Fabulous Fourth

Last weekend we had a great 4th of July celebration, though we were kind of dreading it at first, mainly because we were initially slated to sell dumplings, and in the end, we couldn't pull it off. The committee was understanding because there was no shortage of food to be had, and we ended up helping them out by lending them some of our supplies that we were not going to use. Besides, it was the 4th, you can't compete with hot dogs and burgers.

The weather was brutal, as it has been for the past few days. Blistering hot, en par with San Fernando Valley Heat. I couldn't believe it. We were lucky to get some cloud cover for much of the day, so it wasn't too bad, but it was hot. I think it put a damper on the festivities, though there were amazing amounts of people.

The crowds really come out in droves to see our 4th of July parade, it's quite and event. I've been told people like it because it really combines small town values with a fairly decent showing in the parade. And because there are so many artists in this town, it ends up being quite a show. There's a marching band, floats, fire engines, old cars, and all sorts of interesting things to see. I, of course, got recruited to hold the banner for the arts council, which was mildly redolent of extortion, but that's what happens when you're the new kid on the block. They did an amazing job on their float, recreating the show on a much smaller scale, but it looked great. A testament to their artistic vision and how much fun they have realizing it. For the record, the float won first place in the parade, so kudos to everyone involved. I'm guessing they won because of the fabulous job that the person holding the banner did.

After the parade, we went to the grounds, and it was a madhouse. It always takes a few minutes to find your groove at these events. We got some food, the kids played some games and ran around with their friends, but at some point, the heat just gets to you. We told the kids we were going home, and they were reluctant, but had little choice.

We wanted to get home, get some rest, then eat a healthy dinner in preparation for more junk food and then fireworks. It also meant that we could get some badly needed work done around the house.

Around 7:30, the kids were getting excited, and we headed over to the rec center and scored on a prime parking space. We walked over to the lawn where there was an impressive crowd, and we staked out a spot near P&JC. There were kids everywhere, and they all got to sit together and have fun. The weather cooled down considerably, and people were even complaining of being too cold.

The fire-spinners came on, as they did last year, and wowed the audience with their act while we munched on brownie fudge sundaes. Then the fireworks began, and for a small town, they sure do a great job.

Afterward, we exchanged phone numbers for some potential playdates, and then went home for sleep. The next day the kids were supposed to go to their first day at Camp Teasel, and they needed to get a good night's sleep, which it was too late for, but we had to try.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Daniela Sanchez for the pic.