Happy Fourth of July. A Couple of Days Early.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.."

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

As the granddaughter of three immigrants, I feel blessed to have grown up in the United States and to be raising a family here. 

Our town celebrated the Fourth of July on Sunday, ironically enough, on Canada Day.

My efforts to take pictures of the actual fireworks failed but here is a shot I took from our perch on the town's sledding hill at about 8:30 as folks began settling in for the celebration. My family of four walked to the park with friends who just moved to our town.

One thing I love about our small town is how people come here from across the globe and live in harmony with one another. Last night we saw women in saris, little boys in yarmulkes and tzittzis, and so on.

Walking home with our 12-year-old, my husband and I reminisced about Fourth of July celebrations here years ago and how much easier it is to go to the park now without the double stroller or to head home without lugging sleeping boys in a wagon. The first time we took our eldest here, he talked for days about "Da Boom in Da Sky." (Now is he 15 and texting us from other parts of the park. We ran into him and four of his buddies at Baskin Robbins after the fireworks. "You know, there are other ice cream stores in town," was his greeting.)

In the distance of this photo you might be able to see the bandshell where musical groups performed from mid afternoon on. Beyond that is the river that borders our town on three sides.

Isn't the sky lovely?