Oh, The Fourth of July!

It means many things to many people. Sure it's our country's anniversary, but having been born and raised here, just mentioning the date brings up thoughts of deeply imbedded traditions.

Our house is right in town by the city park and on this Holiday we always hear the morning break from a peaceful dawn as it is gradually swallowed by the cacophony of racket of firetrucks, ambulances, ancient steam tractors and horses as they set up for the Independence Day parade. The sound of hoof beats on pavement is what the lazy teenagers complain about the most... for some reason they can't sleep through that! Lmao! After the horses, the marching band comes through doing a pretty good set of Sousa's finest patriotic marches, "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Under the Double Eagle" are always on the list. The marching band serves as a buffer between the horses and the classic cars.

There is always a rivalry between the Ford Mustang owners and the Chevy Cameros. They have some sort of fund raising contest earlier in the week to determine which group goes first in the parade. It looks like the Camaros won this year. They hosted a "Beer Bee Cue" where they killed at least two kegs. They didn't seem to be charging for it so I'm guessing they just got everyone so drunk that they opened their wallets and went back to the ATMs for more!

There is a small local circus troupe which is always fun to watch. They teach aerial tricks such as high-wire and trapeze... lots of kids do summer camp with them and learn to ride unicycles and how to juggle... They rigged up a tall metal hoop to a flat bed of a truck, it's hung with long silk ropes where a girl clad in a spangly leotard defies death as she dangles and spins like a giant spider.

The Shriners are always here with their purple fezzes with golden tassels, clowning in their little go-carts...weaving between eachother and around the giant wheels of a 1920s era chain-drive Mac truck. The little old men seem suprisingly fearless, many near misses, it keeps all eyes watching them to see if one will blow it and get run over. I always wonder if being 80+ years old gives them courage from the perspective of "what do I have to lose?" It would certainly be a memorable way to go!

Anyway, it's been this way as long as I remember. I haven't always lived in this town but most of my 4ths have been spent in small towns with a similar event. Our town always has a huge community barbecue, a rodeo and a carnival with dubious rides, hastily assembled by a crew of people you might not trust to wash your car. Little has changed over the years save for two things: the war veterans keep getting more modern uniforms and there are far fewer fireworks.

In Northern California the idea of celebrating with Fireworks in July has always been a flirt with disaster. It's part of the reason the fire trucks are always first in the parade, so they are clear of the crowds first and ready for action as soon as possible. A few years back they had just made it to the parade judges platform when a call came in... someone lit the field on fire behind the rodeo grounds... Yep. Fireworks. They are almost completely banned from our county these days. There are only 3 places that even the municipal displays are allowed, over the ocean, over a lake and over the driving range at the county fairgrounds. I always hear someone complaining that "safe and sane" is not the American way.


Every year my mother tells the story of her favorite July 4th fireworks display... It was at her highschool in a tiny town in Oregon sometime back in the 1950s. The chief of the fire department was in charge of setting them off. He and some helpers would set several at a time in special racks, then he would light them from his big fat cigar. One year a stray spark from the first voly landed in the trunk of his new red department chief's car, where the rest of the fire works were stored. Oops! The show was short but spectacular! The car was chard remains. It rode in a few parades after that (on a flat bed) as a cautionary reminder of how anyone can make mistakes, be cautious!

Enjoy the Holiday! I'm headed to the community barbecue!

Looking for a squadron. I played the original game for quite a while. Dropped it and I am back and much more committed.

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Hola Mc Fate

Hope you and everyone in your family are ok, and that you all had a lovely summer. I did have the privilege of reading your old town story and as always you manage to capture the imagination of the reader and paint the perfect picture with your detailed and clever writing. Had a vivid picture of your town when I read this over the 4th of July weekend, you have great skill in writing. You are the Rockwell of DF!!! Looking forward for more of your post.


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The Eng wrote: Looking for a squadron. I played the original game for quite a while. Dropped it and I am back and much more committed.

What was your game name in DF1 did you belong to any squads

Acegirl wrote: .

Hola Mc Fate

Hope you and everyone in your family are ok, and that you all had a lovely summer. I did have the privilege of reading your old town story and as always you manage to capture the imagination of the reader and paint the perfect picture with your detailed and clever writing. Had a vivid picture of your town when I read this over the 4th of July weekend, you have great skill in writing. You are the Rockwell of DF!!! Looking forward for more of your post.


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Rowdy Roddy McFate Pipper

Why thank you Jessica,

(I've been trying to make it my new avatar but I can't get it to accept it yet.)

Another 4th!

Many of the same faces, same events, same rodeo, same delicious BBQ, a few new features...

I though of something that could really put our town on the map; a Taser quick-draw contest! I'd pay to see that. Next time I see our Sheriff I'll suggest it for next year. Lol.

Small towns always have the best holiday traditions that can't be beat. I live between two colonial towns here in New Jersey (technically in one of them). I've never happened to be in either on a holiday so I frankly don't know what they do when one rolls around, but considering one of these small towns is a place one would consider a "quintessential" American town, I'd bet they do a lot for holidays. I know they do a parade for Memorial Day and St. Patrick's Day, so I'd probably be right to say they do something for the Fourth as well - I'd be really surprised if they didn't.

Happy Independence Day, my friend!

Haydencal wrote: How many people?

673.58

[NLR]Jacob10000 wrote:

Haydencal wrote: How many people?

673.58

Lol. Close. Our town has a population of about 4800 with about twice that in the immediate rural area.