Smoke in the Holler

Smoke from our sparklers, smoke bombs, Black Cats and Roman candles drifted across the driveway and down into the "holler", where it hung trapped by the heavy, humid air, below the house. Lightening bugs winked off and on, and headlights of late buyers from the fireworks stand up the street glowed in yellow rings through the haze.

I think every neighbor was bent on re-enacting the "Rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air" portion of our patriotic heritage themselves! There was a steady pop and boom of exploding fireworks from before dusk until after midnight. And the fireworks displays from driveways and fields around us were amazing! Huge, exploding, glittering, sparkling, shooting, whistling light filled the sky around us for hours.

Apparently, if you sell fireworks, it's good to be in Piedmont America!

Since we have been in or near flood stage for days now, and experienced another couple of inches of pouring rain earlier in the day, the grass and fields here are so soggy that nothing has a hope of burning.

Maybe my favorite sky display was a few Chinese floating lanterns that lifted above the trees and drifted off in the direction of Kingfisher. Have you seen these before? This is what it looked like.





Apparently, this is what it looks like in China when everyone sends their wishes to the heavens in a paper lantern.



Not on July 4th, of course.

It was great to be with family yesterday. Food was awesome. The company was relaxed and good humored. Niecy's new boyfriend seemed nice!

Before I came in last night, I looked up into the muggy, smoky, deafening, sparkling sky, and thanked God again for my country, my family, and the freedom to celebrate and enjoy it all.