Flags are flying all over the neighborhood but nary a firecracker will be heard. There will be fireworks at the park and at the base but they are illegal for individuals.

Bobby is grilling and bringing steak and hamburger over and I have been cooking all morning. We are having baked beans, potato salad, green salad, a fruit plate and
homemade hot rolls, sweet tea and cocoanut pie to go with
the smoked steak and burgers.

Sounds traditional doesn't it? I often think about the first
fourth of July when life was hard. I suppose we would be
having wild rabbit and making candles and cooking on God
knows what. There wouldn't be any fans or cool air anywhere. Making bread would be an almost daily chore
in some kind of make shift oven. Washing our clothes would
be done at the creek.

It was such a busy life but I will bet our forefathers were
happy. Think of it, they defeated mighty England and
started a new nation.