Independence Day

Ru and I didn't have a plan for the 4th of July, but we had options.  We could have driven to Cottage Grove to listen to music and light our own fireworks with family and friends, but we didn't.  We could have stayed home and lit fireworks in the courtyard of our apartment complex with the other families but we didn't do that either.  Instead we decided to go with our friend Jeremy and his two kids Aerielle and Aeden to Independence and watch the fireworks as part of their Western Days celebration.  (similar to Bohemia Days in most respects)

Ruben got up this morning and parked himself in front of the TV, I went to work on my garden.  Its a little garden, but I've got a green thumb, and the lettuce is ready for picking.  I planted more lettuce and some collard greens.  I washed the car, I washed my motorcycle, I cleaned the dining room, it was a productive and beautiful morning. 

After lunch Ru and I went to the pool for a swim.  The pool in our complex just opened today. The water was cool but the sun felt great on my skin as I basked.

My light poolside reading

The chlorine made the hawk more orange than red.

After our swim we took a motorcycle ride to the store for BBQ supplies.  It was packed but fortunately they still had hamburger and buns. We came home and Ru took a nap while I prepped dinner.  Our guests arrived around 6 and we ate barbecued burgers, potato salad, sweet corn on the cob, chips and drank virgin mojitos.  It was quite the feast.

We got to Independence and found a nice spot on the grass to see the band.  It was a bluegrass band called Kathy Boyd and Phoenix Rising.  They were good and we got to do some awkward bluegrass dancing.  It was fun to dance and hear live music, its been a while. I saw a few people I knew from our apartment complex, and one of my students from Judson.  I've gotten used to being anonymous up here, and it was nice to see familiar faces. After the dancing we ate some cotton candy and settled in for a great fireworks show.  The fireworks were pretty spectacular.  They went on for a long time, and we had a pretty good view.

Besides the minor inconveniences of Jeremy locking his keys in the van, and the blanket wicking the wet from the grass onto our butts it was a great night.

It was super late when we got back to Salem, so Ru bunked with me for the night and Jeremy and his kiddos camped out in Ruben's room.  We are looking forward to Aerielle cooking us all breakfast in the morning.

Jeremy and Aerielle

Aedan with the play dough snail.  Well it was a snail.

Its hard to take pictures of fireworks. 

Ruben reading a bedtime story to Aerielle and Aedan.