I Love the Fourth of July

I love the Fourth of July! When I was a child living in Hickman Mills, Missouri, the local drive-in theatre used to have a fire works show. The theatre was located just a couple of blocks from our house so we had a back-row seat to the display. The best seat in the house was from my 2nd floor gable window which faced the theatre. We used to have a back-yard picnic with friends and one year I remember we lit several railroad flares for our own fireworks. I loved running around the yard with sparklers.

Fast forward a decade to a trip to the Sheridan, Wyoming rodeo which was held on the 4th of July. I had the privilege of hearing the Sheridan Shrine Band play "Stars and Stripes Forever". My Father-in-Law, Harry Lipman, was the piccolo player in the band and he could play that piccolo solo better than any I have ever heard. I remember him every time I hear the song.

Fast forward another decade or so. We went camping with the Wilderness Kids, a part of the Colorado Mountain Club, to Marble, Colorado. Since we would be in the National Forest, we couldn't have fireworks or even be close to any fireworks show, we stopped at the WalMart in Glennwood Springs and bought some water rockets. The kids had fun filling them up and shooting them off. With a wonderful campfire and about 3 bags of marshmallows, we had a wonderful camp.

Fast forward another decade when my friend David was playing in the Longmont Symphony Orchestra. They used to do a concert on the 4th which included playing the "1812 Overture" with it's cannon, while the local fireworks were shooting off behind the bandstand.

Today, I have to work so there won't be any picnic, but I will be home early enough to see the broadcast of the Boston Pops concert with it's fireworks.

I love the 4th of July! It is our best American holiday!