatbelt.....and the school buses have virtually none!

Our girls are going to fireworks with friends, but we will probably just stay home this year. I somehow have zero interest in doing anything remotely patriotic.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2002

Well, I guess the fireworks are meant to be 'patriotic' -- that is, in celebration of the 4th of July. I'm not celebrating the 4th -- but I AM going to watch the fireworks. I like fireworks!

Went to one of the Expo's, in British Columbia, whatever year that was, late 1980's anyway. The Mexican exhibit shot off fireworks every night -- that was so great. And as we left late one night, on a bus headed for Seattle (where we would get a plane to return home), we saw the fireworks from the Mexican pavilion again. Yay for fireworks! I know they're wasteful and polluting -- but I like them anyway! 'Cept for those big bangers that do nothing but make a large noise and a bright flash of light. They could ban those as far as I'm concerned!

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2002

Ooh Joy, If you like fireworks then you need to come down to Louisville for "Thunder Over the Ohio"! It's the largest fireworks display in North America. It's set off from 2 barges in the Ohio river (one on each side of the I-65 bridge) and the I-65 bridge itself. Although if you don't like the flash/bangs then you wouldn't like the finale of the show: it's so bright you can see your shadow and so loud that the concussions set off all the car alarms. If you watched the show that TLC did a couple years ago about fireworks they showed quite a bit of "Thunder".

My favorite fireworks are the flying fish. Those are the little white ones that corkscrew and scream as they fall. I love fireworks but I usually don't go because I hate fighting the crowds.

Back before Ft. Harrison closed here in Indy, the Army put on a great fireworks show each 4th. The Army band played along with the fireworks, for the finale they did the 1812 Overture with a real Howitzer cannon. Very cool!

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2002

oh great (not). NPR's newscast this evening interviewed city officials in NYC, DC, and yup, Seattle regarding potential t-attacks on the 4th. Guess this area is just too nice to leave alone. We keep hearing about it.

Hope to be writing to y'all on the 5th, and with only good news to report. If you don't hear from me, though...don't worry! I'm concerned about that stupid Kleze virus...

Safe and sane, safe and sane, safe and sane....what a mantra.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2002

There was a slight chance that Keith would get Friday off from work but it didn't pan out, so it looks like I'll be making the trip by myself. At least with him staying home it solves the dilemma of how the cat would get her pill twice a day while I'm gone.

I don't know what, if anything, the family has planned. There won't be any boat rides on Lake St Clair because my youngest sister got divorced and her ex got custody of the boat. :( Friday is my neice's 7th birthday. I didn't get her anything because she has so much stuff already. We have a little 3-screen movie theater in town, hopefully the Powerpuff Girls movie will be playing and I can take her to see that as her birthday present. Is is strange for a grownup to admit that she likes the Powerpuff Girls? :)

Nobody back home has internet service so I'll be off-line until Sunday night or Monday morning. Everyone have fun, stay cool, and stay safe!

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2002

Staying off the roads. :>)

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2002

Sherri, maybe I don't love fireworks that much . . . . ;-) Actually, I love to watch them, but I hate all the getting there and getting out again -- I usually sacrifice some viewing pleasure and go to a parking lot where I can watch them from a distance and get home within a half hour of the end of the fireworks. Maybe I'm spoiled from all my formative years -- fireworks go off while we watched from the ball field, then walked home 1/4 mile.

This 4th, I stood outside and watched from an even farther distance than usual. We could see them from our workshop location, but didn't even hear a 'POP' from the bangers.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2002