I was in a mood on the fourth of July. For 364 days of the year, I don't think about New Hampshire... it never enters my consciousness at all. But on the fourth of the July, I miss our tiny NH town and its holiday festivities. I don't even know if it's the actual town I miss, so much as it is the idea of it... the whole All-American, baseball-and-apple-pie, small town goodness of it all. We'd watch the parade (and the kids would happily scramble to catch us much candy as they could, tossed from the passing floats), walk through the vendors eating our hot dogs and cotton candy, and return later in the evening to claim our spot on the hill to watch the fireworks overhead.
There were of course lots of various places to watch fireworks around the valley, as well as celebrations, parades, and concerts... but we've never been before, they were sure to be crowded, a lot of them cost money, and many were far away.
So we spent the greater part of the morning of the 4th sitting - and occasionally moping - around, trying to decide what to do. As exciting as that was, we really didn't want to spend the entire long weekend doing it. So at the last minute, we called Mom and Dad and invited ourselves up north. They can watch fireworks right from their driveway, and because they're far away, the noise is not an issue (an important consideration for a 2 year old's first fireworks experience). We watched the fireworks, spent the night, and ended up having a beautiful day driving and geocaching in the Mogollon Rim, the likes of which we couldn't have experienced in Andover, New Hampshire.
All in all, an unexpectedly nice weekend, and a really lovely holiday.
Dressed for bed and ready for the fireworks:
Camping on Maba's floor:
I was about to write that this had nothing to do with Independence Day... then realized it had everything to do with Independence Day. Paxton and Everett trying on their great grandfather's custom-made Navy dress blues from World War II. I miss him, and wish the kids could have known him.
Mogollon Rim, another beautiful corner of the world:
Happy Fourth of July to all.
