Being new to the area we were wondering what we should do for the Fourth of July. The kids were dying to see fireworks shot off from the Space Needle. While this idea appealed to me on some levels, the traffic getting home did not appeal at all. We had to be up to catch the ferry for church the next morning and I didn't relish putting kids to bed around mid-night only to wake them up at 7:00 and fight tooth and nail to get them ready, not to mention a whole day of whining. {They needed their sleep. I needed their sleep!}
We decided we would go over on the Ferry Saturday. We could stay in a hotel, swim, take in the Bainbridge parade, catch the fireworks show in Eagle Harbor..... and be able to get to church the next morning by just driving down the street...sweet! When I called Friday night to get a room the lady at the front desk was so nice and when she found out we were moving there she gave me the Island discount. "These people are great." I thought.
The kids were delighted. We packed our bags, some food and the toaster. { A Toaster is a must if you want to have homemade bread toast with raspberry honey for a snack and we did.} We headed for the Ferry and arrived on the Island just in time for the Bainbridge Parade.
I was really excited about the parade.{weird I know} parades, graduations, anything remotely patriotic pulls at my heart strings and I tear up. I was watching this Parade {which we missed my favorite part, the marching band} and I was thinking " This is my new home. These are my new people. This is my new life." The people around me don't know it, but I did and I was taking it all in. I felt this lump in my throat and my eyes welled up. This is home....in about ten days! I couldn't wait.
The Parade was a tell all of what to expect when we move here. You had the standard issue dance teams, ball teams, fire engines, cheer squads, horse riders, but you also had the Belly Dancing Club {interesting} the Crew Team, the Skipper Club {minus the Yachts}, the Protect our Land people {handing out saplings.... which what kid doesn't want and dream of in a parade? Defiantly better than the so out of style throwing of the candy, really people. You should see the look in the eye of a kid waiting on the outskirts, almost in the street, dying for candy to be thrown his way, only to be handed a plant}... the Library People {I am a fan}, the Jump Rope Club{evidently a big deal. they went to nationals this year....who knew?}, the People for Diversity Club {handing out the ever popular 70 strength sunscreen, thank you very much it went immediately on to Claire's cheeks and my toes..wonderful!}, The Save the Teachers Group, local PTO { which did raise enough money in one month to save nine teachers from being fired because of budget cuts..amazing!} I could go on and on, because it did go on and on, each with their own agenda. That was okay with me, because these people care about community and I love that.
We went back to the hotel for a swim. Skip did not have his suit.{ the non english speaking packers packed it with a pile of other thing that I told them not to pack, but that is a whole other story} So I swam in the cold water and dipped into the hot sauna with the kids.
After searching high and low we found a local restaurant that was open. Apparently everything closes down in this town on holidays and after 6:00 p.m....good to know. We sat outside on the main street watching people pass by. It was a beautiful evening in the 70's with a slight breeze coming off the sound. The air smelled a bit briny, but not too much..it was just right. The dinner was over priced and the service wasn't stelar, but my pizza of apples, blueberries, roasted chicken, candied pecans, over field greens, topped with goat cheese was Awesome! Everyone else had pepperoni....they missed out. {Sam did have a burger and fries.}
Sam, Blake, Caire and I wandered down to the docks at the Marina. We passed by a play ground and played on the swings and slides for a while. We were in no hurry, just taking our time. Skip and Jack walked back to the hotel to get the car to park it closer to where we would be after dark and buy some last minute snacks for his Scout camp that would begin the following Monday.
We got down to the docks and joined a group of kids scraping mussels off the bottom of the dock, smashing them, and feeding them to the crabs in the shallows of the water. The boys loved this.
I found a seat on the grass, staked out some room, and everyone joined me to wait for the festivities. It was the first time since 1973 that the Island has put on a fireworks show. The kids loved it, except Claire she dug her head into my chest and cried herself to sleep. After the show was over we trekked it up to the car and Sam waited till he could find the darkest corner and emptied out a half a box of poppers on to the ground. Smiles all around. We drove contently back to the hotel.
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Loving the Fourth!
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REUTERS/Finbarr O’Reilly
