A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Home for the Holidays 4th of July

It may just be my favorite holiday.

so, what are you doing on your favorite holiday? we usually grill out, and enjoy the freedom to do not much. and then go to the fireworks somewhere. this year we may splurge and go to the big ones down on the river.

Our town's fireworks come earlier and earlier each year. This year it is on June 29th! It's always at the community college just down the road from us, and is mobbed!!! The past few years they have had old time performers such as The Turtles and The Shirells. I don't know who will perform this year - I think I was not so impressed when I saw the name and it didn't stick with me...

We always get their early to get a good spot on the grass, and bring a picnic dinner - sandwiches, snacks, drinks, etc = good times!

one year we went to Gatlinburg, TN for the first July 4th parade in the nation and the last fireworks. The parade starts at 12:01AM on the 4th and the fireworks is at 11:59 on the 4th. It was fun.

This year my sister is coming on the 3rd and we're going to see the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. We're going to a friends for the 4th.

I like to go to Portland for the 4th. At the top of Monjoy Hill there is a large park overlooking Casco Bay. All day long there are booths for foods and games, etc., with people picniking all over the place. They block off the streets from car traffic to make the area bigger and safer. The fireworks are set off from the water and hundreds of small boats drop anchor in the area. It can be quite cold from up there and the first year we were in Maine I made the mistake of wearing a sundress and sandals and I nearly got frostbite for my trouble!


Maxi will be away at camp this year, so I do not know yet what my plans will be.


Merme

One of my best 4th of Julys was when I spontaneously called off work and went to Ocean City, MD with two of my guy friends......I didn't pay for a thing--they invited me knowing I didn't have money--and the fireworks were amazing since they were set off over the ocean.....spectacular. We went to all the good clubs, and I was young and it was fun and spontaneous. I'd just turned 21.

Nowadays we usually just have a BBQ at moms.....maybe this year I'll have my above ground pool so owe can swim too.

Hard to believe that last year on the 4th we were at Bills watching his firework display.

Were already counting down the days till we can buy fireworks! need some rain, rain, rain, or some of the aerials will be banned. gonna grill. of course, I grill for just about any occasion...ground hog day, presidents day, third tuesday of the month! ha ha last year we did some skeet shooting on the property. that was fun. we blew the neighbors away with our noise!

We usually smoke meat getting up earrrrrrrly in the morning to get it started ,and make all the side dishes to go with and just chill out all day watching movies & eating when ever we want to.
Where we used to live you could see the Firework display at Ranger Stadium several miles away , Now that we don't live in Arlington anymore we can still see a fireworks display coming from Joe Pool Lake,, while we sit in the back yard,, tho we're still 2-3 miles away it sure makes it nice to enjoy the view from our own patio as opposed to fighting traffic and sitting on the grass at the lake!

Cricket We( or I should say I) smoke meat anytime! No matter the weather or occasion,, Even when I used to live in Kansas in the dead of Winter with snow up to my knees I'd still smoke meat: Ya just have to go out every hour or so to add more wood.and fill the water pan back up.
About 3 times a month when I get home from work I'll use the grill for quick hot links and hamburgers .

one thanksgiving I did the bird on the pit in very cold drizzling rain. like you said, going out every hour. adding more wood and a handful of charcoal. Ha ha. it was a bit ridicuolus having to suit up in coveralls, hat, scarf ect. but I was determined to smoke that turkey. our weather at thanksgiving here is sometimes shorts and t-shirt weather, but that year it was COLD! best bird I've ever cooked - to this day!

I've never tried to smoke meat myself, so I'm very impressed with you ladies who do! Don't even really know how.

I have, however, cooked many whole turkeys on the grill. They are always so delicious!


Merme

I carry fireworks, actually sparklers, in the trunk of my car all the time. One never knows when one will need to celebrate.

Funny Sheri! Tristen and I bought some sparklers the other day and I let him do some last night. He loves that kind of stuff! I buy him the pop-its too because they are very harmless and he thinks they are great! He can do them without me standing right there! 4th of July is always a fun time! We have a party at our house every year. We always have it Saturday so it is on the 5th this year which is fine because then everyone can go somewhere and watch fireworks and come to our house the next day! We have yard games and water toys for the kids and lots of food and fun!!

do you get squirt guns. I don't know what happenend to it but Johnny used to have one that was almost hydraulic. It was so fun.

I have a large water squirter .
To chase bad things.......Found another use for it the other day.
Bird pooped on the kitchen window, I couldnt reach it , so I squirted it ..LOL
Worked.

I love the rockets that scream when they go up! anyone else?
I always get a box of those missles! can't wait! what is it.... 10 days before the 4th you can buy them?
We also like to get the parachute rockets for the kids during the day. keeps 'em busy hunting them down.
anyone else have favorites?

We can buy fireworks here anytime, and you know where they sell them? ............at the liquor store I don't think one mixes well with the other.

We don't ceebrate the 4th of July here, Canada day is on the first though. The local village has a day of family events and such with a little firework show in the evening. It seems to rain every year though, haven't gone in ages.

Nothing like seeing a childs face filled with awe.

Sine 2004 we have gone to my DD Valrie's house on the 4th--but this year I think they are going out of town so I don't know what we will be doing----probably nothing---Well of course Rod will grill I guess--and I will make the sides---(division of labor you know)--The question is will anyone else be here???

I'd be broke if I lived in canada!

We always have squirt guns Sheri! Tristen wants to take them out in April when it is 40 or 50 degrees.

Most fireworks are illegal in Minnesota. We can buy some small things but none of the big ones that shoot way up in the air and are pretty. But when we see things on the news about people getting hurt from fireworks it makes me glad that we can't buy them here. We are careful with them but kids are not so much.

Our kids are pretty good with them and we very much make it a controlled activity. they take turns lighting one at a time,ect. it's another story when my niece and nephew come over for the 4th and new years (the only time of year we can buy them here) they go ape-shet crazy! I try to keep control then hubby and his brother get all wild along with the kids and I usually give up and come in and start my praying. no one has gotten seriously hurt yet.

Wow, I am surprised that fireworks there are under such tight restrictions. Guess I found the one thing in Canada that has no time limit.

I think they are always on sale in South Carolina.

Fireworks are illegal in Maryland. Except for the use of Sparklers and ground based sparkling devices. 2 minutes from my house into West Virginia they are legal.....I never minded though, when we were kids Sparklers were good enough---we'd get a few huge 3 foot long ones.

love sparklers

Heyyyyyyyyyyy do fair you're getting a head start on us Sheri!

Our law is the same then Loz. We can buy sparklers and a few that sit on the ground and sparkle and make a little noise but nothing big. It is alright for us too! Lots of people go to South Dakota or Wisconsin though because you can buy big ones there. The fines are big if you get caught with them but they do it anyways. We never go get them though.

In Seattle and neighboring suburbs, fireworks are technically illegal. Other suburbs its not so they are easy to get. People have been lighting them off around here for over a week. We usually hear one or two a night. Even though they're considered illegal, the cops generally don't do anything about it. I've seen people light off bottle rockets and similar things from their front lawns with cops parked near their house directing traffic to where one of the fireworks shows. I think because they are so easy to get and there are too many people lighting them off that it's just not worth their time. However, you can go to any number if Indian reservations and buy the really illegal kind and they will bust you for those. The most common thing people go to the reservation for are the M80's. I actually think those are cool but would never take the chance on buying them myself. You always hear at least a few of those to off every year. We haven't decided if we're even going to bother to go see one of the shows this year because of Ashley's ankle. It's too crowded and someone might trip her on her cruthches. We might drive out to a quite area where you can see the fireworks. Last year Aros and I could see them from the Fred Meyer parking lot. The park where that show is is only a couple miles away, and that's the better show of the two. I'm going to be grilling hamburgers and corn on the cob that day and mostly we're just going to stay home and have a nice little family party.

Cincinnati is a city of hills...like Rome....and I can look out my living room window and see way below me toward the river. Every year they shoot off fire works from the river (a boat possibly, or a park down ther.) I can look DOWN on top of the fire works when they burst in the air!!, way off on the horizon.

You have it made......In america.

Well apparently my assumpsions were wrong.---First Mom called & asked that my DH & I come over for supper on the 4th and then she & I could go watch the fireworks in a nearby town. DH could either stay & visit dad or he could go home.
--After we had accepted, I find out that Valarie was having a BBQ on the 4th after all.---Oh well--I guess I should be spending time with my mom & dad anyway right???

And the kid in me loves fireworks after all.

Aliens?

whoops... you missed them!

.... Where?????....

Ch current page, Carol.

I found it, Tina--but thanks because knowing me--it is very likely that I would not of done so !!

Next year I will be off the 4th of July, 5th of July 6th of July and so on. Yippee! I love this new job.

Sheri School Nurse

Sheri

How Lovely for you .....So happy you enjoying school nurse.....
Lil boys will love you .........

Time to celebrate and feel merry..