Independence Day in our little town

I don't know if our area is just getting more popular these days, or if the affects of Hurricane Sandy have caused some Jersey shore visitors to come to our shore instead, but there is a TON of people here.  So Spouse & I wisely decided to stay in our own little town (and not drive) today.

We started our morning with coffee and a little TV watching.  Then we each chose a flower bed and spent about 30 minutes weed pulling.  Then we decided to clean the back/screened porch.  First we swept the spider webs, dead ants, and dirt/dust out.  It always amazes me how much dirt and dust and bugs are inside our SCREENED porch.  Then we used a rag and scrub brush to clean off the grey mildew-looking stuff from the white trim.  Surprisingly it came off rather easily.  Spouse was happy to use his new Pocket Hose to rinse the suds off!

After a light lunch (the heat reduces my appetite) and several glasses of cold water, we walked over to the canal to watch the 4th of July decorated boat parade.  We opted for a shady spot further away from the water than most people, feeling we really wanted the shade more than the details of the decorated boats.  Apparently our neighbors Dave & Georgia had the same thought so we joined them on a bench and chatted with them during and after the boat parade ended.

After a brief respite in the air conditioning, I fired up Big Ella and drove her to the gas station to fill up her tank in preparation for the Doo Dah parade.  Steven & Thad came over shortly before 5pm to watch the parade with Spouse.  It was hot, but I drove Big Ella in the parade and had a great time!  People are always so appreciative of Big Ella and I enjoy 'sharing' her with them, which makes it worth it for me to endure the heat.  After the parade I met Spouse and Steven & Thad back at the house and we went up the street to the diner for dinner.  Then we went to the beach to watch the fireworks.  Our town doesn't have an official fireworks display, but several people set up "volunteer" fireworks at the beach at dusk and set them off at dark, providing a non-stop fireworks display for well over an hour.  Fortunately the temperature cooled down and there was a nice breeze at the beach so it was actually very comfortable.

It was a very nice day spent in our little town.  Happy Independence Day everyone!