4th of July

Decorations:
flag banner
patriotic center piece
red white and blue table cloth

Check, check, check.

Entertainment:

badminton net

bean bag toss

pool games

Check, check, check.

Food:

gazpacho

grilled shrimp

grilled steak sandwiches

corn on the cob

pasta salad

lemonade

cold beer

peach pie

flag cake

laughter

Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check.

Party lights:

Ooooh! Check.

Backyard fireworks and fireflies:

(a very big firefly!)

Check, check!

Best 4th of July ever. Check.

Happy Independence day America

Past, present and future

amazing photo taken by Sarah

3rd of July fireworks

My mother's friend's husband creates incredible firework shows that are timed to music. This year was a breath-taking, heart-pounding, all-american, gasp-inducing show.

A massive flag hung from the fire truck ladder

 I am a terrible fireworks photo-taker

but trust me,

they were gorgeous!

Everyone loved them!

... And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The people leaving through the settling smoke created a beautiful light show.

Dressed for the holiday

The bunting is up, let the holiday weekend begin!

Sounds of summer

I love the squeak the corn husk makes as it's being pulled off the cob, it sounds just like summer, especially when I am husking the corn while sitting on the same bottom step on the same patio I husked corn on my entire childhood. And one of these times I will succeed in plucking every corn silk off an ear. 

Chocolate dipped fireworks

I found 70% cocoa dark chocolate for melting and had to dip everything I could find in it. Top it off with a few patriotic sprinkles and you have edible fireworks. Yum!

Gardenorama

I tried to make a panoramic photo of my mother's backyard to show how beautiful it is, one photo is never enough to capture all the gardens. But my panoramic attempt doesn't seem to do the trick either.

click on photo to enlarge