We jumped the gun on the Fourth of July. Last weekend was a big birthday bash where extended family members lumped three birthdays together by fudging on the exact dates just a bit. Good times, good food B and now for another promising weekend of fun with Firecracker Day falling on Saturday this year.
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You can read just about anything about any subject, but somewhere somebody has tallied up what backyard barbecues total for this weekend=s holiday. The estimate is for 160 million people to be cooking out, consuming more than 155 million hot dogs!
Fireworks tents have popped up everywhere, thicker than mushrooms during a warm wet spring. That always amazes me. The experts say more than $650 million will be spent on personal fireworks with another $318 million spent on professional shows.
Gallatin=s recent Independence Day celebrations rank right up there with the very best of what small towns its size can offer. Much credit goes to the Dockery Park Board and more obviously to the Billings family.
Not long ago Gallatin couldn=t muster much more than a sputter for a July 4th celebration. There was a time when folks here in town just threw up their hands and, luckily, Lake Viking proved to be a good neighbor in welcoming everyone to their fireworks display. That offer still stands. Everyone is welcome to the east public entrance to the lake for fireworks at dusk this Saturday. There=s hardly any better way to enjoy fireworks than when the rocket=s red glare is mirrored over the water.
Lake Viking is an outstanding asset not just for our county but for the entire Northwest Missouri region B and not just for the fireworks during the annual celebration. The lake=s growth and development has been steady and solid since its beginning in 1967. We=re the envy of so many who enjoy holidays mixed with water fun.
This year, however, Gallatin’s activities offer a special treat by hosting a military band ensemble. Patriotic music just doesn=t come any better than by the precision of a military band. Kudos to the Park Board for adding this special treat into the mix.
No doubt many will choose to celebrate July 4th their way in their own backyard. It=s a time for us all to be kids again …and, yes, many do B 155 million hot dogs offer proof! Maybe it=s a holiday for parents to overlook a little mischief that usually is a healthy part of family gatherings. Kids are, after all, kids.
I read about an exasperated mother who once cornered her son after he let a number of pesky flies into the kitchen while repeatedly going outside and back inside the house. Finally, she barked at him, AIf you=re not going to be good, how do you expect to get into heaven?@
He thought a minute, which was very surprising given his short attention span. Then he replied: AWell, I=ll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until they say, >For goodness sake …either come in or stay out!= And then I=ll go in.@