I used the truck for a truck last night, the VERY well off neighbors at the end of our street (on a private several hundred acker family plot) did an amazing (bigger than the city’s yearly big show) fireworks show last night and invited the neighborhood plus lots more, a few hundred people at the very least showed up… Well both my kids, there 3 kids each, as well as some friends and there 3 kids (see a pattern lol) all went, but 1/2 walked to it and since I can’t walk very long, I drove the Tacoma, I flipped the 3 (2?) fold bed cover back, so we slid the cooler under the cover and for the ride back one or 2 of the small kids got under it, and with the rear seats folded down for when the dogs ride with me (stayed home last night) we all but one got in the truck on the ride back, could have fit all of us but one adult wanted to walk the hilly 0.6 miles back between our houses…
7 adults, 9 kids for a total of 16 people, 15 of us all packed in the double cab short bed with some (adults) sitting on the tailgate… lol
They also had popcorn and what my kids called, rich people ice-cream (lol) for everyone, 2nds,3rds were offered, even as we were leaving they were saying take all you want - very generous family…
There is a great cartoon that I can’t find now with a picture of folks enjoying their day at the beach. Then below that a picture of the young kids storming the beaches at normandy. With the caption something like your day provided by their day.
I often wonder if the soft kids of today would be able to handle it, then I see things that say yeah they could if faced with it.
This year, my 14 year old became the official fireworks lighter-offer (they are legal here just to head off the fuddy-duddies). Light fuse and get away. Too much running for me when he is perfectly capable. I love the warnings. Every single firework, regardless of size or configuration- Warning shoots flaming balls. No matter how far away I park the outside cars, every year there is cardboard and other debris on them afterward. They are a magnet for it. Next year I plan to park them next to the firepit…
Isn’t it nice to pass on the torch, and just sit back, relax and enjoy the show…
Even better when they start spending their own money on them… Ya know son, daddy just can’t buy fireworks this year, money is tight and times are hard and I need some more for the hot rod
Happy 4th of July Everyone, stay safe out there tonight!!!
We are going to the neighbors big fireworks street party thingy like last years (see 1st post), it was set for Thursday but storms were moving in so it was moved till tonight, hope the weather cooperates, although it will just be my son and his 3 and myself… My daughter and her 3 were going Thursday, but has to work tonight, so that isa bummer…
Just askin but that looks like it could be the tree of heaven in the background. If you mow the sprouts it sense injury and goes into wild defense mode. I think I have similar but not yet confirm. You can’t just cut them. A real problem plant but take a close look at the leaves. The DNR tracks them here.
Need to check, mostly it’s blackberry vines, ferns, and in the background on the property line 47yr old fir trees grown from saplings that the state sold in batches of 100 so they’re spread around including neighbors. Dad checks for i.vadive plants and weeds but certain things like the Hawthorne and the holly grow where the birds drop seeds
. Can.only use the field mower on the flatter parts so the slope and below are left natural.
The so-called greatest generation was once the soft kids of their day. My father-in-law fought in WW2 - North Africa! My father "fought " in WW2 - signal corps, Germany. One of my grandfathers was in WW2 - cook - France. I am thankful they stepped up, even though I didn’t thank them when I could!
But my father was a wise man and recognized that every generation thinks the next one is a bunch of slackers. His father passed that onto him, and he, in turn, passed it on to me, I am now passing it on to you! As a species, people haven’t changed much in my lifetime. We still have to deal with what is in front of us – and sometimes that is easy, and sometimes it’s difficult.
But Happy Independence Day everyone. May we live up to it!
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”
We stayed home, safe inside. It was 99F, felt like 103F. Then severe thunderstorms after dark. No floods though. We enjoyed ourselves anyway watching the Orioles hang on to beat the Reds in Cincinnati.
