Happy Fourth of July!! Such an exciting, fun and, meaningful holiday! I love everything about today’s holiday….except, perhaps, for how pitiful the dog is when the dreaded fireworks just seem to last for hours! She hates them. Simply hates them. I enjoy them – for a bit – but, apparently, folks in my neck of the woods really enjoy their noisemakers. They have been practicing for days now and, no doubt, they will continue long into the night.
I read a blog post this week about someone’s recent family vacation – to the Nation’s Capital. She was excited over the museums, the tours (the White House one is pretty cool!), the restaurants….all of it. She really made it sound wonderful. She even said, given the chance, she would move here in a minute. Now, that caught my attention. Washington, DC…..that IS my neck of the woods. I suppose I know folks come here all the time – from all over the world…but I guess I just never think about people wanting to come here. On vacation. And, believe me, there might be some here who are just hoping to be here forever. But, they are far outnumbered by those who are simply counting down the months until they can move.
However – they do know how to put on a rather spectacular Independence Day celebration. If you live here, you probably do not join the crowds (and the Fourth of July crowd is huge!) – just like you don’t often go to the museums or avail yourself to the government tours. Except when family visits. Then, of course, you can be a tourist with the best of them. Its funny how much we take for granted many of the things “right outside” our door. But when “right outside” your door is about 35 miles away and can take almost two hours to get to – unless you time it “just right” – well, the fun just loses its allure.
A few years ago, some friends took us to one of the neighboring military bases for the Fourth. We set up a picnic on a hill overlooking the city with the absolute best view of the fireworks! It was such a great afternoon and evening. We are not military – which makes us part of the minority. (I’ve also lived here my entire life which puts me in an even smaller minority. Lots of military and lots and lots of transplants!) Getting onto the base for that holiday was a real treat for us!
This year, we plan to spend the afternoon with some friends and watch some local fireworks. The local governments do a great job, as well, with their displays. It will be fun just enjoying the summer night with friends. Grilling. Eating on paper plates. Super cold iced tea – unsweet, please. The always needed bug spray. I love it all!! However you plan to celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!! God bless America.
Just for the record, the afore-mentioned blogger also said the Nation’s Capital was one of the safest places ever to be..and she was told (by an uber-driver!) that you could run at three in the morning and be perfectly safe. I don’t know about that.
Definitely would not advise it.