America 250

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Beach days and beach nights... it doesn't get much better than that.

We celebrated America's 250th birthday with what was possibly the most civilized Fourth of July fireworks display I've ever experienced. As wild and crowded as the beach club had been the night before, it was delightfully calm for the holiday. I'm guessing many people attended family parties or headed to their town's official fireworks displays instead, but whatever the reason, I'll gladly take the quieter atmosphere.

We claimed a table right in the sand, sipped cocktails, and watched the kids run around laughing and playing while fireworks exploded in every direction. It felt like we had front-row seats to a celebration stretching across the entire coastline. No matter where you looked, another burst of red, white, and blue lit up the sky.

Off in the distance, though, dark clouds were beginning to gather. The sky looked increasingly ominous, and everyone wisely decided to light their fireworks a little earlier than planned, racing against the approaching storm. They couldn't have timed it any better. Just as the last fireworks faded, the heavens opened.

Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and torrential rain came pouring down as we packed up and hurried inside the club. Somehow, it didn't bother us a bit after having had such a glorious sunny day. 

I was secretly happy to see the rain. After such a long dry spell, every garden, flower bed, and newly planted pot around my patio desperately needed a good soaking. Earlier in the day, I'd insisted on bringing in all of our outdoor couch cushions before we left for the beach, convinced the rain was coming. The rest of the household questioned my prediction, but by evening they were all amazed that I'd called it. Sometimes you just have to trust your weather instincts!

It was hard to believe a storm was on its way after spending the entire day soaking up the sunshine, swimming in the ocean, and enjoying what I'd easily rate as a 10-out-of-10 beach day. Mother Nature couldn't have planned it any better, she gave us a flawless summer day, then waited until nightfall to water everything that needed it.

Red, white, and blue attire was everywhere as people gathered to celebrate our country's 250th birthday. Seeing so many families, friends, and neighbors enjoying the holiday together was a wonderful reminder of how fortunate we are. There truly is nowhere else I'd rather call home.

So here's to America, to the generations who built it, those who continue to shape it, and to the memories still waiting to be made, color me proud to be an American! 

Happy 250th, America... and here's to the next 250 years!

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." — Ronald Reagan