The weather was perfect. Warm but not too warm, sunny, breezy and bright. No thunderstorms on the horizon this year!

The parade had a record number of vintage automobiles. So gorgeous!

Watchers from the roof of the Pantry.

Dancing Mandolin Player marches with the Cougar Creek Band!

We’re having a good time at our usual place in front of the school.

Not too old to hang out with Grandma before the parade, thank goodness.

Yes, he’s growing up. A little too old for catching candy from the parade “floats”, but still enjoyed being squirted by the fire truck hose and running in the races after the parade.

Afterwards there was time for swimming. Naps. Burgers and hot dogs on the porch. And cherry cobbler! Amber had pitted an entire case of cherries and Dancing Mandolin Player shared her mother’s cobbler biscuit recipe, so dessert was a big hit.

And then we waited for dark.

Will built a campfire. Ben and Amber enjoyed the sunset while the Funny Grandson ran around the beach moving chairs and collecting firewood.

We expected the fireworks display to start at 10:00, but not much happened for another 30 minutes. The fireworks were few and far between, with Banjo Man suggesting they were coming from a neighbor’s yard high above us to the east. I assumed it was a particularly flawed and sparse display this year.

The boats were allowed to come into the bay, which was good, except for all the music. Whoever dreamed up building speakers on boats should be banned from outdoor events for life.

Just sayin’.

At 10:30 the “real” fireworks started! Oh, the relief! I could almost hear a sigh of relief from the cars and boats ringing the bay.

When it was over at 11:00, we staggered up the hill and went to bed. No one wanted another helping of cobbler or a bowl of ice cream. We wanted our beds, covered with quilts, to snuggle into.

For me, it’s always the best night of the year!