Independence Day is my favorite of all holidays. Some people like Christmas, but that fourth day of July is my day. I guess it’s because it’s so nice out, so you can be at a party and not be crowded into one room. The same 25 people at a July picnic seems so much easier than when they’re stuffed into my living room and dining room.
Over the past 43 years, I’ve missed going to Lyndonville for only a handful of times. I think we missed one year when I was a kid when we stayed in Lockport. Then I missed a year because of work, and another year so I could go to a Dead concert. This year I skipped because I didn’t feel it. Plus, we were trying to start a new tradition.
We spent Monday in Olcott at Krull Park for the fireworks. This is new for us over the last several years. In previous years, we’d catch the parade in Lockport and then cruise down somewhere close to watch the fireworks over the lake. We’ve now made it a picnic day at Olcott. This year was not nearly as hot as it was last year, so it was a little bit more enjoyable.
The girls played in the splash park and on the playground before we brought everyone back to the truck for dinner. It seemed a little lighter than normal attendance-wise until just before the fireworks. Then it filled it quickly. Even with a competing show in Hartland, there were tons of people at the park. It was very crowded by the fire the first rocket fired into the air.
One note for those of people who attend the show at Krull Park. The driveway around the southern part of the park is narrow. It is especially narrow when there are cars parked on both sides of it. Add to that the fact that people are walking along that roadway to get a closer vantage point for the show, and it ends up extremely crowded. There were several people who used it as a speedway while all this was going on. You need to keep it to 15 miles per hour. The boss says I’m not allowed to call those of you who were speeding as***les*, so I won’t do that. I will tell you to cool it when driving through the park. There is ZERO need for speed in that situation. Don’t be one of those people, or I will call you that unpleasant name that you so richly earned.
On Independence Day itself, I planned on not going to Lyndonville at all, completely break from that tradition. Mostly, I feel quite out of place there, now. It used to be that we could park at Grandma’s house and use that as a home base. With four kids in tow, you really need a home base. Plus, it’s been so hot the last couple years that it is just uncomfortable.
Instead, we have a shindig at Wendy’s sister’s house. We’ve been doing that for several years now. In the past, we went to Lyndonville for the parade and craft show, visited with some family, and then came back to Tammy’s house. This year, the plan was to only do Tammy’s house and make it just a bit more laid back than trying to get someplace with a crowd.
Of course all great plans have their flaws. This year’s flaw was that we were also invited to one of the twins’ friend’s house for a picnic. So, we did that in the early afternoon and then went over to Tammy’s around dinner time. It was just a bit more hectic than I was prepared for, but it was a good day all in all. I just like things as easy as possible.
At Tammy’s, we have a cookout, and hang out with family and friends. At dusk, we set off our own fireworks. We don’t go all Big-Boom-Fancy with our light show. We do the simple fountains and sparklers from Walmart. That’s good enough for us. Between all of us who bought some, we had a pretty good little show. And then, it’s easy to get home. No fighting of crowds, and no waiting in traffic.
After seeing the video of the finale in Lyndonville, I may have to reconsider returning to the old haunts. For a tiny village, they do Independence Day right. It is a grand celebration in the fullest definition. I hope everyone had a great holiday with family and friends. I know I enjoyed myself.
I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. And I hope everyone was safe, especially with all the fireworks rising from backyards across the area. Do you have a tradition for the greatest summer holiday?
I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. And I hope everyone was safe, especially with all the fireworks rising from backyards across the area. Do you have a tradition for the greatest summer holiday?
Craig Bacon loves the heat of summer, if not always the humidity. The fireworks are his favorite part of the day, especially the bright white explosions with the very loud booms.