Happy 4th of July!!!

I woke up on Thursday at 5:30 AM (naturally). I watched the news for a while. Then I went out and picked raspberries from the vacant lot next door. They made a nice addition to my oatmeal!

It was a beautiful day, with a light breeze, so I thought it would be a good time to burn up some of the scrap wood that’s been building up in the garage. So, I took an armful out and lit half of it in my fire pit. I dragged the hose over (just in case) and got another cup of coffee. I sat there until the first load burned to ashes.

It was quite pleasant, and I occupied my thoughts of Fourth of July’s past, out at Lake Orion. I remember running around with sparklers as a kid with my cousins. And, all of us cramming onto the end of the dock, trying to see the fireworks at the far end of the lake over the trees. But, I think my favorite was “flare night.” All the cottage owners would set out road flares on the lakeside edge of their property and light them at dark. It wasn’t exciting as fireworks, but it was beautiful to see.

The wind had picked up a tad by the time the first load of pine scraps burned out, so I didn’t add more. I thought I would try again at dusk. That way I can see the fireworks from the neighborhood at the same time. Of course, my next-door neighbors will probably be hosting their annual Fourth of July party, so if it’s too noisy, I’ll wait for another day (or night).

I went back inside and worked in the garage. I heard the phone ring around noon, so I went inside. It was my daughter Melissa, so we chatted for a while. They “think” they have a condo locked in that they will rent for a year while they check out nearby areas for their next home.  They should be back in Michigan July 27.

I worked a little while longer after we hung up and then quit for lunch. I had bought a big, odd shaped heritage tomato, so I used some of it to make a BLT. The sandwich tasted so good, I made another one! I rested a bit, eating and watching a DIY show, but I was back working by 2:30 PM.

I quit at 6:15 PM and took a shower. The music coming from next door and all the trucks and cars I’d seen arrive during the day, let me know that a peaceful bonfire tonight was out of the question. It’s no big deal, because they only have a party once or twice a year…

I rested for a while, watching the news. Then I warmed up the other blue cheese covered steak and the rest of the grilled onions (I was wishing I hadn’t pigged out on those grilled peaches, lol). I also steamed some frozen sweet corn. So, my Fourth of July “cookout “was easy and excellent!

The noise of all the fireworks at dusk did tempt me to go out in the front yard. I walked out in the grass for a 360-degree view. They were coming from everywhere and rivaled anything I’ve seen on TV, both in colors and in height! Finally, the mosquitoes drove me inside. But, I watched the ones my neighbor was shooting off in his back yard out the kitchen window for a while. His shook my windows when they went off, BTW.

It was funny as I was just telling Melissa in the morning that the noise didn’t bother the cats (like it does dogs) and it hadn’t so far. But, on the fourth, they were freaked out a bit and both huddled up against me.

I was tired, so I shut off the TV at 10:00 PM, put a pillow over my head and went to sleep.