My unfavorite time of the year . . .

July is looming on the horizon and I am already getting that feeling of dread. An important, national holiday takes place on the fourth yet it will be another day of loud, blaring music and illegal fireworks smoking up the sky from early afternoon until the wee hours of the morning.

Don't get me wrong, a celebration IS in order but if you asked the children running around with lit sparklers WHAT the event is about, would they know? Every year, there is some very sad story about a child being severely hurt by fireworks. A look around our neighborhood on that evening could count more than a few accidents ready to happen. I just don't think that fireworks that light up the sky above tract homes are the ones for sale at the local stands. One year, some children burned down their house with illegal fireworks set off in their garage.

I often read about the early days of our country when the Fourth of July was a great holiday with speeches, homemade picnics, meeting friends at the park, and enjoying a band and fireworks in the evening. We sure have come a long way and I'm not sure it is a better way.

Anyway, in anticipation of the day's events, we will prepare in our now traditional manner - soaking down the roof in case of a flying cinder, wetting down the foliage for the spent yet burning firecracker papers that fall into our yard, and treats for the dogs who will, again, be traumatized by what they do not understand. I think I'm with them on that feeling!

Interesting quotes . . .

I love quotations so in place of posting, I'm providing a few more I discovered this morning. In other words, no time to carry forth on my current vents!

"Channeling is just bad ventriloquism. You use another voice, but people can see your lips moving."
-- Penn Jillette

"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know."
-- Mark Twain

"Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men."
-- Kin Hubbard