..."we hold these truths..." even in Mudville

"we hold these truths to be self-evident...
that all men are created equal...
that they are endowed by their creator...
with certain inalienable rights...
and among these are life, liberty...
and the pursuit of happiness..."


we, in this country, celebrate that document...
signed this day in 1776...
declaring our independence from England...

speaking of the inalienable right to liberty...
signed by many a God-fearing slave holder...

they didn't see the dichotomy or the irony...
and England was NOT amused ...
by the affront to the proprietary interests of the Empire...
by a bunch of idealistic colonists...

just who did these "Americans" think they were ?


signing your name here ...
branded you a traitor to England...
guaranteeing your death if the independence failed...

years later... after much bloodshed and lives lost...
freedom from England was gained...
and the "great experiment" in democracy ...
was officially, "on"...

so, on this day...
we, a nation of immigrants...
celebrate our liberty...
with parades, cookouts, speeches...
a little flag waving...
patriotic music...
and fireworks...




here in Mudville... it's not much different...
we have parades...with flags...



generally, in the hottest part of the day...
the Mudville Orchestra assembles under the "Sail"...



to play a selection of patriotic & American music...
as a prelude to the fireworks...

in the "old days"...the "Park Band" would play...
while the setting sun blinded us and the winds howled
around the lake at Legion Park...
with large crowds jammed into the small neighborhood...
awaiting the pyrotechnic display to come after dark...



then, for me...the mad dash to get home ...
before the fireworks terrorized the kitties...
since we lived very close to the park...

in more recent times..
the Mudville Waterfest concert...
was designed to last all day...
and into the gathering darkness...



entertaining the vast crowds gathered at Weber Point...

I remember when this picture was taken...
it was 106...with a HOT wind blowing...
and by the time the sun went down...
under the stage lights... it was at least 110...
even after dark... even with the gale-force winds....


our last selection was always "Overture 1812"...
with fireworks instead of cannons...
the concussion of the blast hitting us as we played...
made breathing almost impossible...

after the last applause died away...
as the audience buzzed with anticipation...
and all eyes were turned to the west..
I would be wending my way through the vast crowd...

a task made more difficult after the fireworks began...
since no one was paying any attention ...
to my need to get through the crowd...
and get to my car... in the distant lot...
fight the traffic congested with "looky-loos"...
and get home to my terrified kitties...



I'm now happily retired from playing July 4th Concerts....
and will be at home...
calming frightened kitties...
when the fireworks go off this year...

Happy Birthday America !