Another Fourth of July has come and gone.
Once again, I helped with the fireworks and a few other things for "The Party on the White House Lawn". Rick and his family put their all into this gig every year. Their last name is White aka the name of the party. They spend a lot of time... and money getting ready for the party. They deal with the mess during and after, year after year. The party seems to get better each go 'round. This year was the thirteenth year.
There was a crowd from the start this year. I'm not sure I recall a year when the turn out has been this good. Part of the bargain is that you bring a covered dish or dessert and Rick provides the hot dogs, burgers and suds (beer). I think we had food coming out our ears this year. At one point early on, I tried to count the number of guests. I was well over 80 and that didn't include those that were at the front of the food line that I couldn't see.
It seems the last few years, we have fought rain at some point during the day. There would be a quick shower mid afternoon. Just enough to crank up the humidity. This year the weather guessers smiled on us. Forecasts called for a twenty percent chance of rain which bumped up to thirty percent between three and six o'clock. Weather radar showed rain showers and heavy storms to our south, but we remained rain-free all day. About six-thirty(ish), the temperature was in the mid-seventies, with a nice breeze. Perfect for the launch festivities at dark.
We hung out at the pool as long as we could before having to go prep the launch site. The water was cool when you first got in. That's not such a bad thing though, when you're one of the folks on the launch crew for the fireworks show. Only one cell phone got damaged this year... that we know of. People tend to get thrown in the pool. The throw ers.. don't always take time to find out if the throw ees have any valuables in their pockets before the throw ing takes place.
The fireworks went off without a hitch this year. I mentioned the breeze earlier because a gentle breeze blows the smoke out of the area. We had one party a few years ago where the air was moist and stagnant. The smoke hung low across the launch site. Shots from the ground displays or low aerial shells got lost in the haze. All you could see was a colored flash. We had a nice sized crew this year. We didn't have to have one or two people racing around to launch mortors. I usually end up being one of the ones racing, but I don't mind. Its fun. We always have the attention of the local police, but usually its because they come to watch. All of us that help with the party try to make things as safe as possible for the guests. The police see this and don't give us any trouble.
Even though I didn't get home about three this morning and I didn't sleep well thanks to my sore back, I chalk this year up as a great party. Rick, Delores (AKA Mrs White or Rick's Mom), Tam and the gang deserve a round of applause for hosting a great party. A party that now seems to keep the whole town entertained.
Great Job! Keep up the good work! It was a blast! (Literally!)