CANADA DAY IN LOVELY CALEDONIA!

Last night Caledonia celebrated Canada Day with a magnificent show of fireworks. It was July 1, Canada Day. We must have been celebrating Canada Day because I’m pretty sure American Independence Day is July 4. I was on the phone to my folks in Temecula, CA and they were chuckling at the fact that we were having our fireworks on the 1st. I told them I just figured that since we live so far north, so near to Canada, that we were just supporting our neighbors to the north. “O Canada, we stand on guard for thee…”

It was really a wonderful fireworks display. Unfortunately, I missed the 4th of July parade in beautiful, downtown Caledonia on Saturday afternoon. I could hear the sirens of the fire trucks leading the parade. I understand this parade lasted nine minutes; one minute longer than the Memorial Day parade.

Anyway, they shoot the fireworks from the Caledonia High School football stadium. (Home of the 2005 State Champion Fighting Scots!) The stadium is just on the other side of the water tower from our home in lovely Glen Valley Estates which was very recently a farmer’s field and therefore is treeless. We are able to go out and set up our lawn chairs in the driveway and get a perfect view of the fireworks. It’s very convenient if you need to run in for a beverage or ice cream or to use the facilities.

We ventured outside at 10:00. The first warning fireworks had just gone up. They give you several warning shots so you can get your drinks and snacks and be ready for the real show. It was strange weather. Very hot. Very humid. And very windy! The heat and humidity are not usually accompanied by such wind. My lovely wife covered her feet and ankles with mosquito repellent because of a recent unfortunate evening in a friend’s garden where she got bitten over fifteen times on each foot! No need for the Off! The wind was so strong that I don’t think a fighter jet could have maneuvered in it, let alone a mosquito.

The real fireworks show started at 10:15. (It stays light very late up north!) It really was outstanding! We pay good tax money for our patriotism and we want a good show! But the wind was wreaking havoc with the fireworks! Instead of being big, huge, round, blooms of fireworks, they quickly morphed into a kind of ovate shape because the wind was blowing so hard! Some of the rockets couldn’t get as high as they were supposed to because of the wind which created somewhat of a fire hazard for the homes in lovely Glen Valley Estates! In fact, we were watching large chunks of burning paper being blown long distances. Mia promptly dubbed them “floaties” and we found ourselves watching them more than the fireworks! I suspected that some farmer’s silo was going to go up in flames because of some of the floaties!

It started to rain right before the grand finale. We hurried up onto the porch to watch it. When it was over you could hear a rousing cheer from all the people sitting in the grocery store parking lot, half a mile away. Must have been a bunch of Canadians, eh?

You guys are great! Thanks for stopping by!