I had no plans for today. I thought I might spend the day working on a newsletter. That changed when I got a call this morning. Was I available to crew today? The Auxiliary assists Law Enforcement in keeping recreational boaters at a safe distance from the barge from which fireworks are set off, and the benefit is "front row seats" to the 4th of July fireworks. Of course I went.

Before it got dark we were treated to a dragon boat race. They are fun to watch and according to the announcer, the 2011 International Dragon Boat Championship Races will be hosted by Tampa Bay. If you don't know what the dragon boat races are, try Google, and if you ever get a chance to watch the races, do so.



Two vessels were out but at different ends of the channel so we did not see much of each other. My coxswain/captain was my friend, Mike.



The fireworks were spectacular, especially as we were sitting right under them! Too bad one can't get a good picture from a boat. It moves constantly on the water, which makes using manual settings almost impossible.



Now for a laugh... the last image is me in my work uniform. I look like a dork!



I need to crew more often as I really do love being out on the water. It turned out to be a fun 4th!