Today, the local news is buzz about the upcoming holiday! Finally, a day to celebrate our country without the threat of deadly viral outbreaks. Hard to believe that it was only three years ago that fireworks were canceled due to Covid. Now, how it could have been harmful to be out in the fresh air on a pleasant evening to watch fireworks is still a puzzlement to me. Happily, those sad days are behind us, for now anyway.
Of course, there are a million reasons the powers that be want to outlaw real fireworks altogether. Fire Danger. Explosive danger. Danger. Danger. Danger. So sick of girly-boys running the show when it comes to 4th of July. Get with it and blow up some beautiful fireworks. Big ones.
Our little town is humming with excitement about the upcoming activities. A town just to the East of us is starting off the holiday weekend with a Bronc and Bull Bash Saturday night at the local rodeo area. Nothing more American than cowboys trying their hand at keeping their seat on a wild animal for 8 seconds. One of my favorite things to do.
Having been raised as a farm girl, I can tell you one thing for sure. The bulls and broncs enjoy this as much as the cowboys and cowgirls do. Until you stand next to an animal of that weight and size while observing them for a bit, it’s hard to understand. These animals are tough. Their skin is thicker than the leather our purses and shoes are made from. They are ornery. Along with that, they’re the prize livestock owned by a very proud farmer. They get the best feed and veterinary care.
From the bull or bronc’s point of view, the 8 seconds is a mere irritation and interruption of time at the food trough. When watching some of the more famous bulls, I’ve come to the conclusion they look forward a change in their routine. After a ride, you don’t find them huddled in the corner in a mass of nerves. They always have the look that says, “You want a piece of this? Who’s next?”
After that fun evening, the countdown will begin towards the 4th!
The day will begin with an early morning pancake breakfast at 7, followed by the parade at 10.
Our church and the Mothers of Preschool-ers (MOPS) group are preparing a float for the parade.
Now, our local parade isn’t a little one. It stretches through the entire town, while thousands of county residents line the streets on either side. Our county boundaries surround over 2,000 sq. miles of high desert plains and mountains of which 2300 sq. miles are covered with water. A large percentage of the locals will show up on Tuesday to enjoy the day! MM is planning to secure us a spot with his truck. With a big umbrella in place, we plan to have front row seats as we watch all the entries stroll by. I’m sure there’ll be a long line of red, white, and blue following the lead of the town’s Sheriff’s car, and ending with another Sheriff’s car bringing up the rear.
Clowns from the Shriner’s, local business, churches groups, and service organizations will all make their way along the route. Horses will plop along and the poop scoopers will follow behind. Of course, no real parade would be complete without hundreds of pounds of candy to be thrown out to the kids. It’ll all happen on the 4th.
In the afternoon, there’ll be horseshoe throwing contest, a chili-cookoff, lots of food, vendors with the freshest treats, and a greased pig contest. MM’s family won this event for years and years, so he tells me. Many a year, he went home with the pig, himself. Although he won’t be entered, I would guess a few of his great nieces and nephews will participate. We’ll be there to cheer them on.
At dusk, the fireworks will light up the night sky. The county claims this very show is the largest and longest in all of Nevada. I wouldn’t doubt it. We plan to be there from the beginning of the celebration until the very end.
After the sparkling finale, there’ll be dancing until midnight. If there isn’t something that sounds enticing, I didn’t explain things correctly. This is going to be a wonderful celebration.
Somewhere in the middle, there’ll be time to visit with family and friends. Of course, we’ll eat way too much. Even with hats, dark glasses and sunscreen, the desert will surely be hot, the way the 4th of July is supposed to be.
Whatever you are doing this 4th of July, remember the reason for the holiday. Our country, with all it’s positives and negatives is still the best place in the world to live. I lived in Russia during the Cold War. I’ve seen extreme pollution in Europe and Mexico. I’ve crisscrossed 50,000 miles of this great land of States United. I would never choose another place on this great planet to live. We are blessed to call this wonderful land home. If you don’t believe me, travel abroad and do stay there awhile. When you come running back home, we’ll talk.
With so many things to ready, I’ll be pretty busy for the next few days. There’ll be brand new stories to share on Wednesday, July 5th. Have a beautiful holiday.
