Friends, family, food and fireworks

Today, the 4th of July, we left La Center late in the morning to spend some time with my grandma in Vancouver. Mom had made a cherry cobbler the day before from some cherries donated by my grandma and wanted her to have a sampling of it. We chatted it up for a bit then headed out to buy a few bags of ice for the days main event.

Mandy hosted a bar-b-q at her new rental place in the Harney Heights neighborhood of Vancouver. Although not a view lot, houses across the street have a prime perch for observing the annual Fort Vancouver 4th fireworks display. Our goal was to climb onto her roof to see what we could see. Before the fireworks friends and family came together and spent some quality time enjoying refreshments and conversation outside amid the gorgous mid-70-something sunny weather -- the Northwest at its finest, if I do say so myself. Sarah's mom spent some time in the kitchen frying up some zuchini and prepping some riblets while my dad took the BBQ-meister's position at the grill. Together with Mandy and other contributions they served up a great pile of viddles that could be easily compared to the fireworks as the star of the party.

After a small display of fireworks by Aaryn's kids' and our friend Mark, we all made it safely to Mandy's roof top an watched the big fireworks show. Safely distanced from the mega-crowds of irresponsible fireworks owners downtown we enjoyed the display of explosions and color from not only the big show but from the constand flashes of light that we could see from downtown Portland all the way across the horizon into Vancouver and to the very block we were on. Once the evening wrapped up Sarah and I had enjoyed a great weekend and were ready to head back home the next morning to see kitties -- yes, we know who owns whom there! Next year Sarah and I might attempt to stick around the Tacoma area to 1) avoid travel on this holiday and 2) to perhaps see the fireworks Tacoma has to offer.

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