Finally went to the town fireworks! Have only done this once before, about 9 years ago, even before Indy was born, so this was a feat in itself. Really, Really enjoyed it. We actually got the very last parking spot in the lot (after those are gone you have to park down the street and schlep you and all your schtuff in) and spent about 2 hours before the event people-watching, reading, taking photos (me), eating Ruffles and enjoying the light breeze off the Columbia river. Was so nice we vowed to do it every year! The show was great and I actully got to enjoy it as I had enough foresight to bring, and use, my tripod and remote. Set it up beforehand and all I had to do was push the button over and over and over throughout the show.
OK, now, the downside is while it only took us 5 minutes to drive there and 1 minute to unload the car and get to our spot, it took 1 minute to get back to our car and 55 minutes to get out of the parking lot. We saw some really disrespectful (this was Indy's word when she saw it occuring) people drive on the park grass to try and cut in line and 2 people throw trash out of their car onto the grass as they were waiting. Now as these parks are PUD (Chelan County Public Utility District) parks, and BOTH DJ and I work for the PUD - we were not too happy about this. DJ actually rolled down the window and yelled at the people driving on the grass to get off. While I agreed with him in principle, the mom in me who lives in 2006 was nervous about it. We had a child in the car, OUR child. You don't yell at rowdy teenage punks in the middle of the night with your kid in the car. At least I don't. Anyway, it saddens me that 1) they would litter and drive on the grass and that 2) I live in a society (or time period) where it is a scary prospect to say something to these people for fear of recrimination. Kind of an odd, bittersweet, Independence Day. So promise me, all of you mommies and daddies, that you will do you best to raise RESPECTFUL children. Respectful of all they have just because they had the sheer luck of having been born on the wonderful US soil.
t 