The 4th

Ron is the 4th in the picture, no matter on which side you start. However, that has no significance and is not the purpose of this photo.

As most of you know,  the 4th of July here in the USA is a significant day. It is the date on which our Independence was declared back in 1776. Of course, declaring it was not enough. We fought for that independence and now we celebrate it.

Our youngest daughter and her family were here from out of state for our nation's birthday party. Here at the lakes, we celebrate in a big way with a very cool, and expensive, fireworks display, which is financed by private donations. No political group is involved.

Year after year is seems to top the last display. We are all thrilled by the trip out on the boat to the location of the blasting site. It helps us to see the fireworks explode over our heads...well not really; we hold back so that we have a perfect view of all the action.

Recently there have been a few changes, some good and some not.  It seems like each year there is a new color or pattern to some of the fireworks. There have been additions to the fireworks brought by individuals, such as lighted 'lanterns' drifting in the wind overhead, for example. The one bad thing that  really bothers me is that this year and last, and perhaps the year before, there has been no patriotic music. Here we are to celebrate Independence Day and there is really no evidence of that. In years past, a local radio station would play patriotic music and many of us would blast it out of our radios, so that the atmosphere made the firework blasts  more meaningful. I'm not sure what happened with that. Who could object? At least what citizen could object? And it is OUR fireworks, not set off by a dissident political party. I feel like we need to get to the bottom of the problem before next year and remedy the situation...making it a celebration of our nation once again.