Sparks And Creams

Fruit For Beef, Naps For Flags

Most people had cookouts, launched fireworks, drank beers, waved flags on July 4th. Not us. We drove. 7am departure time, on the dot. It's a trip I can almost do with my eyes shut.

Only two stops, a couple of naps (none by me), lots of fresh fruit, arrival at 8am, best time yet. I guess everyone else was too busy with their cookouts, fireworks, beers, and flags. 

And, as usual, we had this waiting for us.

The Fire And The Works

I'm not crazy about fireworks but...

they put on a pretty good display in Dansbury Park last night.

Yuula covered her ears and buried her face for most of the show, and when it finally ended she clapped and yelled "Buhbye!".

When asked about it later whether or not she liked the fireworks she said, "yeah. loud, pretty noise".

Good girl.

What The Founders Found Us For

Well, first we got ice cream. But on the way there we passed a huge antique barn we always think of stopping at but never think is open when we pass by. This time we saw some buzzing so we checked it out, and while we have no photos to prove it, it was quite the joint. Young bearded fellow ran the place and had lots of reclaimed unfinished gems. He told us how he owned 8 buildings on the property including a rustic old closed down restaurant, a barn and a mine. He's trying tfix up the place and get some festivals and such going on next year so I think I may have just found a new friend. He talked about how he'd been cleaning out the Penn Hills Resort on 191. What a job. Pretty cool. But ice cream was waiting. We bought some small glass bottles and a nice heavy duty wooden crate.

Once we got downtown and finally found a parking spot Yuula got anxious for some 4th of July festival-ing. We found the Trunks almost immediately and cautiously headed into the slow-moving sea of scantily clad Stroudsburgians to see what we could see.

Yuula had no idea what she was looking at, but she knew she liked it.

Laura and Dunja did the firetruck watergun race to try and win their daughters a toy.

Any guess who won?

Yuula chose the "ornie fisss" as a prize and held on for dear life.

Jordan and I scoped out some new shades to go with our newly formed John Cusack fan club.

After a hectic brouhaha at the gyro stand we finally claimed our spots on the lawn to wait out the air show. We devoured some pretty decent sloptruck gyros and Yuula got medieval with her hotdog.

Norman Bates-y.

She didn't mind sharing her lemonade.

We had to withstand some pretty terrible live music, including but not limited to punk covers of Billie Jean, another band whose leader wore a large top hat (think Abe Lincoln) and played the trumpet like his tonsils were on fire, and then some geriatric karaoke of Can't Help Falling In Love that made UB40's version sound like Jethro Tull. We had our own entertainment tho. Yuula and Isabella tore around that crown like they were qualifying for the baby Olympic relay race using the "ornie fisss" and Bunny as a baton.

Just before te fireworks started the girls left for some funnel cake and came back with instead with Bluth Bananas. They are not as good as George Michael would have you believe.

Fireworks at 9:15.

So Far Celebrating With Hot Rocks

We have not been all that 4th-y yet today. We laid in bed til 9 laughing at Yuula and then went downstairs and ate some eggs and laughed at Yuula some more. Then we spent what was left of the morning working a little bit in the yard. The summer is quickly slipping thru our fingers and the list of things to get done is getting all the more burdensome. I tackled m main nemesis, this new front patio.

I decided to tear it apart and start over this morning. Good idea with bad timing. The sun beats down on these suckers, and me as well, causing them to reach stifling temperatures themselves. So I'm getting hit by the sun and burning rock all at the same time. It was a joy. I've said it before but I'm saying it again, I don't want to ever lay a patio again. But I will.

It looks ok. Still more to do.

Laura threw down a patriotic tablecloth for lunch so... that's something.

We've bathed everyone and regained our strengths so we're going to head out and try and celebrate this fine country and its hot rocks.

Oh Say Can Yuula See

Magnesium Is Resilient

We thought we had no sparklers because the ones we had in the shed sat out all last summer thru rain and wind and cat so we thought they wouldn't work.





That is the last time I doubt pyrotechnics.

We Are Fourthless

Laura came home from work early not feeling well and has been in bed ever since. Yuula fell on her xylophone and has something sticky in her hair. We have no fireworks. We have no sparklers. We have no flags. We are eating leftovers for dinner. Tonight we claim independence from no one and we're fine with it. There's still 2 hours of Sunny in Philadelphia on and a late West coast Mets game so... happy 4th.

Independence Evening Glories

We heard some fireworks going off in the neighborhood and felt left out. I had set aside a box of morning glories from new years two years ago. Not every day you have an excuse to run around the backyard with a firestick.

Happy fourth to all. Here's to bellies full of beer and hot dog.

Off, To Indiana. BUT FIRST.....

We're packing. Scratch that. I'm packed. She's been packing since Tuesday. We're going to Indiana with the folks for the weekend to visit the elder siblings Brad & Erin & their boys Braden (4) & Dylan (9 months). It promises to be an adventure, complete with pontoons, ice cream plants & the like.

So I thought I'd take this moment to kinda catch up with what we've done the past few weeks, as it has been full of it's own adventures, treasure hunts, & rainbows [literally].

So...

I went on tour. Look at me go


Fran joined me at Giants Stadium, Yeah!


We had giant ice cream cones with Mike in NY. We each had two


A barge was on fire in Rhode Island


We saw fireworks


Then we assembled a posse and took to the streets for the 4th of July


Eric Brust picked us up that night and we spent the next day with him, first just driving around Boston...


...and then we rented kayaks and took to the Charles River


We came upon a remote island and discovered a hidden treehouse, in which we decided to stay & start our own civilization


Exploring ensued



We tamed the river. KayaKINGS!!!!!


We topped that day off the only way we know how; with some of the best Indian food in New England...


...and some Ben & Jerry's


We returned home, rather exhausted, to the basement in Georgia just in time for Madison's 3rd birthday party


For fun we took Madison to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens



And then some ice cream (a reoccurring theme)



That pretty much brings us up to date. Click on the pictures to take you right to the photo albums for the full experience.

Wish us luck.