July 4th is a special day for average Americans. The celebration of our nation's birth. My family and I are not your "average Americans" - but we do take pride in the fact that this is our land, a beautiful land, a privileged land, a land which our forefathers sought to give as a gift and work of their labors to future generations.
- Old cars
Early on the 4th, my sisters and I left to play a game of volleyball with a friend. It was already hot when we got to the park (8:30 am) but we endured for quite a while and had fun despite the heat and sun. Then we proceeded to downtown, where we planned to pick up some burgers and buns from The Local Yocal, a meat market which supports and sells locally grown produce, meats, soaps, dairy products and pastries. There was a few minutes wait before our meat would be ready, and in the meantime, the annual Independence Day parade began. We watched, took pictures and cheered as the different participants slowly passed us by.
- Maddie
The parade consisted of many vehicles, a few floats, some marching groups, military and local law enforcement and fire department.
Here comes the fire engine!
A little bit closer
There he goes...
A roar of motorcycles
Honking and revving their engines...
It was a deafening noise...
There were all sorts of cars and trucks, old and new.
classic truck...
roadsters
Classic Chevy
my kind of VW Bug :)
nice car...
There were horses...
lots of them
Tae-Kwan-Do group
An old-fashioned fire engine
Brothers~
We ran into several friends of ours on the Square. A few were in the parade itself, and some where there as spectators. The picture above is of our friends the M.'s little boys. Aren't they precious?
After the parade was through and we got our burgers, we four girls headed back to Maddie's house to drop her off. Two hours later, we finally left after an enjoyable visit with her and her family.
On to home we drove, arriving in the early afternoon. It was hot. By that time, the thermometer read well over 100 degrees, with a heat index eventually reading at 109. We grabbed some water, and then spent a few hours relaxing with our family.
In the evening, we packed our cooler, and loaded into our suburban to begin the drive to Grandma's house. We got there in the early evening, and begin dinner preparations, while we waited for the rest of the party to arrive from their various abodes and work places.
We enjoyed a wide array of yummy dishes prepared by the moms and daughters. Since I had badly jammed my right thumb (and I am right handed), I was of no assistance creating the delectable meal. :P
Our burgers came from The Local Yocal (as I mentioned above) and are 100% pure organic, grass fed beef. They are soooo tasty, and filling. Not at all like conventional, store bought meat that is loaded with chemicals, GMOs, pesticides and who knows what else.
Slightly seasoned
we smoked them on a charcoal grill
fruit pizza
This is what we had for dessert ~ super delicious, and fruity!
It was an amazing holiday spent with family and friends, and lots of fun. What did you do for the fourth? Do you have a tradition of going to the lake? Baseball game? Or perhaps you prefer enjoying a quiet day pool side while your hubby grills burgers and dogs, and your kids splash you with H2O. :) Whatever it is you do, I hope that you had a beautiful holiday!
Happy Birthday America, land that I love.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS MONEY!!!
if it doesn't exist, then why pay it back? Who needs a debt ceiling if debt isn't real?" - JonasPlanck
My, oh my, what has this nation come to?